Eating in Season

From “The Revealed Rome Handbook”:

“Although everyone wants to try a Roman artichoke when they’re in Rome, carciofi romaneschi are only in season from February to May. If you see artichokes on a menu at any other time of year, they’re not Roman, so they won’t be a real taste of the famous dish (they’ll either be from somewhere else in Italy or imported from abroad, depending on the month). Even worse, creating demand for out-of-season produce throws everything out of whack, from hurting local farmers who are growing in-season foods to damaging the environment by increasing high-mileage imports… the definition of invasive tourism.

April In season: Roman artichokes (carciofi romaneschi), asparagus (asparagi), beets (bietole), cabbage (cavoli), carrots (carote), cauliflower (cavolfiori), chicory (cicoria), oranges (arance), peas (piselli), strawberries (fragole).”