Icelandic Lamb, Branston Pickle, and Vegemite, Oh My! First Greetings from the 8th World Ranger Congress

On Saturday May 21, I crossed Vail Pass from the west and after a bit, headed north toward Rocky Mountain National Park and the site of the 8th World Ranger Congress. I was excited. My proposal to give a research presentation had been accepted and I had been selected as a delegate to the congress in October of last year. My supervisor at Mesa Verde National Park where I am working for the summer was very supportive of my participation in the congress and kindly arranged for me to work one week after our seasonal training and then take a week away for this prestigious international event.

Vail Pass on Interstate 70 (Elevation: 10, 662 feet)

Traveling east and north from Vail Pass I stopped in Nederland Colorado at what I assumed would be the last grocery store I would see that day. It was about ten in the morning. Had I been able to delay my trip, I would have most certainly taken a ride on the Carousel of Happiness.

The Sign Outside the Carousel of Happiness, Nederland Colorado

Alas, I had shopping to do and needed to move on to the cabin I would be staying in for the week. The opening meal at the World Ranger Congress was to be a "potlatch dinner" to which delegates were asked to bring a food or drink item from their home country to share with colleagues old and new. I had not thought about bringing anything until the inspiration hit me somewhere near the Continental Divide. Having lived in Indiana for more than ten years, I have a recently developed fascination with the official state pie and a true Hoosier delicacy, the Sugar Cream Pie. So, watching the lovely 1910 carousel fade in my rearview mirror, armed with sugar, cream, pie shells, and cinnamon, I headed to Allenspark and the cabin belonging to my dear friend Laura's wonderful, kind, generous, and loving sister Martha. I found the cabin, ogled the gorgeous mountain view, and with the music of the small but active creek surrounding me, plugged in the miniature convection oven, mixed my ingredients, and began baking two pies, one at a time for that was all that would fit.

The Creek by the Cabin

In just over two hours I had my item(s) of local cuisine to share with my fellow rangers at the evening's potlatch.

Hoosier Sugar Cream Pie (1 of 2)

When I arrived at the YMCA of the Rockies, the venue for the gathering, I was able to register, drop off a copy of my presentation for later in the week, and pay for my week's meals seamlessly. I then inquired as to where I could deliver food items for the potlatch diner. I followed the given directions to the site and found a joyful group of international rangers laughing as they were creating identification cards for the items that they had brought to share. The discussion in question seemed to be focused on drinking habits of folks in Iceland.

Various Beverages to Share

Oh, wait rangers, not time to eat yet. There are other scheduled activities before your international meal.

The congress officially began with relatively informal activities. A series of welcomes were made by the members of the organizing committee from the U.S. Association of National Park Rangers, the host organization. We were given a brief orientation to the history of Rocky Mountain National Park by the recently retired park superintendent. Then, we were delighted with a wonderful performance by Cowboy Brad, a local singer and songwriter as well as seasonal ranger at Rocky Mountain.

Cowboy Brad

After an hour of songs about Colorado and parks, including "Rocky Mountain High" and a number of other songs made popular by Colorado's own and one-time Poet Laureate of the state, John Denver, it was time to celebrate the foods of many nations. And thank goodness for the foods brought by the rangers. It was a welcome complement to the rather mediocre fare of chicken nuggets and canned peas the chef at the host venue called "orange chicken."

Food was presented by delegates from many of the 63 countries represented at the 8th World Ranger Congress. One of the interesting and not terribly frightening dishes brought to share was Icelandic smoked lamb (hangikjöt) served on traditional Icelandic flatbread (flatkökur). A bit salty but not bad at all.

Hangikjöt on Flatkökur

I was also brave enough to try Branston Pickle, another salty delight from our friends in the United Kingdom. I had the "pickle" on a British cracker with some sharp-flavored cheese. Having looked up recipes to find out what Branston Pickle is made of, I see that the identification card reading "Branston Pickled Things" was apt. It contains (in variable proportions), carrot, rutabaga, onion, cauliflower, marrow, gherkin, sugar, barley malt vinegar, spirit vinegar, modified maize starch, date paste, apple pulp, salt, tomato paste, dried spices, lemon juice concentrate, onion powder, and colorings. I could enjoy this, in time as well. Only in retrospect have I learned that it would have been a nice addition to a sandwich or Ploughman's Lunch.

Branston "Pickled Things"

As brave as I was about Branston Pickle, I had to leave the Vegemite brought by our colleagues from Australia in its jar. I didn't have it in me to try yet another savory, salty, mystery substance. No disrespect intended, but a spread made of leftover brewer's yeast that is nearly 3.5% salt is a taste yet to be acquired. A person eating at the same table as me tried some, and as she was tasting a very small bit made the comment, "that is very strong." Such reserved words. I don't know, maybe I should have been more open-minded. After all, the Wikipedia entry says that Vegemite is rich in umami. Oh brother! I left the Russian Caviar in its's tin as well. I knew better than that.

Caviar and Vegemite. No thanks!

During the self-service meal, it was easy to fill one's plate with the "orange chicken" and other nondescript fare from the "Y." Accessing the center table holding the array of international food and beverage supplied by my fellow rangers was quite another story. It was crowded, active, and festive. Participants in the event were chatting, sharing stories, and trying food right at the table. There was also a plentiful supply of little plastic shot glass and the liquid far was being enjoyed on site as much as back at the dining tables. I was able to elbow my way into the crowd to acquire a few photos as well as interesting if only tentatively delicious bits.

So what does this treatise on food have to do with anything? I found myself trying to learn about the foods presented in the same way I tend to learn about new places. I conducted research, asked questions, and dug in with my senses open. Indeed, some of the food items shared by participants at the 8th World Ranger Congress are iconic foods from the nations represented. Food is a great representation of a place, whether it is ordinary or very special. In my travels, I often celebrate local food, sometimes food you can't get elsewhere. I find it in local restaurants, farmer's markets, roadside stands, and grocery stores. I have a similar exploratory and sensory style of trying on the places I visit. When thinking of national parks, to me they are similarly iconic. As people who protect the world's most iconic and special places--from the Great Barrier Reef to Machu Picchu; from Mount Kenya to the Monteverde Cloud Forest; from the Bavarian Forest to Banff; from Acadia to Zion; and all manner of other notable landscapes--what better way to introduce ourselves to each other than through sharing of our local and iconic foods. I know that more than food will be shared, as well as more than stories of iconic landscapes. That will begin over dinner and continue as we get to know each other over the ensuing days. I'll report on aspects of the meeting as I can.

For now, enjoy the meal.

Cattleman's Beef Stew, An Australian Backpacking Meal