Is food culture? Is culture food? What is
the relationship between people and what people eat?
Think broadly...think globally. Think with your stomach.
(okay, I know this question may, at first glance, seem odd. So remember this: these blog entries are intended to get you to write. If you think the height of U.S. culture can be found at Chuck E. Cheese, then write about that. What you write here is not intended to produce the correct answer but a certain volume of interesting writing. Through this writing, I promise you will become more fluent with the pen...well, keyboard. Happy writing this week!)
Think broadly...think globally. Think with your stomach.
(okay, I know this question may, at first glance, seem odd. So remember this: these blog entries are intended to get you to write. If you think the height of U.S. culture can be found at Chuck E. Cheese, then write about that. What you write here is not intended to produce the correct answer but a certain volume of interesting writing. Through this writing, I promise you will become more fluent with the pen...well, keyboard. Happy writing this week!)
I think the food Is culture. Food is what makes us look like us. Food is what determines our mood and behavior. What we drink, eat, taste, smell, bite, or swallow I'd what creates our body's function and brain energy. Therefore, what we eat is who we are. So, if what we eat is fast food like most Americans, then we do less with the energy we get from that food. If what we eat is protein and meat, then what we become is an active human. From this action comes dance, art, entertainment, less electronics, better decisions etc. If I had facts we would be able to realize that food is what determines what our culture is or can become.
ReplyDeleteJackie, I would agree the things we put in our mouth our used to provide the fuel to our organs. The energy comes from the nutrition, in some cases, the lack of nutrition in the food we consume. If we want to optimize our health and body function we do need to consume a balance diet and exercise to keep our muscles in good working order.
DeleteI like your comment on this subject. It is true that American food has come to symbolize "fast" and "fat" unfortunately. However, it is possible to eat American "fast food" and not let it keep you from being healthy.
DeleteI enjoyed this post, particularly because you incorporated how food can an effect on one's life.
DeleteI agree that food can determine what someone may or may not become.
Nice reply!! I agree with you with what we eat is what we are. Because if we where to eat too much fast food then we won't be healthy but if we eat salads, and non fast food we can be healthy.
Deleteaffect*
DeleteCulture is a broad selection of many things, whether it is clothing, food, music, beliefs, prayers etc. I believe food is culture and culture is food. The reason being is because you cannot have a closed mind about culture. There are many different recipes, spices, ingredients into what another culture may put into a dish, than what you use for your dish. We have all these foods that come from a particular culture. Yes, we are all quick to judge when we see a dish that doesn't look very appealing, but to have an open mind about it, really can tell you a lot about ones culture. In addition, I try my best to stay away from fast food and eat as healthy as I can. Yes, I slip on occasions but doesn't define me as a person of what I eat is who I am. Wrong. As people, we make the decision to eat unhealthy and not to exercise.
ReplyDeleteAngel, you brought up a great point. If we could learn the background or history of a certain food we could learn about the people of the area and the culture of the region. I do not feel we are what we eat. I agree, we make the decision to eat healthy or not. Likewise, we can make the decision to go out of our comfort zone and taste something new, different, and interesting. A taste won't kill you, probably.
DeleteSuch a hard question to define as one answer. So many arguments and points of view.
DeleteSuch a hard question to define as one answer. So many arguments and points of view.
DeleteYou are completely right. I love to eat. In fact one of my goals in the future is to travel the world and try new foods. And just like you mentioned, I try my best to avoid fast food. I find home made meals more delicious, less inexpensive, and much healthier. I mainly eat fast food when I get too lazy or become short on time.
DeleteI love trying new foods when I get the chance. There are so many different variations of food dishes out there today. I am guilty of being a "junk food junkie" at times, but I find that if I am more active then I will be less likely to want to sabotage myself.
DeleteI agree that it is you (and only you) who can make the decision to live a healthier lifestyle. There are most definitely extenuating circumstances to say otherwise, but I think that one of the best things we can do for ourselves is to say no to ourselves. Our body might not like it, but I'm pretty sure our conscience would.
DeleteI agree Angel, we should all try different types of foods at least once. It's also true that if we grow up eating the food of one culture other foods might not seem appealing. But your right, we should have an open mind about all foods because it we are not just eating food but we are also experiencing a different culture.
DeleteThank you, I'm really excited and was shocked at the same time that I got this many replies. I'm grateful. Thanks again!!
DeleteVery well-organized post.
DeleteI'm guilty on not eating healthy at times, but chips and cookies are so good :/
But you're right, we should not be interpreted as someone bad just because we choose to eat a certain kind of food.
Food is culture but culture is also food. The food we eat can define our culture as well as our culture can define what we eat.
ReplyDeleteMost people eat just what they know and what they feel comfortable with. They will not generally go out looking for something different to eat, besides what they already know. People eat what they are used to eating, they eat what their culture has exposed them to. However, a person can decide what they want and what they like opposed to what they are "suppose" to eat according to their culture. So generally I believe that food can define our culture but not entirely, keeping in mind that some people do like eating different things that are not of a particular culture. Personally I enjoy trying new foods and learning the culture behind it.
