Yea Really~
Because I have lived in many places including big cities like Los Angeles where they do not have the
extensive variety of fresh fruits and vegetables that we have here.. I appreciate the influence on foods that the Asian cultures have had here. I can go to most stores here and have dozens and dozens of vegetables to choose from... Many not available on the mainland...
When I worked in New Mexico and Arizona doing geology, I remember going to big towns like Santa Fe and they only had about 5 vegetables to choose from.
The abundance of fresh seafood too... Even when I lived in coastal towns on the mainland, I never had this much variety in seafood... Typically the choices were Cod or some other rockfish. or seabass
Since I have Crohn's... I have been advised to stick to vegetables and fruits that are more alkaline in nature.. Local vegetables like sweet potatoes and squashes are alkaline. A majority of the Asian vegetables are alkaline too...
Ironically most of the vegetables that are abundant in mainland stores tend to be acidic (with most being between 4-6.8 pH)....
I wish I could have seen your post before you edited it