Oddities may be different in different locations. For example we eat a lot of swede, parsnips, Brussels sprouts and celeriac which are standard winter fare here but perhaps less common elsewhere. We're very fond of Romanesco cauliflower which is slightly unusual here but might be common elsewhere. We try to eat as seasonally as possible, so currently we're enjoying the short wet walnut season. Sadly, we don't use much tropical stuff as it's all imported from far away.

Nothing unusual here, certainly not at Kroger, except perhaps for the two Asian plants still in the garden--Tokyo Bekana Chinese cabbage, more tender and open growing than Napa cabbage, and Lady Murasaki Komatsuma, a gorgeous purple komatsuma.

Floral, I don't think a lot of people serve your winter vegetables a lot here in Southern California, other than the Brussels sprouts and maybe parsnips, but they're in the grocery stores. I make the roots for company, and use them in stock. You're right that romanesco is common here. I love the fractal! But we have a lot of everything. I'm sure I could find fresh rambutan at an Asian grocery, but the big chain where I used to get them is owned by Kroger! Even though said parent company isn't selling them in West Virginia. :)

Parsnips and sprouts are much improved by cold weather, preferably frost, so I don't know what they'd be like grown somewhere that doesn't get that chill.

There are plenty of places in California that get frost and snow. The Winter Olympics were held here. We have the tallest peak in the contiguous 48 states, and can see snow covered mountains from where I live where there are unobstructed sightlines (I.e., no buildings in the way) and clear air (usually there is some haze of suspended water that fuzzes the view, but it's there when it's dry or windy). There is also plenty of lower farm land that gets cold. But we also probably also get in some from Washington and they get our tomatoes. Additionally, while the parsnips are sweet, as most roots are, they're also sharp, and valued for that sharpness. Brussels sprouts are grown on the central coast, I can't eat them. The sulphur is overwhelming and if I can get a highly cooked piece past my nose, I have to spit it out as soon as I bite into it, no matter where it was grown (we do get off season imports—they're very popular).

Even from the local farm box service we get some imports: This week cranberries from Wisconsin, turmeric from Hawai’i and ginger from Peru, but the sunchokes are local, as are some kinds of apples and pears, while others are grown elsewhere (hit and miss with organic orchards). There were parsnips a couple of weeks ago, but I didn't get them, and don't know where they were from.

We get nothing exciting or exotic here except at chistmas where French people eat exotic fruit. Obviously some fruit like pineapples, bananas and mangoes have to be imported. A lot of citrus and stuff comes from Spain so just next door. Bearing in mind the size of California it's probably travelling less far than some of your "local" produce LOL. Seasonality is really important. to most people. Fruit and veg from the markets is how most people like to shop here. We still have really tiny producers who will bring only what they grow. One lovely old lady and her daughter produce the most flavourful artichokes, cabbages, cauliflowers and courgettes. Nothoing else. So at the moment it's the caulis and cabbages. We don't get sprouts on the stem like in England. Choices are severely limited here compared to Britain but, I think it's better for us and the planet.

I do realise that some parts of California get cold weather. I've been to the Sierra Nevada, to Yosemite and to Lake Tahoe and I remember the winter Olympics there. But those areas aren't exactly agricultural whereas almost all farmland here will experience frost. I'm puzzled by the description of parsnips as 'sharp'. That's not a trait I've ever noticed. And while many people profess to dislike sprouts ours are not particularly sulphurous ime. I think people react differently to them. Also, perhaps because these winter vegetables are so common we have developed multiple varieties for taste and eating quality. The same applies to (scarlet) runner beans, of which we grow dozens of named cultivars.

So sorry about your tree!

We do have agriculture at elevation, but not in the park areas, of course. There are farms within 20 mikes of here which get regular frost. The original farm of the organic delivery service is about 400 miles away, where there definitely is cold and frost, but they partner with farms in our area, which is how we get locally grown. This is an urban area, however, and other than citrus, beans and dairy, never was a big agriculture area. I've read that the original people here tended to have acorn based diets, from trees in the hills, and may have planted corn and beans. I'm not sure about squash, here. (i.e., maybe only two of the Three Sisters) ”Local” is within 100 miles. The farmers’ markets often have vendors from hundreds of miles away.

Big state in a big country! Our farmers' market has a forty mile radius rule. Except for fish. Although the sea is less than forty miles away we're more than forty miles from a fishing port.

The only somewhat unusual vegetable I ever serve is Romanesco. Hard to find here except at the end of summer for a few weeks. It's so beautiful and has a lovely flavor - the color is amazing. I served it to my grandson and his playmates when they were younger, dubbing it 'broccoli from outer space.' They all ate and enjoyed it.

There have been times I needed to check at least 5 local stores just to find something like red cabbage or green beans, so the term ”interesting” is relative. :)

eta: one oddity is that fresh papayas were available here at the beginning of covid. I’d never seen them here before or since those few months of 2020.

So odd about the papayas! Maybe a ship couldn't get to its destination and just sold off its cargo where it was, and your local distributor bought them to help out...

When I first joined CF there was a produce thread. I don't remember the exact topic, but I was told that Southern California was different, and didn't count because we have so much. I didn't really realize what that meant until now, when so few have answers and papayas and romanesco are unusual. Even when I lived in the middle of nowhere, there were farms which had interesting and experimental produce, which ended up in the supermarket.

My apologies! With all the small local growers having better access to customers, nowadays, like IC's small farmer in Europe, I thought there would be more heirlooms and oddities. A number of years ago, I found dragon beans at WF. They were like cuts of flat rope, and a beautiful speckled puce color, but they just tasted like long beans and lost their color when cooked. I also once bought a box of tamarind pods. It was like climbing Mt. Fugi. Do it once, you gain wisdom, do it again and prove you're a fool. Extracting the paste was a long, sticky, scratchy task, and the result was identical to commercially canned jars. LOVE tamarind, but the pods, not so much. But I'm so sad that y'all don't even get to try,

And if you ever get to try finger limes, do! Even the ordinary lime green ones. They're little crescents with citrus skins. You break them open in the middle, and instead of juicy citrus pulp, there are crunchy little spheres. They're sort of nature's pop rocks, without the fizz. Fun, tasty and refreshing!

I don't think it's that there is a lack of interesting and unusual fruits and vegetables in the PNW...we're pretty fresh food and artisan, small farm oriented around here, but exotics are more difficult to grow locally except in the summer. For me, it's really just a lack of interest in seeking them out. Lots of Asian grocers in my city, so many things are available that are unfamiliar to me, but I'm just generally not interested in buying them unless I've found a particular recipe that calls for something. We also have some Indian grocers, as well Mexican and Middle Eastern, but I just don't frequent any of them. I tend to prefer to eat those cuisines when dining out rather than cook them myself.

Oh! I get that! Such a relief that it's choice for you. After LPM's and PM's descriptions of limited groceries, I was feeling sad.