Jeannette, I agree with you. I think people are comfortable with a particular kind of food. I think we can learn from different cultures to get the best of all worlds. If we believe in the science, the Asian culture has less risk of certain diseases because of the food they eat. That would be an example of the eating habits of a certain culture.
DeleteI am definitely guilty of eating the same thing over and over again. My usual weekly food routine consists of Olive Garden, sushi, and cheeseburgers. Nothing out of the ordinary of what we were trained to eat here in the United States.
DeleteI am definitely guilty of eating the same thing over and over again. My usual weekly food routine consists of Olive Garden, sushi, and cheeseburgers. Nothing out of the ordinary of what we were trained to eat here in the United States.
DeleteI also like trying new foods. I am so blessed that my parents did not allow me to be a picky eater and in turn my daughters are not picky eaters either. There are so many wonderful foods out there with just as wonderful ingredients, stories and culture behind them. It would be a shame to let all that goodness go to waste.
DeleteJeannette, I completely agree with you. Culture and food go hand and hand and I believe it is because of our culture we eat what we eat!
DeleteI believe the easiest foods one can be introduced to are the ones that are readily accessible to anyone and everyone, like McDonald's. Unfortunately, it is far from nutritious. However, the flavor and cost make it difficult to turn from, especially if we're discussing convenience.
DeleteI agree with you, you can define our culture based on our food, because each culture has it own dish. By trying different foods we can learn about other cultures because they use different spices.
DeleteI believe our culture is the beginning of our food experience. We eat what our parents prepare for us. Our parents prepare what they have experienced. If our parents had the opportunity to experience different cultures than we might be adventurists and taste many different foods. In my case my parents didn't cook much and we ate Swanson's tv dinners and drive-in food items. This experience made me investigate foods that I had no experience with. I took a cooking class in high school and later worked for the ROP program where they baked yummy delicacies and other home cook food items. I found that I became board with the 5 common foods that I grew up with; roast beef, meatloaf, cold cereal, bologna sandwiches, and tv dinners. To this day I stay away from most of those foods. I travel to different countries even different regions in California. The people that live by the ocean eat seafood and these items are made in different ways based on the background of the people that our preparing them. Scandinavian people cook in a different way than people of other regions. Fried fish, baked fish, breaded fish all of these cultures has an advantage and a preference to preparing food. The availability of ingredients to cook with depends on the natural recourses of the land and surrounding area. The spices of different cultures are unique to specific regions and are blended with vegetables, meats or poultry. An adventurist person could sample different gastronomic creations and mix them in different ways to make a unique meal. In some cultures insects are eaten and in others they are smash under your foot. If you are willing to try new things you will have the opportunity to experience something fantastic. If you are conservative, when it comes to food, you might be missing out on a treat. If you don't know what it tastes like you won't know what you have missed.
ReplyDeleteTammie, your growing up experience sounds alot like mine. I grew up on those foods, but my mom did cook too. Southern type foods, lots of fried foods that was all delicious but not too healthy. I know that now it's something to not eat so often for health reasons. In my moms day, food was to be eaten completely off your plate and not waste a bite. Experiencing different foods from various cultures broadens your perspective of how others live and behave.
DeleteI agree with Tammie, we are usually stuck with what our parents feed us until we get old enough to start choosing the foods we want. It's good to know that there are many different types of food in the world that all have their distinct taste. You would be missing from so much from cultures if you decided not to try their foods.
DeleteWow Tammie, your story is very fascinating I must say! In my opinion, most children when growing up a certain way, eating certain dishes, tend to stick to those foods and what they grew up on. I love that you did not allow the way you grew up to express who YOU are. It is very inspiring that you branched out from what your parents showed and taught you, and were able to try new things on your own. I do like to try new things, but, I would love to be a bit more open minded when trying new foods like you. I find that very brave of you.
DeleteI believe food is a major aspect of culture. Food is definitely a product of culture. The food people eat is made of what ingredients they have access to. The food people eat give a good idea of where they come from. The fruits, vegetables, and animals that people eat is part of their culture. People have a special relationship with food. Food is a major part of everyone's life because it is a necessity. Food along with a few other things define people's culture. It is the best way to learn about where people come from.
ReplyDeleteI agree that food is an aspect of culture and that culture has a relationship with food.
DeleteLuis, I think you have the right idea. Food is a major aspect of culture and that is how we get all the different types of cuisine. We typically eat what we know and that is because of our culture. In American culture we eat a lot of fast food, but that is because it is convenient and we were raised on it.
DeleteFood, in my opinion, is culture and culture is food. Perhaps it can be legitimately termed culture because it helps create a certain ambiance for the regulars who enter a specific restaurant, etc. From a business point of view – and generally speaking—I can estimate that 70-80% of customers return to a location not because of the quality of food/service they receive, but for the way they “feel” while there. Take, for example, Starbucks; sure – the coffee is great and they have a large selection of items to choose from, but customers ultimately feel welcomed and comfortable—all due to the environment and aesthetics. What do we do when we go to Bj’s, Applebee’s, Elephant Bar, Chipotle—we check into our social-networks to let people know where we are. Perhaps it is the perception we want to feel, or . . .the culture we inconspicuously create.
