By Graham Calabria

If chickens can yield vibrant red yolks that are so completely different from the yellow spheroidal mass that makes up normal eggs, then what does food do to you and your body?

Red egg yolks.

That’s right. You heard me. Not a misspelling. Red yolks.

Not bloody yolks.

Red yolks are what Dan Barber achieved when he teamed up with Cornell University and fed chickens high-carotenoid red peppers (in layperson’s terms, very red peppers.)

If chickens can yield vibrant red yolks that are so completely different from the yellow spheroidal mass that makes up normal eggs, then what does food do to you and your body?

Do you know where that vegetable was grown or what that animal was fed and why it tastes the way it does?

“We are what we eat, it is often said,” wrote author Michael Pollan, “but of course that is only part of the story. We are what what we eat eats too.”

Well, at this point in our narrative, you are probably asking yourself how this will translate to your own lifestyle. Did that burger from [insert popular fast-food joint] turn me into a meathead? Am I a walking, talking embodiment of a milkshake? Do you remember the Scrub’s episode (S6E4) when the team had to solve the mystery of the patient with bright orange skin? Turns out he had just indulged in too many carrots and the beta-carotene gave him a brilliant orange complexion.

Think about what you eat. Do you know where that vegetable was grown or what that animal was fed and why it tastes the way it does?

Turns out he had just indulged in too many carrots and the beta-carotene gave him a brilliant orange complexion.

Why is ingredient sourcing important? Well, for the best tasting food, you need the best tasting ingredients. Interestingly enough, I’ve found that people’s palates are generally localized. Especially with oysters. There are some exceptions, but typically people from the Southeast want that ‘salt in your face’ we get from Southeastern oysters, whereas people from the Pacific Northwest want a metallic Kumamoto.

Whether you’re planning a special feast for your friends or loved ones or preparing a quiet meal at home, try sourcing your food locally for better diversity and flavor. In so doing, you’ll not only be satisfying yours and your loved ones’ taste buds, but by supporting local foodways, you’ll also be making our corner of the world more beautiful and sustainable.