I’ve written about the fruit in Ukraine before, but I never about the particular fruit now in season: grapes. Grapes were not a very big deal to me until I came to Ukraine. They were a salad accessory, that’s all. Here, in September and October, they are the glue, together with the standard cookies and tea, of social interaction. Everyone who has the space has a grapevine, and about this time, they are overflowing. Because of this, we have been the lucky benefactors of several large bags of grapes. The first ones were dark blue, almost black, with a dusty haze that had been barely smudged when they were picked. They really were beautiful. And now I know where the taste for artificial grape flavoring comes from. These grapes were intensely flavored and were the perfect blend of sweet and tart – nothing like the one-dimensional, bland green or red table grapes in grocery stores at home. Since our first bag, we’ve sampled several other varieties, and I see many more at the market in all hues and shapes. Some have familiar wine names, like Muscat, and others are named after their looks – the other day someone told me about “Black Ladyfingers,” named after their elongated, pitch-black fruit.
The one thing that keeps me diligently eating more than my share of grapes every day is the fact that they have seeds. Dave is a bit of a seed snob, and would rather pass on these grapes, rather than sort and spit every mouthful. There is a seedless green variety of grapes from Turkey available at the local grocery store, but for some reason lack of seeds seems to mean lack of flavor. So when at home, I eat grapes by myself, although that’s certainly not the best way. Because it takes time to eat grapes with seeds, it can become a communal activity, like sipping tea or cracking nuts at Christmas, well-paired with a leisurely schedule and good conversation. Grape season corresponds well with birthday season among the English department staff - birthdays happen to be plentiful in the months of September and October. Olga, our resident grape supplier, never lets us down, and so we take some time to sit together, talk, eat birthday cake, and grapes.
Laura