ReplyDeleteI’m Mexican-American, so I eat tacos, sopes, enchiladas, tortilla soup, etc (but I eat anything). I think the relationship between what we eat is not defined by what culture we come from; rather, what culture makes us eat certain things. Fitness, for instance, is a culture and people who are into fitness do not regularly eat certain foods that most people do. If one examines this in a micro-view, the relationship between people and food is contingent on the area he or she lives in. In a macro-perspective, the same might be true, respectively.
As a Los Angeles native, I can strongly agree that food is culture and vice versa. Los Angeles is known for its restaurants and the culture they create for their daily customers. It is not just food; it is running into your old friend, saying hello to your neighbor, speaking about last week’s football game, or simply bonding with one another while enjoying some great food
It's true. We tend to return to the places where we feel comfortable, for instance, I have a special fondness for Olive Garden because it is where I spent my birthday with all my friends. By the way I love Mexican food especially sopes. But what makes it more special is that my mom cooks these meals that I love with lots of love.
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ReplyDeleteThroughout the world, every culture has its own flavor. When we think the USA, we think cheeseburgers and fries. When we think Italy, we think spaghetti. When we think China, we think rice and when we think Japan, we think sushi. Most cultures use forks and spoons, but what about using chopsticks or our hands? Every culture has come to have their own distinction from other cultures. Food is so much a part of who we are as societies. We base so much importance on the food we eat and how we eat it. Ever notice the pressure to have a glass of wine at an Italian restaurant? Or, the importance of using chopsticks when eating sushi? Why not use a fork? This is how culture affects how we eat. We live through our food to celebrate different cultures. I don't necessarily agree that food is culture or culture is food. However, I do believe that food is a vital part of culture. Many societies surround their entire day with what they will eat that evening. For me, I choose McDonald's and the occasional trip to a sushi restaurant or Olive Garden. There is nothing better than feeling like you are a part of a different culture than your norm.
ReplyDeleteI recently watched a show called Duck Dynasty which is hilarious, but I was not feeling so thrilled when I saw frogs and squirrels on the menu. Its true that we usually think of food from America to be fast food such as burgers and fries, but even in different parts of the US there are still very different kinds of food.
DeleteYeah, didn't think about that. Good point!
DeleteYou are more than right.
DeleteI guess people who live in the United States do not take the time to imagine how great other foods may be throughout the world.
Maybe they don't care? I shouldn't say everyone but for the most part, I would assume a lot of Americans just focus on their own well-being.
Last year I saw a movie called "The Gods Must Be Crazy" and it made me a little more cognizant of the different cultures we are exposed to. Bushman looked and discovered foods in what seemed to be the middle of no where. They were happy--healthy!
I believe food is both culture and culture is food. The popular phrase "you are what you eat" makes food about you and you about food. It doesn't matter where you are from or what you are eating. The consumption in itself makes food about you. If you haven't seen the Disney movie Ratatouille, please do. It describes food so well. It makes food come to life. It's set in Paris and highlights the culture of their dining but at the same time draws you in to want to become apart of that culture. What other deeds can elllict that sentiment? Food recipes are past down from generation to generation, much like many other things in ones culture. Flavors are endless like the many cultures through time. For myself it's important to try as many as possible.
ReplyDeleteThat movie was really cute. I watched it with my kids and although the idea was disturbing it was fun to watch. It does make you wonder what that dish would taste like, seeing that the food critic came back for more even after meeting the chef.
DeleteCulture is such a huge part of any society. When I think about food, it automatically go to what type of culture that food usually made from. I also see how food changes cultures. I see various culture's accepting another type of food that they are not brought up with making or eating, and then incorporating those ingredients into theirs and therefore changing the culture they are accustomed to. I find this being more and more popular these days. Growing up, I was served mexican food from my mom's side and the usual hamburgers and steaks from my dad's side. I love going to a restaurant with a different culture than brought up with, and being accepted with friendly service and excellent food, and walking out saying wow! I see it also as a huge connection between different cultures to come together, and experience something that cannot be experienced through words. While living in Irvine, I experienced more culture shock than ever, and it was awesome. My wife and I would search for the new hip place, or the little hole in the wall that only locals knew of. This was very true to find when eating at the food trucks. We always found new trucks with their own spin of their culture of what they grew up in mixed with a culture that they didn't experience and mixed those cultures together and created some kick butt foods. I see it both ways, but food is definitely something that all cultures can come together and share, and hopefully find that amazing taste that everyone searches for.
ReplyDeleteWhat you wrote is so accurate, John. We are becoming so much more globally integrated that we can automatically associate food with the mother culture. This is gradually changing due to globalization. It is changing in that cultural foods are now being fused with foods from all over. A great example of this is Tex-Mex.
