Tomato shame

If you read food magazines, you might be lulled into thinking it’s all beautiful dishes, chi chi restaurants, hot chefs, quick recipes. In other words, fluff.

Barry Estabrook

But now and then something or someone breaks this gloss, bringing gritty, real-life problems to light. I find that it’s often Barry Estabrook writing for Gourmet. This month, Estabrook, whose pieces are titled “Politics of the Plate,” is writing about the hidden cost of winter tomatoes, and how those who work the fields in Florida are kept in virtual slavery.  The migrants, usually illegals from Mexico or Central America, are charged for everything from rent (often in the back of box truck) to meals to laundry. The result is that instead of sending money home to their families, they can owe money to the crew bosses. And this, as Estabrook points out, for tomatoes that have no taste.

His column is journalism of a high order — full of interviews, statistics, comparisons — about as far from fluff as you can get. It should be required reading for anyone who eats.