Hello Wanderful One
Hello, Wanderful One,
Welcome you to my food-for-thought journal, Cultural Wanders. Each season, I write a series, which I call menus, based on current curiosities as I wander this magnificent world, encountering people and enriching unexpected delights.
My inaugural summer menu begins in Spain, where I live this summer. It is inspired by and a tribute to the lemon tree, which has become a symbol, anecdote, cri de coeur, and a framing reference for my mind, body, soul, and heart.
Oubaitori is an ancient Japanese idiom that translates to cherry, plum, peach, and apricot; each of the four trees blossoms in Japanese Spring. The word represents the idea that everyone has a unique path and blooms at their own pace.
For my pace, it is the lemon tree.
Growing like a lemon tree means embracing steady, generous, and seasonally aware growth. A lemon tree doesn’t rush; its roots take time to deepen. It produces consistently, offering fruit throughout the year. While it doesn’t bloom constantly, when it does, the results are vibrant, nourishing, and full of zest. It stands as a metaphor for slow, intentional development and for appreciating the rarity and beauty of blossoming.
I hope you’ll enjoy my musings and share how each plate informs your own.