DeleteCulture is such a huge part of any society. When I think about food, it automatically go to what type of culture that food usually made from. I also see how food changes cultures. I see various culture's accepting another type of food that they are not brought up with making or eating, and then incorporating those ingredients into theirs and therefore changing the culture they are accustomed to. I find this being more and more popular these days. Growing up, I was served mexican food from my mom's side and the usual hamburgers and steaks from my dad's side. I love going to a restaurant with a different culture than brought up with, and being accepted with friendly service and excellent food, and walking out saying wow! I see it also as a huge connection between different cultures to come together, and experience something that cannot be experienced through words. While living in Irvine, I experienced more culture shock than ever, and it was awesome. My wife and I would search for the new hip place, or the little hole in the wall that only locals knew of. This was very true to find when eating at the food trucks. We always found new trucks with their own spin of their culture of what they grew up in mixed with a culture that they didn't experience and mixed those cultures together and created some kick butt foods. I see it both ways, but food is definitely something that all cultures can come together and share, and hopefully find that amazing taste that everyone searches for.
ReplyDeleteI would like to think that food is culture in the majority of the United States. Whatever event there is that’s going on in town, there is sure to be food there, if not a desire for it. I feel that food is essential in finding something to relate with others; people are always hungry, and I feel that food always amplifies the overall experience, if not just to bring people together. Personally, I’ve always hated eating alone, so I always try to make an effort to invite a friend or two whenever I go on a culinary adventure. That being said, eating out is something I’ve always enjoyed doing, because it allowed me to spend time with my friends and to just catch up with what’s going on in our lives. While it’s definitely not an effective way of saving money, it’s something to look forward on time off.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that food is essential when relating to others. Yes, when you go out on the weekend with your friends the one thing that everyone thinks about is where they're going to eat either before or after, even if you are not really hungry to begin with. It does get expensive after a while.
DeleteI also hate eating alone! Although sometimes it's nice to enjoy your own company and be able to eat whatever you want (or however much you want) without judgement, and leave when you want. And yes, eating out gets very expensive, especially when you've recently become addicted to sushi and spend anywhere from 30-50 dollars, ON YOUR OWN, each time!
DeleteMargarita: I can't tell you how many times I've called up my friends to go eat out because I didn't have anything going on with my day. That's the usual course of action to initiate a hang out between me and them.
DeleteJeannie: Speaking of judgement; this is something kind of weird about me, but I don't really feel at ease dining if the company I'm with aren't eating as well. I don't feel that way due to self-consciousness, but because I oftentimes worry if they are hungry as well. It's pretty funny, but if I feel like I am unjustly tantalizing them with my food, then I often share a little bit with them.
Food is definitely the culture and culture is also about the food. When you’re deciding what you want to eat, it is more than just something that’s going into your mouth. You think about the flavors you’re craving, the ambiance of the restaurant you want to go to, the people you’re with, the feeling you get when you eat, etc. The relationship that people have with food comes from who they are and where they come from. Different areas of the world see food on differently levels. In my family food is the center of every event. We make many different Mexican dishes as well as dishes we have come to love from other cultures. When we’re planning for a holiday or a birthday, usually we think about food first. We think of foods that we love and it brings us joy, which leads us to reminisce about stories around foods or dishes we have made before. It is fun to get together and remember little things, that actually mean a whole lot in the end. Food is one thing that drives people close together. Not only does it bring people together as a family, but people of different ethnic backgrounds feel a sense of appreciation towards others when they share recipes or watch other people make food. Food also helps to make other people feel welcome, comfortable, and happy. I have not tried food from around the world because I haven’t had the chance to travel, but from the things that I have seen on cooking shows and travel channels, it amazes me to see such beautiful dishes that I think would taste amazing, and at the same time the whole tone of the events around food seem to make you just want to go there.
ReplyDeleteYou make some really good points. My family always plans the meals before anything else as well.
DeleteYour post is on point and you mention some key components that define food within culture and vice versa.
DeleteI think it is most intriguing when you take someone who does not belong to your culture, and expose him or her to your own. This happened last year when I took my Chinese friend to my parents' home; there were grandchildren running around, spanish television playing, people were cleaning--the ambiance for him was out of the norm.
But when he tasted the food, he smiled.
Love that little guy.
I think food is culture and culture is food like others have said. There's a great phrase, I saw someone else quote it too. "You are what you eat" I have heard this many times. It is interesting to me to see how people choose what to eat. Do they follow the norm of their cultures and eat only things they were taught to eat? Or do they break the norm and try new things? For me? I wasn't raised on following a certain culture and only eating certain things. But still, I tend to do so on my own. For example, everytime I go to Olive Garden i order the exact same thing. Never fails. This usually happens at most places I go to. I have a couple of friends who are mexican and all they eat is mexican food. Cultures and eating fascinate me profusely.
ReplyDeleteI can relate to what you say. I am Mexican and I love Mexican food. It is my favorite and my predominant dish. However, I am open to trying new foods, like you mentioned, I go to the Olive and order the same thing because the name of the dish sounds familiar.
DeleteMy grandparents typically eat at any chinese or indonesian food establishment. They are out of their element when I take them for Mexican food. I think it's important to "break the norm" and try new things. My grandparents are set in their eating habits though and will not change at this point.
DeleteI agree too that it is important to break the norms. Other wise life could be boring. Same ole' Same ole'. We should always try new things because how will we know whether or not we like something.
