The pantry files

A pantry is a sort of mirror. If you’ve ever found yourself searching for coffee in a kitchen that is not your own, you’ve undoubtedly discovered the odd sort of intimacy provoked by such exploration. A quick foray among the canned goods and the flour and you will come away with very precise information: is the cook organized or distracted, a creature of habit or a gastronomic explorer, a compulsive purchaser of jam, a faux gourmand, an organic food fanatic?

A bit more revealing than you may have imagined, the pantry is also potentially a great ally. Preserved foods enable us to create last minute meals when we’ve little time to shop or when an impromptu gathering turns into a meal, but we shouldn’t think of these ingredients only as fallback alternatives. When used creatively, the contents of those cans and vacuum sealed parcels can transform mundane fare into something memorable and, if you think about it, they make up an important part of our diet. One could claim that modern nutrition is hostage to the food conservation and transformation industries or, with just as much conviction, that it’s sustained by them: it’s a question of point of view. You might ask yourself, “What’s better: a well preserved national product or a pseudo-fresh import that was harvested while still unripe and has spent several days in transit?” As in all cases where cuisine and nutrition meet science and logistics, there isn’t a single quick answer.

The aim of this series is to take a closer look at preserved foods and perhaps banish a few preconceptions. Opening a can should not necessarily be considered a gesture indicative of low gastronomic standards. On the contrary, it may be the result of a well considered decision. Looking carefully at the various foods we’ll be covering, you’ll find that not only do they make some surprisingly good dishes, in many cases they are absolutely indispensable.

The law requires that product labels clearly supply various types of information. Labels do “talk” but sometimes they require an interpreter. Helping you to sort through EU regulations and the argot of the food industry is another task that we’ve set ourselves in this on-going guide.

Like your closet or your desk, the contents of your pantry should be periodically reviewed and sorted. Discovering that you do indeed have the walnut oil that will give a spark to a winter salad is of no use if it’s long past its sell-by date. Industrial sized or domestic, the goal is the same: a correct rotation of products that reflect consumption, lifestyle and nutritional goals.