•Monday Sundae•

Vanilla + Japanese Knotweed Cardamom Sauce + Beach Rose Petals + Sea Salt = SPECTACULAR.

I needed a little sweet to help the big bitter go down and this hit the spot. I’ll admit I was hoping for a small escape here but this melting pot of plants and flavors had me rolling around these questions that come up a lot lately (at the risk of taking the fun out of ice cream - sorry it’s just where my head’s at):

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Vanilla: native to Mexico - adopted, adored, and funded as a primary flavor in the North American palette.

Knotweed: native to East Asia - brought to North America by humans - labeled “invasive” “an unwanted organism” - and treated violently as an enemy in war. It’s functions and virtues are largely ignored.

Beach Rose: native to East Asia - also brought to North America by humans - also ecologically “invasive” - however it is more often said to be “naturalized” or “successful”. Generally accepted as a pretty flower and a useful fruit of our Eastern seashores.

Who makes these choices?

How do I perpetuate them?

Who chooses our words?

How do words change perception?

How do words change behavior?

How do we reevaluate them?

Who decides how we move forward?

#imnotjusttalkingaboutplants

#endthewaronweeds #watchyourlanguage #enddominatorculture