DeleteYes, I do see a correlation between one's culture and the food he or she eats. People will pass down recipes that they acquired from passed generations. Food can also be very special. I hear people talk about a recipe that has been in their family, and become excited about a special dish that they just learned to make. Furthermore, food is associated to one's culture but it is even more special because every family has a unique way of making the dish. One important thing to point out is that different cultures are becoming assimilated and we are able to easily experience different cultures and their food. I believe that making oneself exposed to unfamiliar foods is part of the American culture.
ReplyDeleteYou can often know a person by what they consume. People who love to cook and are very patient will eat homemade meals. Those who are not as patient and are limited on time will settle for fast food. There are those who maintain a very strict diet, we assume those are the healthy eaters. I must mention that after writing this, I realized that food can define a person’s attitude or culture.
I enjoy cooking recipes that have been handed down to me from my grandmother, it is so nostalgic. It brings me back to hanging out with her during the summer time while she is cooking our family a meal. I don't think everyone who is on a strict diet is a healthy eater though. I know vegetarians that don't eat any vegetables. Sounds crazy, but they'll eat a lot of starches, processed and fast foods.
DeleteFood plays a big part in culture. Every culture has its own variety of foods. They all use different ingredients, seasonings, and combinations of food. At home I cook a variety of dishes, but it is mostly Mexican food. The usual is rice, beans, and tortillas with a side of beef, chicken, or fish. When you go to a Mexican restaurant or a party, the majority of the time the meals will include rice and beans. When I think of American food I think of In-N-Out: delicious burgers and fries. Italian food, I think of Olive Garden. Chinese food, I think Panda Express. Growing up my parents would take us to Mexican restaurants because my dad was comfortable there and my brother was such a picky eater. When I began experiencing different restaurants I realized that there are so many different types of foods, and those foods tie up with their different culture. I enjoy trying different foods because I feel like I am experiencing a part of someone’s culture.
ReplyDeleteWell Alexandria you are absolutely correct in that food plays a very big role in culture. It really is amazing how many different of variety of foods there are for each and every culture. I am very inspired that you cook so much and also different things. I did not start cooking a lot until I moved out in June into my own apartment. I have also tried myself learning to cook different dishes from various cultures. I am very glad I have branched out and started cooking, because I find it very important to cook and learn about other cultures and their foods.
DeleteAlexandria, what I like about your post is your association with cultures and the foods that immediately are thought of in your mind. You talk about Panda Express being Asian, and In-N-Out being American. I often hear from certain Asian friends that Panda Express is not Asian it’s Americanized. Is Olive Garden really Italian, or does it just use atypical Italian ingredients? I like the stories about your family, your comfortable father in a Mexican restaurant and your picky brother. Going back to your points, do you think there is a difference between ‘culture foods’ and ‘authentic culture foods’? Do we make bad assumptions about cultures based on foods?
DeleteOluwasegun Obebe, I believe that many foods here, in the United States have been Americanized. Olive Garden was founded in the United States by General Mills. I think it is an adaptation of what Americans believe Italian food tastes like. If you go to a restaurant like Sorellas and compare it to the Olive Garden, you can taste the difference. It is like if I compare Taco Bell or Baja Fresh to Los Molcajestes. I can tell Los Molcajetes has more of an authentic Mexican flavor. We sometimes make bad assumptions, but I think it is unintentionally . When we try new foods for the first time we don't know if it is Americanized until we try the real thing. Growing up I thought Panda Express was authentic Chinese food, until one day I made it myself. I was able to taste the difference
DeleteFrom an anthropological standpoint, food sheds light onto how members of a culture live and function. When examining food remains at an archaeological site, archaeologists and anthropologists can usually determine the type of social structure that was held by the community or group inhabiting the site, what was valued, and how these people essentially lived. The types of food found in dump sites (trash sites) help to determine whether the inhabitants were highly mobile hunter-gatherers who constantly followed their food or sedentary cultivators who domesticated plants and animals and remained in one place for generations, etc. Additionally, the diet of the inhabitants can also shed light onto whether the inhabitants used their readily available natural resources or if they were involved in trade (of food) with others from a great distance away. Evidence of trade could prove that these inhabitants possessed somewhat of a complex monetary system (relative to neighboring sites), etc. Sorry -- I jumped at the chance to actually use my anth degree for something.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, if we were to go some years into the future, it would be interesting to think of what future archaeologists would conclude from examining our food trash. I don't know about how the food of this century would stand up to time (since much of it is processed and doesn't contain many bones that are so critical to archaeological analysis), but maybe all the preservatives would help our food products to withstand time a bit better. My coworker was just telling me how he "eats the world" in one week. He'll have chicken wings one night, salmon the next, steak, pizza, chow mein, curry, raccoon (you read that correctly), etc. This got me to thinking about how many Americans embody sort of a global culture with their food choices. Using one intersection of Bakersfield at Brimhall and Calloway as an example, there is a Japanese restaurant within walking distance of a hamburger joint, a gelato shop, a Mexican restaurant, and an Italian deli (Kanpai Sushi, Carl's Jr., Daddy O's Frozen Yogurt, Victor's Mexican Grill, and Caesar's Italian Deli).
