EC Goes Greener in 2020
In the first quarter of the year, we are always focused on taking the best of what we’ve learned the past year. This means trend forecasting, upping the ante on our green catering practices, and pushing the envelope on our menus, with an eye towards biodiversity, global health, and conservation.
What does biodiversity mean, you ask? We read this recently and it really stuck with us:
“The United States has lost 90% of native fruit and vegetable varieties since the 1900s. Today, just 12 plant sources and five animal sources make up 75% of the food we consume, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, despite the fact that there are approximately 300,000 edible plant species globally. And just three crops—wheat, corn and rice —make up almost 60% of plant-based calories in most modern diets. This reliance on a handful of species poses a serious threat to ecosystems and food security. Biodiversity is crucial for ensuring everything from human health to ecological stability to wildlife protection, as the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) attests…“Diversified diets not only benefit human health but benefit the environment through diversified production systems that encourage wildlife and more sustainable use of resources,” explains Peter Gregory, research advisor at Crops For the Future, which contributed to the WWF campaign.”
At EC, we’ve been dedicated to global flavors, eco-practices, and diversity of ingredients and flavors since day 1 but now more than ever, it’s important to continue to evolve our offering as it relates to offering a full spectrum of ingredients from around the world – both for fun (we like to keep it tasty and surprising!) and for the health of the planet.
It’s always our joy to introduce our clients to new tastes and visual sensations. A few ingredients we’re proud to offer:
Fonio, amaranth, buckwheat, sorghum, spelt, garlic scapes, chicory, escarole, watercress, endive, cavolo nero, mizuna, dandelion greens, fennel, black radishes, horseradish, cherry peppers, daikon, Meyer lemon, blood orange, pomelo, Forelle pear, lingonberry, persimmon, and kumquat.
Through offering these items on our menus, we ensure that we’re honoring cultures and producers around the world who need our investment, using diverse ingredients which pull from numerous sources instead of just depleting a small, constricted number, and bringing unusual experiences to our clients as well. Total win all around.
As far as eco practices go, we currently: compost, buy locally whenever possible, offer fair-trade coffee exclusively, offer vegetarian and vegan options, encourage quality controlled food portions instead of buffet to minimize food waste, and use biodegradable products. We are working to do even more to help save the planet in 2020, and look forward to sharing more green developments.
We would love to hear ideas from you about how we can improve and ingredients from around the world you’d love to see on our menus – message us at [email protected] to share!
Many thanks, Wendy & the EC Team.