Tomatoes of Iceland
Tomatoes of Iceland. Yes they do exist. Surprised? Understandable. For a country that is covered with ice and knows only 3 kinds of weather – cold, colder and coldest. You can be forgiven for assuming that much of the local produce is imported – especially the fruits and vegetables! However, this is a misconception.
Farms of Iceland
Iceland had a lot of thriving farms. These are in and around the countryside where cultivation happens. Let me tell you a little story of the Tomatoes of Iceland.
Check the pic – doesn’t it look like it’s out of some sci-fi movie? It’s just a glass house growing the humble tomato… Lots of them… The village has a natural geyser and the hot water from the geyser is kept circulating through pipes crisscrossing the glasshouse. This maintains the temperature! The halogen lamps create artificial sunlight for the plants to grow. There is absolutely no use of any pesticide on these plants.
And the Bumble Bee – thousands of them that flit across the flowers and pollinate them… Quite a sight! And hey, they are tame and live in small boxes in the place!
The tomatoes of Iceland are not exported. They are plucked at the last minute and transported quickly to the nearby supermarkets. And sold within 48 hours!
Visit a farm and you can take your pick of either tomato soup, sauce, jam or spreads. Check out how wonderful and succulent they taste. Or better still just bite into a fresh tomato! Believe me, it will be love at first taste! I can vouch for the quality of the spicy Bloody Mary that they served up! Oh, and the lady there is a good singer (has cut a CD that is quite popular from the looks of it)… But more on that another day…
For ideas on experiential travel to Europe, Asia and Africa, visit Beyonder Travel.
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