Just as one type of food can help to define a culture (and vice versa), a wide array of different cultures' foods can also define the American culture as global and multidimensional. This one intersection at Brimhall and Calloway can show our communication patterns, our manners of trade, our social structure, and our values, to name a few. So yes, food can define a culture just as a culture can define food. It's an ongoing process and a neverending circle, whether it be on a small scale or a global scale. To me, this question seems to be a bit like the "chicken or the egg" concept. You can't have the chicken without first having the egg, but you also can't really tell for sure which one came first. Did food shape the culture or did culture shape the food?
I agree that question is a bit like the "chicken and the egg" idea, but I feel that culture shaped the food. Religious preferences for food, location, ingredients readily available, all that determines what food can be made and eaten.
DeleteI was thinking back to the early beginnings of the development of a culture. Was the food that was indigenous to where the inhabitants lived what helped to shape the culture that they would become in later years? Take corn for example. It has become such a prominent ingredient in many Native American and Mexican food dishes...corn tortillas, masa, cornbread, etc. Do you think that these cultures would have become the same cultures they are today if they had not found wild corn and domesticated it?
DeleteThat's a very valid point! And those cultures definitely wouldn't be the same without having found the corn.
DeleteSo since I'm a little late posting a lot of what I say is going to be repeats.
ReplyDeleteBut I agree with everyone. Food and culture definitely go hand in hand. You don't go to Mexico for sushi, just like you wouldn't go to France for tacos. Food makes up a major part of the identity of a place. Food also does give you certain feelings. Everyone has their comfort food. Mine happens to be instant mashed potatoes. Along with other foods, but I do love instant mashed potatoes. A homecooked/homey meal to a Mexican-American may differ largely from that of an Indian-American. To me a nice, homey meal is meatloaf and mashed potatoes and a veggie, or hamhock beans, fried potatoes, and creamed corn (an Oakie dinner, as my mom likes to call it). However when I was with my ex, who was Mexican, a good homecooked meal was his mom's posole or his dad's bbqed asada with refried beans and tortillas warmed up on the comal. Both are equally delicious, but both make up a different culture and feeling. I honestly just love food in general. I could eat anything, almost.
Jeannie, I would agree food and culture go hand and hand. When you mentioned; France and tacos, Mexico and sushi I thought about going to France and having crepes. In France crepes have ham and cheese. I was used to have International House of Pancakes crepes with fruit and whip cream. So the adaptation of a culture to a specific name of food needs to be translated too :)
DeleteI agree with you completely Jeannie. Both of these do go hand in hand and you cant go certain places and expect them to have things. Like for example in California you'll never find crawfish, or at least real live good crawfish fresh out of water. Same thing on how you dont go to mexico and expect them to know how to make sushi or even have access to sushi.
DeleteI believe food and culture go hand in hand. A huge part of a culture is the type of food, which is unique to their ethnicity or surroundings. In my family because of our culture we eat a lot of rice and seafood. This is the type of food that I grew up on and what my go to is when I go to the grocery store. I believe the relationship between people and food is what is convenient to them and what types of food they may be raised on. Typically we buy what we know and that is because of our upbringing and culture within our family and friends. We also have the American culture surrounding us, with fast food and luckily in California we are surrounded by all sorts of cuisines. Overall, I believe food is culture and culture is food, because they go hand in hand and we cannot typically find one without the other.
ReplyDeleteFish and rice is an interesting combination, Breanna. It has me wondering what culture you associate yourself with. Fish in general is not really liked by a majority of people (at least not in the U.S. from what I've experienced). I agree with you that food and culture go hand in hand. In addition, the foods we are given when we're young often stick with us and become comfort foods as you suggested.
DeleteI agree with what you said about food is culture and culture is food, and you cannot find one without the other. I liked how you related our upbringings with comfort food that we like, and how we buy what we are brought up in. Because of this, I became a very picky eater, where I found different foods disgusting because I was never introduced to them in the past. Thankfully my wife has me changing my taste pallet.
DeleteI believe culture is about the traditions centered around a person's ethnic background. A lot of traditions include gatherings around a meal of some sort. So this theory of mine, ties the culture in with the food and vice versa.
ReplyDeleteMy ethnic background is Dutch-Indonesian which includes a lot of asian style foods such as lumpia, nasi goreng (fried rice), bami goreng (noodles), fried foods (wontons, egg rolls), soups, and also meat and potato style dishes. I grew up eating this way and didn't see a problem with it until I was an adult trying to have healthier eating habits. This is really hard for me because I love fried foods, maybe stemming from a subconscious comfort in the way my Oma (grandmother in Dutch) used to cook. I try to keep a healthy balance in mind when meal planning now. I will try to include a protein, veggie and starch in a meal. I find that if I completely cut out certain foods that I will be more likely to want to binge eat everything in my pantry. If I have a bad day on my food choices, then I try again the following day. I don’t wait until the following Monday to “start over”.
I believe it’s important to have meals with your family to communicate. If a family is busy like ours with school, work and going to jiu jitsu, that may be the only time to sit and catch up for the day. I try to keep this tradition in our house, although it’s not easy to do consistently.
