„Culinary intelligence“ is practised quite naturally and without any critical finger-pointing, as part of the resort‘s Food&Beverage policy, but it can also be experienced in the part of the seminar programme which is dedicated to the culinary arts. In the case of WildernessResort, culinary intelligence unites opposing schools of thought.
On the one hand there is the recognition that a product’s true best quality is largely unknown today and that we are usually accustomed to living with mediocre or poor products and even to considering them normal, although it is possible to obtain practically any food in exceptional condition. We should briefly interject here that every food is, of course, also available in non-toxic, humane and energy-efficient form. The Teltow turnips, from the sandy soil outside the gates of Berlin, praised equally by Goethe, Fontane and Napoleon, or the tasty Berlepsch apple with its tradition stretching back to 1880 should represent a cornucopia of culinary diversity, as should meat, milk and eggs from breeds of domestic which are dying out solely because they are not suitable for intensive animal husbandry. Along with them the livelihood and local product range of small farmers is disappearing, a range which was supplemented by mushrooms, berries and wild herbs from the surrounding woods and meadows. The notion of variety can certainly still be seen as a facet of our recurring “original experience” theme. But what is becoming really exciting is the transition to shopping on a socially responsible and environmentally friendly basis. It cannot be allowed to happen that the impoverished coffee farmers in Ethiopia receive between 23 and 50 cents for a kilo of beans while the quantity obtained from it in coffee shops – 80 cups – is sold for $230. Here it is essential to strengthen the local cooperatives (by implementing fair trading) even if direct contracts and long transport routes should be unavoidable. On the other hand, it is neither socially acceptable or environmentally friendly if between five and 8 litres of fuel per highly-subsidised kilo of lobster have to be used, in order to reach the fishing grounds. For reasons of species protection, whale meat does not belong on the menu – that ought also to be the case soon for tuna or cod.
We are already well aware of the fact that we are laying ourselves wide open to attack from everyone. That ought not, however, to be a reason for failing to tackle it.