Abstract
Landraces, that is, crop and livestock not improved by formal breeding, are scarce in the industrialized world and are mainly maintained ex situ for breeding purposes. The natural biodiversity of these landraces may contribute to securing food production that can adapt to a changing climate, crop pathogens, diseases, and other agricultural challenges. In addition, landraces might also possess unique quality traits. Our aim is to take the idea of crop and livestock diversity further by connecting flavor differences of different landraces and varieties, with gastronomic applications. Do landraces provide a creative possibility of using distinct sensory characteristics to create new dishes and food products and/or to optimize recipes by finding the right variety for existing dishes and food products? This study suggests that apple, pea, pear, and poultry landraces, apart from being valuable in terms of biodiversity in sustainable food systems, also possess unique and distinct gastronomic potential. For example, citrus odors in apples, nutty taste in gray peas, astringent taste in pears, and high odor intensity of stable in poultry is of culinary relevance when working with apple juice, plant‐based alternatives to meat, poached pears, and roasted rooster, respectively. To fully explore, and take advantage of, the gastronomic potential landraces possess, additional studies are needed in order to find suitable cooking methods and development of recipes.Practical ApplicationSeeking to increase market interest for landraces, highlighting gastronomic values could stimulate higher demand and, in turn, contribute to larger and more resilient populations preserved in situ. Specifically, the paper is of use to (I) crop and livestock producers and food companies who wish to provide products with greater sensory variation, (II) individuals, companies, and organizations with the aim to increase landrace demand and/or preservation, and (III) breeders and genetic engineers managing genetic traits of landraces and other varieties.
Highlights
IntroductionSince the early 1960s, the overall food system has continually increased its total amount of energy produced, but it has contributed to pushing biodiversity, along with other planetary boundaries, out of the safe operating space of the biosphere (Gordon et al, 2017)
In Sweden, landraces are mainly preserved ex situ as a genetic resource for breeding and only rarely cultivated “on farm.”. These landraces may contribute to securing food production that can adapt to a changing climate (Scherr & McNeely, 2008), with warmer winters, changes in precipitation patterns, and new pests in Sweden (Swedish Commission on Climate and Vulnerability, 2007)
Products This study includes the sensory evaluation of 12 apple, 7 pea, 6 pear, and 6 poultry landraces/varieties (Table 1)
Summary
Since the early 1960s, the overall food system has continually increased its total amount of energy produced, but it has contributed to pushing biodiversity, along with other planetary boundaries, out of the safe operating space of the biosphere (Gordon et al, 2017). The loss of biodiversity is real, vast, continuing, and irreversible and the main driver of the loss of biodiversity is food systems (Butchart et al, 2010; Gordon et al, 2017; Pimm & Raven, 2017; Steffen, Broadgate, Deutsch, Gaffney, & Ludwig, 2015). Of Agricultural Sciences, 2016) and only rarely cultivated “on farm.”. In Sweden, landraces are mainly preserved ex situ as a genetic resource for breeding These landraces may contribute to securing food production that can adapt to a changing climate (Scherr & McNeely, 2008), with warmer winters, changes in precipitation patterns, and new pests in Sweden (Swedish Commission on Climate and Vulnerability, 2007). Landraces, with regard to poultry, have been replaced by industrial lines used in highly standardized production conditions, resulting in an erosion of genetic resources (Groeneveld et al, 2010) and a standardization of products (Notter, 1999)
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