I believe food is culture; it is a strong part of many cultures, and is even the center of some cultures. Food is not only culture in different countries but is also culture in individual lifestyles some pursue. Food can be the center of many cultures, for example I once visited some of my mother’s family in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico for a week, and they were all about food. Every night they cooked a feast. It was an amazing experience as it felt like thanks giving every day. I remember getting full, and my mother telling me to keep eating as it looked disrespectful not to eat everything set out. Also in my experience in Puerto Vallarta, I remember walking down the streets and seeing different food vendors all over, I which my favorite that I tried was a churro cart, where a man walked around pushing a cart, making fresh churros as you ordered them. Another experience I hand where food was at the center of culture, was in Waikiki, Hawaii. Every local Tour Guide I had always brought of food at the begging of the tours. They spoke of the best places to eat and how Hawaiians love to eat. I was very interesting to learn that most Hawaiians still use many old methods of obtaining their food. For example, I learned that most Hawaiians still hunt wild pigs with spears, and some dive deep into the ocean, grab an octopus, and then bite on the octopus’s brain to kill it.
ReplyDeleteFood is also culture for many different lifestyles. I live fitness, healthy lifestyle, and food is at the very center of that life style. It is very important for individuals like me to eat healthy, to eat at least four times a day, and to count calories and protein intake. Some of my friends who share this same life style even wake up at three in the morning just to get a healthy meal in, to boost their metabolism and make sure their body isn’t feeding on any muscle.
I love traveling and enjoying the different local food trends. I was in Guam for a couple months and there was a Luau held. The main dish was the deep pit pig roast, which I am not a huge fan of personally. It was fun to try it though and see the dancers perform a traditional show.
DeleteBy the way, I think that is wild that someone would wake up to eat at three in the morning!! I am all about counting calories with an app on my phone and increasing protein intake during the day though.
I believe that food is culture because food is part of what defines culture. Food is defined by the culture it comes from. When we describe a certain food, we usually describe it by the culture its from. For example we call food from China, Chinese food, food from Mexico, Mexican food, or food from Italy, Italian food, etc. Culture is the social structure, mannerisms, beliefs and religion that are developed over generations in a specific location. Food has always been a defining feature of a culture. I believe that food represents a culture by how it is prepared, the ingredients it uses and the way it is presented. Sometimes specific foods for a culture a use specific tools that are used only in that culture. For example, the wok is type of pan used in chinese culture to prepare different chinese foods. Ingredients for certain foods also tell you about what type of plants and animals live in that culture. Rice is a side dish that is eaten with many different’ Asian foods. This shows that Asian cultures grew many rice plants. Another cultural belief represented in Indian food is that it never has any beef in it. This is due to the Indian’s cultural belief that cows are sacred and should not be eaten. Food can tell us a lot about its own culture.
ReplyDeleteAlelie, you had a great point concerning cultural belief and religion. Eating beef is common place in many cultures and we do not take into consideration the belief or things that are sacred to others. We need to be more sensitive to others in many ways
DeleteI agree that culture and food are intertwined with one another. There is a lot that can be learned if you break down the different foods prepared in culturally varied homes.
DeleteCulture is made up of so very many different components. Each individual component influences the other parts of the whole. In regions like east Asia, rice is a key dish in almost every country. Why? Because it grows there. Having rice as one of their main foods also affects the other ways they live. Many people farmed rice and still do. The rice is part of what determines their culture. It also affects the landscape of the culture. Rice growing well and being readily available causes people to plant large rice paddies. Distinctions in cuisine also arise due to geography. In the case of Japan, in particular, fish goes well with the rice because it is also readily available. Being an island nation helped establish that tradition. To put it more simply: the food of a culture shapes the area a group lives in, but the food is also a product of the geographical area which they live in. As Globalization takes hold of the world more and more, food is becoming more universal. We can get rice here in the United States very easily. There are also many people who have migrated here that brought their culture with them. This is a chief feature of modern culture. Fusion of foods, traditions, and cultures is evident everywhere we go. It is what makes the world such a fascinating place to live in. If one drives down Ming Avenue, restaurants featuring the culinary delights of several different countries are readily visible. As the saying goes, variety is the spice of life. Food is a facet of culture and culture is a facet of food.
ReplyDeleteWhitney, what I like particularly about your response to these weeks blog is your detail to specific cultures of food. You paid specific attention to Asia, the region of East Asia that utilizes rice as a key component in their food and almost in every culture for that matter. Grain as you certainly denoted is main grain, grown and utilized for years. It is a food that serves multiple purposes, is symbolic and used beyond consumption. What makes rice so great is that each culture can work with in in any fashion they seem fit, and that become distinctive of the culture. I actually think you can write a paper about this for your essay on rice alone in an eatery or do a cross comparison
DeleteI would say food is culture, but I would also say culture is food. In my opinion I believe culture is very important and is a big part of life itself. Culture allows us to express who we are, what we are, and why we are who we are. In my opinion, culture is the basis of what everything else in life falls upon. If I had to compare culture to something in life, I would say it is te crown molding of a house. Without culture we would not be able to be who we are because culture defines us. Food is also just as important because what we eat also allows us to express our personalities and our backgrounds. My favorite dish is chicken fetacunni Alfredo. Although I am part Italian, I do not just eat Italian food. I eat all genres of food because I like to keep an open mind and try new things. It truly amazes me how some people eat the same exact things on a daily basis. I recently tried calamari for the first time, which is something I never thought I would try, and I actually loved it! So, if you're someone who eats the same foods on a regular basis, I would try and broaden your horizon and try some new foods out!
