A taste of phenology and the sorrow of seasonal shifts

A taste of phenology and the sorrow of seasonal shifts is a tasting experience by Josefin Vargö that connects with the fleeting moments of seasonal changes and the sorrow of seasonal shifts brought on by climate change. The presented menu is based on the season of spring and summer in Sweden and Vargö’s own observations of changes in her near surroundings. During most grieving rituals people gather around food and drinks, which play a central role in the commemoration itself. These foods often have a high symbolic value, but can also act as a meal. Over time, selected foods and ingredients change and/or are replaced, following the availability of ingredients and the experience of the ritual itself.

Today in Sweden, spring arrives about twelve days earlier and the growing season of plants is longer compared to a hundred years ago. Lilacs are blooming earlier, making the gap between their blooming time and the bloom of bird cherry flowers shorter. The Swedish saying to describe the short period between both flowers, ’mellan hägg och syren’, is slowly losing its meaning as the blooming of the two is almost happening simultaneously. Lilac flowers reach the end-of-flowering earlier and can no longer be picked for graduation ceremonies in early June. Besides the loss of these seasonal associations, perhaps the changes are also affecting the taste of these edible plants. Do lilac flowers taste the same as they did ten years ago?

The presented menu of foraged foods, on August 31st, will give the festival audience a unique opportunity to reflect on edible experiences connected to our seasons. To look at grief, loss and decay from a cultural and place-bound perspective on a personal and societal level. 

This event is part of the Dear Society, bimonthly grieving circle.