ancient fruit forests

[jessica]

i was just reminded of this article on ancient apple and fruit forests in Kazakhstan

http://www.orionmagazine.org/index.php/articles/article/2961/

[CitrusHigh]

I read about that in one of Pollan's books! What a fun place that would be to explore!!! Think of all the different apples you would see and taste!

[goodsamaritan]

i want to take a vacation in kazakhstan

This reminds me of fruitarian teachings... the lost fruit utopia.

In the Philippines in the 1520s when the spaniards first arrived they reported so much forest cover and so much fruit... wild pigs were literally pig fat and native hunters with dogs had an easy time hunting.

Ah... lost paradise... makes me think of instincto senses... my dear... which apple smells the best for you today?

[Projectile Vomit]

I'm just starting to read The Permaculture Book of Ferment and Human Nutrition (2011 edition, just came out). He mentions food forests, through not this one specifically.

[Chris]

This is a Hard Cider lover's Paradise!

[Dorothy]

I'm just starting to read The Permaculture Book of Ferment and Human Nutrition (2011 edition, just came out). He mentions food forests, through not this one specifically.

Hey - how is that book? What subjects does it cover?

[PaleoPhil]

i was just reminded of this article on ancient apple and fruit forests in Kazakhstan

http://www.orionmagazine.org/index.php/articles/article/2961/

I'm in paradise. People are talking about beloved Kazakhstan, the fatherland of apples (and horses), which I posted about before, generating no response whatsoever, of course:
http://www.rawpaleodietforum.com/omnivorous-raw-paleo/apple-apples-an-apple-a-day-keeps-the-dr-away/msg72208/#msg72208

Here is some sublime Kazakh music:
Kazak
The Kazak's live in the steppes land the Celts once inhabited. The land of horses, perfect for a horse people like the Celts:

http://www.edgekz.com/national/the-kazakh-steppe-the-land-where-the-horse-was-tamed.html "Kazakhstan, believed to be the birthplace of the apple and the country from which the first man was sent into space, is now also thought to be the land where man first tamed the wild horse."

Not surprisingly, my name means "horse lover" and I have many, many relatives with the same name (and the Irish heaven is full of wild apple trees).  There's an old Irish saying, "Sell the cow, buy the sheep, but never be without the horse." The Kazakhs are one of the few peoples left on the planet who seem to understand that. I'm horseless, so I'm not a true Irishman, sadly. 

Mind you, animal foods are even more traditional than apples among Kazakhs and Irish both:  "Traditional Kazakh cuisine revolves around mutton and horse meat, as well as various milk products." (Traditional Kazakh cuisine revolves around mutton and horse meat, as well as various milk products )

[jessica]

which I posted about before, generating no response whatsoever

i think its because my title was so much more catchy.

i feel thoroughly enlightened on Kazakhstan now, thank you.  it does sound like an amazing place, i would probably fare well there.  i have friends who are orchardists growing some very old varieties from there here in the states, trying to establish and spread the diversity.   colorado has wild (naturalized?) horses, they are amazing.

[jessica]

Hey - how is that book? What subjects does it cover?

this is an awesome book dorothy, it has a million recipes for fermenting and preserving from many different cultures.  it teaches traditional fermentation of grains, all kinds of breads and beverages, meats, eggs, fish.  it gives a lot of information about why and how specific cultures did what they did.  i hate to say it but i definitely took a copy from a library for a friend of mine who hunts and home steads ! its that good, and also was about $200 dollars because it wasnt in print at the time

[CitrusHigh]

I'm in paradise. People are talking about beloved Kazakhstan, the fatherland of apples (and horses), which I posted about before, generating no response whatsoever, of course:

i think its because my title was so much more catchy.

i feel thoroughly enlightened on Kazakhstan now, thank you.

LoL you two are funny!

I agree though, thanks for the info Phil, fascinating! So you're saying the celts are descendents of the Kazaks or how does that connection go?

I'm without a horse too, bummer, that would be way more awesome than our four wheeler here on the farm!

Have you visited, Phil?

[Projectile Vomit]

The permaculture book is still pricey, I think I paid $60-70 for it, with shipping, from Powell books. But that's a heck of a lot better than $200!

[CitrusHigh]

Another great book !

Handbook of Indigenous Fermented Foods 2ed 1996 - Steinkraus
http://www.demonoid.me/files/details/2550779/39335202/

[Dorothy]

Christmas present!
Hey Thoth - is that a freebie book? What makes it good?

[PaleoPhil]

LoL you two are funny!

Heh, heh, that was the intention. I was exaggerating a bit for good-natured humor, inspired by the "ancient fruit forests paradise" notion that is so often hypothesized and discussed in this forum and elsewhere. I do love my favorite fruits too, though. I had some rainier cherries today. I don't normally care much for cherries, but these taste pretty good to me.

So you're saying the celts are descendents of the Kazaks or how does that connection go?

Oopsy! Didn't mean to give that impression. I don't know whether they're relatively closely related by genetics--my guess is no--but by land and spirit, yes. Many of the so-called "Celtic" peoples reportedly came to Europe via the land that is now inhabited by Kazaks and others. By interesting coincidence (and maybe more), the Celtic heaven is an island full of wild apple trees.

I'm without a horse too, bummer, that would be way more awesome than our four wheeler here on the farm!

Amen.

Have you visited, Phil?

Only in spirit. Maybe some day. It would also be nice to visit Tuva and Mongolia too, preferably before they become homogenized by modern culture (my brother said I should go to Dublin because it is now "just like Boston"--which erased all interest for me--what's the point if it's the same?). When I see movies and documentaries about the Mongolians, Tuvans and Kazaks, I marvel at how much they remind me of my beloved Irish grandparents and how many cultural similarities there are. All of them were at one time steppes horse cultures. The Celts even reportedly invented the chariot while they were on the steppes!