Let the sun shine in: the Mediterranean Diet.

‘Mediterranean diet; the heart-healthy choice.’ ‘ UNESCO World Heritage status awarded to Mediterranean Diet.’ ‘ Follow the mediterranean diet plan.’

You only have to insert ‘mediterranean’ into a Twitter search to see that people around the English speaking world are continually commenting on, and (to a lesser extent) questioning  ‘The Mediterranean Diet.’
Are we talking about some nutritional observations about healthy Greeks made in the 1950s, or an ideal to be pursued today?
Is the Mediterranean Diet about lifestyle or produce? What is the allure?

The following article attributes long life and good health to ‘one of the healthiest diets in the world.’
http://www.oliveoiltimes.com/features/mediterranean-diet-2/10332
Fresh fruit and vegetables, cereal, fish containing Omega 3, yoghurt, wine and extra virgin olive oil all combine to combat diabetes, heart complaints,depression and obesity.

Although the high quantity of olive oil prevents it from being a ‘low fat diet’, giving it a  ’40′ over the ’30′ recommended daily level of fat intake, apparently this type of oil has special, protective powers. (And it certainly tastes good.)
The question of obesity in relation to this diet is maybe rather dated. Appart from the quantity of food consumption being an individual choice, it is the conditions in society that have changed, rather than the produce itself. Most women from the southern mediterranean countries now have access to the Fast Food culture. Supermarkets with a wide choice of processed food (often
containing saturated fat) are prevalent. Most of these same women work, as opposed to spending hours in the kitchen as before and get less daily exercise.

The Mediterranean Diet still remains a beautiful myth we can all take part in.
There is the sun for a start. Colour, warmth and abundance are all part of the story.
I once lived for a year in a house that had a roof garden. Early each morning the smell of orange blossom would float up as I sat looking down at the glory of my pomegranate trees. (Ok, so I’m juggling the seasons a bit but you get the picture.)
My daughter’s class fundraising project was to help with the local olive harvest.  I learned to love eating warm figs, plucked from a tree.
I learned not to knock down the amazingly constructed triangular mounds of oranges, pomellas, dates, apricots…in the markets. And there was a certain lyricism  in giving my friend a lemon tree for Christmas.
Spices are the soul of the mediterranean, from the most gentle touch of cumin or saffron to the fires of hot paprika. (Note to MoreSouth: include our Harissa/ hot chilli paste recipe on the MoreSouth website soon)

The sun shines in northern Europe too, however. There are ethical questions about importing certain mediterranean beauties. http://www.moresouth.com/about
(See MoreSouth’s policy on locally sourced food.)

What we have to do is to work with the wonderful fruits of the ( British) earth.
At MoreSouth we work with the magic of mezze for your lunch buffets.
(And it works magnificently for dinner too.)�
And who disagrees with ‘fresh is best?’ In spite of the fascination for exotic recipes http://www.birdsontheblog.co.uk/foodie-hints-and-tips-how-to-be-passionate-about-food/ part of the appeal of cooking is the transformation of the most simple , good quality produce into wonderful dishes.
In the end, what beats a piece of homemade bread, dipped in olive oil or soft white cheese with the very best of what is seasonally available?