There was a time, of course, when all the food in this part of the world was organic. But as oil brought prosperity to what would become the UAE, everyone sought the benefits enjoyed by the developed world, including farmers getting access to pesticides and fertilisers to improve their yields.
However, as The National reported yesterday, the success of the new weekly Ripe Food & Craft Market at the St Regis Saadiyat Island Resort on Saturday shows that some of those who live in Abu Dhabi now hanker back to that earlier, chemical-free era for the food they eat and serve to their families. One stall selling organic kale and cauliflower sold out after just two hours.
The market reflects the way life in the capital is maturing, but in a way that harks back to the past. One can only ponder whether the carnival atmosphere at the inaugural market was an echo of what life was like in the Abu Dhabi souq all those years ago.
