There’s An Arugula Shortage And Yup It’s Related To Climate Change

From Delish

If you’ve noticed less of your favorite peppery salad green in stores and restaurants lately, you’re not wrong. An arugula shortage is among us, and unusually wet and cold weather in the Southwest and Florida–where a lot of our leafy greens come from, especially in the winter–is to blame.

The brutal weather conditions are causing the produce to contract a fungal disease called downy mildew, according to The Counter. It’s harmful to arugula in particular, so it can’t take out another one of your faves like spinach or romaine (thankfully!). It spreads quickly, though, so it can ruin an entire field of arugula.

Arugula-loving folks who live closer to Florida and the desert Southwest are more likely to have access to the produce in its healthy state than those unlucky ones who live farther away. Bacteria and other molds can get at mildew-infected arugula even after it has already been packed and shipped. When it arrives to your local supermarket, it could be a goner.

Customers, grocers, and restaurant owners alike have felt the shortage all over the country. In New York, the Mediterranean chain Cava posted signs saying they are out of arugula. A market owner in California said he had a bulk supply last week, and now the store is out. Like any discussion small or large, people have vented their concerns about the lack of arugula on Twitter.

The saddest of them all is the rationed portion of arugula on this Twitter user’s pizza.

A moment of silence for all of the meals out there that tease like this one.

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