Growing a Food Culture: cultivating crops from Iraqi, Syrian, Turkish and Lebanese cuisine in Södertälje

Municipalities consist of diverse compositions of people; this thesis suggests that locally produced crops should be adapted to the requirements of each specific community. In the case of Södertälje municipality, Sweden, many different nationalities are represented. At least a quarter of the citizens are from, or have ancestors from, the Middle Eastern countries Iraq, Syria, Turkey and Lebanon. Interviews have been carried out with one person from each country, to find out which vegetables and aromatic plants are used in their own food culture. Interviews have also been conducted with people who grow exotic plants in the same climatic zone or colder ones. Crops that were mentioned more than once have been investigated to find out whether they can be grown on open land in the climate of Södertälje - Swedish climatic zone II-III (see map on page 19). In the text the crops are presented in Swedish, Arabic, Turkish and English, along with their scientific names. Results indicate that most of the crops investigated can be grown in the climate of Södertälje municipality. A few vegetables like tomato, okra, aubergine and certain cucumbers do not do well on open land and are best cultivated in a greenhouse. Amongst the aromatic plants there are more crops that are not possible to cultivate, mainly because many are perennial woody plants from a tropical climate that do not produce the parts used as herbs for many years. Most aromatic plants that can be harvested after one season will grow in the climate of the municipality. An interesting result amongst the vegetables is Gundelia tournefortii, a wild growing vegetable mentioned in the interviews as a crop that was not possible to obtain in Sweden and which the interviewees longed for. Unfortunately the only known attempt of cultivating the plant was not very successful. Other vegetables mentioned during interviews that are seldom used in Swedish food culture are dandelion/chicory and the green parts of onions and garlic, which are all easily grown in Södertälje.Uppsats för avläggande av filosofie kandidatexamen i Kulturvård, Trädgårdens hantverk och design, 22,5 h