ReplyDeleteHey Lorinda, I absolutely agree that culture does express "who we are, what we are, and why we are who we are." I like how you compare culture to a crown molding of a house, I don't believe I could have put it any better. Its awesome that you are up for trying new things, and that you ended up loving calamari. I am also a calamari fan, and believe that people should try to broaden the variety of foods they eat by trying new foods. I used to be very picky, until I decided one day that I'm just going to give everything a try and if I don't like it then I don't like it, but surprisingly I found many new foods that I love.
DeleteI think of food as a universal language much like music or the arts. It’s one of those passions that is shared by so many and intersected through so many cultures. Within those cultures are variations on the perspectives of dishes and food. Food is culture; it is representative of certain tastes both from a visual and a consumption perspective. Food goes beyond the mere task of making individuals full, but it is a way of life for so many people. Food, particularly within the arena of reality television has become a pop culture phenomenon, the food network, and a myriad of shows get huge ratings and create stars in the culinary world, and people are genuinely interested not only in the process of creating a dish, but who the person creating the dish is.
ReplyDeleteOften various cultures many not agree in a lot of arena, some of those very well might be social issues, politics or religion. However, like food, language and art, there is a general consensus that the majority of individual either like to prepare, or watch others in this form. Food therefore is the gateway to learning about the rich histories of other cultures and without a history book per se. Culture is food, and food is culture, it is generational and carries a rich lineage of recipes passed through our ancestors. We are also very much a multiracial culture where the marriage of different groups brings out the fusion of certain flavors bringing us together.
The relationship between people and what people eat is an interesting topic. I’d reminds of the old cliché ‘You are what you eat’ or the infamous Kate Moss line that states ‘Nothing tastes as god as skinny feels’. I think as cultures there are connotations about our food. Some cultures can be viewed as pure meat eaters, others as spicy food, and others as food with not as many calories as the next culture. As individuals we may judge others by the perception of their cultures food.
I like how you phrased food as a "universal language." That sounds very appropriate for the role that food plays in all of our lives. While we may not be able to understand someone's culture entirely because of a gap in communication and language, food most definitely allows us to taste and understand a certain culture by way of their food. Even though we may not immediately think of a culture's history when eating food, each culture's history is ingrained in each dish.
DeleteFood is culture and culture is food. People, family, friends and acquaintances, even strangers will meet whenever food is present. Food is what brings people together no matter what circumstance. For example, my sister and I have been hanging out almost everyday this week. We both have busy schedules but we both made an effort. But thinking back on it now, every time we met, we were eating. The majority of the food that we ate was made at my mom’s house and only yesterday we met for dinner. The same thing happens with my friends. Whenever we meet, we eat. It’s quite simple and funny at the same time. It is what we do as people. Whether we meet to make food, or we meet to order food, it helps us keep human contact with those who are close to us.
ReplyDeleteHello Lily, I agree that food helps us keep human contact with those who we are close to, and also seems like a great starting point to interact with new people. Something as simple as cooking, brings so many people closer. This is one of my favorite ways of me being able to interact with my wife, through cooking.
DeleteWould you agree that food helps different cultures co-exist?
DeleteYou know what is interesting? Whenever people "hang out", food has to be incorporated. I understand we all need to eat but I've never hung out with anyone without food being mentioned.
I believe food is culture but culture is also food. Food is what describes us because, there are many recipes, ingredients, dishes, and we each have our own taste in food. Every culture has its own unique way of making the dish Food is about learning the many cultures. As we get older we chose what we eat and where to eat. As for me I was raised not knowing about seafood because no one in my family liked seafood. Until I started dating my boyfriend he was the one who introduced me to shrimp, lobster, and other seafood’s. At first I did not like shrimp, but the only way I can now eat shrimp is only if its a shrimp cocktail, or shrimp tacos other than that I can not taste shrimp.
ReplyDeleteYes, food does describe us, but my take on it was how we appear. I believe appearance tells how we are eating in how we take care of ourselves.
DeleteAnd, yes, getting older has it's advantages to choosing where and what we eat. But hopefully we choose healthy habits and learned when we were younger to do so.
We are what we eat! This is what I've heard for years and I do believe there is something to it. Junk food is really good, and even better depending on one's mood at the time. Although, some people will eat badly (junk food) every single day and it shows. It shows on not only their appearance, but how they dress and care for themselves. And if you think about it, you only see this mostly in the white American culture. Other cultures of people have a regimented diet that usually consists of somewhat healthy cuisine.
ReplyDeleteMedia and advertisement in stores in gearing people towards eating more healthy, although it's not as profitable for the vendors. Our younger population is so obese now they have to do something to prevent health problems later in life. Change the culture they live in.