Ark of Taste

The Ark of Taste is a list of endangered foods and food traditions that are selected by Slow Food around the world to be documented, preserved, and defended. These endangered foods come to life when you see, touch, smell, and taste them in all their diverse glory—textures, colors, aromas, flavors, rarity and history.

Slow Food Sonoma County North has captured this spirit in a project modestly called the Ark Trunk, intended to be a traveling exhibit of products selected for the USA’s Ark of Taste. It contains jars of various dried beans, ears of Chapolote corn, shells of oysters and clams, preserved fruit, native pecans, pine cones, hand-crafted root beer, syrups and more. When we put the Ark Trunk on exhibit, we supplement the dried and preserved foods with Ark products that are in season—lettuces, apples, tomatoes, melons for people to taste.

How to Borrow Our Ark Display

A Trunk honorarium is charged when we set up the Ark display for other convivia, as funds are needed to cover its ongoing maintenance and replacement of items. As with any “pantry,” there is deterioration over time.

The Ark Trunk may only be displayed with the presence of at least one SFSC representative. If another convivium wants SFSC to set up an Ark display for an event, and if the display and SFSC volunteers are available, the following arrangements will be made on a case by case basis to cover our expenses. The host convivium will:

• Pay a $50 Ark Trunk honorarium
• Reimburse mileage for one vehicle @ 45-cents a mile (+ any bridge or toll fees) for locations greater than 30 miles away
• Provide 2 “comp” tickets for the host event for the SFSC volunteers who set up and staff the display
• Provide 3 long rectangular tables and tablecloths.

If the host convivium desires a “tasting” of local Ark products in season, they will provide the produce, supplies, and person-power.

For more information, contact Elissa Rubin-Mahon, Elissa@artisanpreserves.com.

Click here for information on How to Create Your Own Ark Display

Recipes Using Ark Products

• Amish Pie Pumpkin and Mascarpone Tart (PDF)
• Annie’s Apple Pie (PDF)
• Buffalo and Stout (PDF)
• Buffalo Burgers with Ariel’s Glorious Goo (PDF)
• Cheesy Carolina Gold Rice Grits (PDF)
• Homestyle Fay Elberta Peach Jam Cake (PDF)
• Marrowfat Beans with Saffron, Porcini and Mint (PDF)
• Pecan and Cane Syrup Cake (PDF)
• Petaluma Gold Rush Beans with Tasso (PDF)
• Recado Colorado (PDF)
• Sierra Beauty Apple and Fennel Salad with Candied Native Pecans (PDF)
• Tepary Bean & Sunflower Seed Spread (PDF)
• Minnesota Native Harvest Wild Rice Stir-fry with Nardello Peppers and Tuscan Kale (PDF)