Baltimore is an unusual place. I like unusual, it makes me feel like I’ve chosen somewhere special.
There is something satisfying about being in a place that most people don’t get to experience on a regular basis. If you live in Alaska you probably feel that way, or Liechtenstein, or Tahiti. One of the first signs I saw that I had landed somewhere different was in large block letters, and I wondered where the “LAKE” was that these “TROUT” came from.
The food here is odd, but I think it’s a good odd. Since moving I have seen and heard some other phrases that were unfamiliar to me just a few months ago. Lake trout, pit beef, Natty Boh, Old Bay. I had heard of Old Bay, of course. I may have even used it a few times, but a thing can exist without having the true vibrancy that Old Bay, crabs, pit beef, and other quirky local foods do here.
Food is the subject of this post for a couple of reasons. One is that the global food system is tied indelibly to the health of the planet and our communities. Another, just as important, is the place that food holds in our psyche.
The strength of the community often revolves around food in the way that a family’s spirit revolves around the dinner table. One of the things that brings Baltimoreans together is a respect for the culinary traditions in the city. Some may have a sense that the traditions are silly, but they will defend them with vigor. Crabs and Old Bay are not just traditions; they are components of rituals that are deeply rooted in the psychology of this place.
I have not been here long enough to make an adequate survey of Baltimorean food offerings, nor have I had an income to spend until recently, but I would like to acknowledge and appreciate all of the eating Baltimore and I will do together. Also, despite the long-standing traditions that may or may not be silly, there are signs of thriving and innovative food models all around us: dozens of urban gardens, farmers’ markets, and food trucks!
That was the psyche part.
For the global health part, let’s come back to Atlantic Whiting, Merlangius merlangus, more commonly known here as Lake Trout. Not a trout. Not from a lake. However, as noted in a 2010 New York Times article, Baltimore is very proprietary about this mild, inexpensive white fish. Okay, so white fish is probably healthier than red meat, and almost certainly healthier than hot dogs, soda, or french fries – but fried?
Now wait. My point is not that residents of Baltimore suffer from poor health because they eat too much fried Lake Trout. The root causes of poor health here are the same as everywhere – poverty, lack of education, crime, drug use, family history, mental illness, etc.
No, my intention is to draw attention to Lake Trout as a stand-in for our food supply as a whole. I’m sure that you assume I’m about to start going on and on about the way that overfishing and commercial practices are degrading our environment. Well in this case, on first glance, the news doesn’t seem so grim: Merlangius merlangus is not being overfished, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Some of the migratory patterns that the Lake Trout have may even be well evolved to adapt to rising sea levels.
But reports on the health of the global fisheries in general are pretty bleak. The fact that Lake Trout is a relatively robust population at this moment is not necessarily a cause for celebration, and some observers have pointed out that the increased focus on bottom-dwelling fish and other inexpensive options is a sign of danger for the entire ecosystem. The prevalence of these fish in our diet as we go lower and lower down the food chain should serve as something of a canary in the coal mine. It should tell us something that we’re eating the canary.
Next time, SARS redux?
