It would have been hilarious if you had put “anyway here’s the recipe for a basic burger patty,” at the end of your text to mimic those websites nowadays that have to come with a 5000 word essay about the author’s upbringing and opinions on the future of culinary arts.

Anyway, I’m a freelance translator/interpreter and my primary client is this Japanese company that needs to have news releases by Western companies translated as well as US, Canadian, and EU food laws on a daily basis. So while I do understand a bit more than the average consumer, I’m nowhere near as passionate or “close-to-the-source” as you.

All the corporations are now talking about alternatives. Alternative protein, alternative cocoa, alternative wheat (more like some chemical to bind weaker flour with stronger ones, not a complete replacement of the plant), etc, because of supply chain constraints (climate change and wars). Do/Did you see shifting trends caused by such issues at the local level?

For example, I live in Okinawa and some of our prefectual specialties like seaweed are grown in the ocean. With rising ocean temperatures, if the heat itself doesn’t mess with the growth of the seaweed, the increased number of typhoons will. I feel like soon, locals will have to deal with slim pickings or find innovative ways of growing their products under new conditions.

I’d love to hear your thoughts!