National Food Trends

Miranda Lauzon

Second blog entry

An Exploration of National and International Trends in Foodways

Demand and Desire for Ethnic Cuisine

Since the 17th century, America has been the epicenter of immigration and cultural melding. In recent years our nation has experienced a growing trend in the demand for and consumption of ethnic foods. We have seen a vast and rapid influx of sushi restaurants, bahn mi delis, taco trucks and several other culturally distinct food patterns emerge. “From 2010 to 2012, sales in ethnic foods rose by 4.5 percent, or nearly $9 billion, according to the Mintel Group, a national market research firm. It predicts additional growth of more than 20 percent over the next five years.” (Food and Health) However, this acceptance of and desire for ethnic cuisine has not always been the case. In this post, I will explore national trends of immigration and access (or lack of access) to traditional ingredients.

Below (link): A Voice of America article listing the top 10 most popular ethnic cuisines in the United States.

http://blogs.voanews.com/all-about-america/2015/05/18/top-10-most-popular-ethnic-cuisines-in-us/

Below (link): A Huffington Post article on the most disproportionately popular cuisines in each state. If you examine this map, you would find that a total of 19 state's most disproportionately popular cuisines are cuisines that are not considered to be American. Out of these cuisines, Portuguese was most common in three states: MA, RI and NJ.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/14/most-popular-cuisine-state_n_6457252.html

Case Study: Ruth Tam, a Chinese-American Woman Living in Washington, D.C.

Ruth Tam, a writer based in Washington D.C., recounts her experiences growing up in a Chinese household in the suburbs of Chicago in her article “How it feels when white people shame your culture’s food, then make it trendy.” In this article, Tam explores her feelings of embarrassment surrounding her Chinese-American identity and traditional Chinese culinary practices. Throughout the article, Tam fondly recalls childhood memories formed in the kitchen and refers to her father’s cooking as “comfort food.” Until high school, Tam was not only content with, but also proud of her Chinese heritage. “I didn’t mind the smells growing up because I wasn’t aware of them. That is, until a high school friend declared my house smelled of ‘Chinese grossness.’ My hunger for my family’s food was overpowered by my desire to fit in, so I minimized Chinese food’s role in my life and learned to make pasta instead. ” (Tam)

      Above (photo): Ruth Tam, a Chinese-American writer living in the United States.

Cultural Appropriation and Cuisine

Tam’s experiences growing up reflect broader issues surrounding immigration and acceptance of immigrants and their cultures in the United States. While acceptance is important, we must be sure not to cross the line of cultural appropriation, especially without administering proper credit. “This cultural appropriation stings because the same dishes hyped as ‘authentic’ on trendy menus were scorned when cooked in the homes of the immigrants who brought them here. Fashionable food from foreign cultures may satisfy a temporary hunger, but if you’re trying it for shallow reasons, you’ll be culturally unfulfilled in the long run.” (Tam)

Below: Definition of “cultural appropriation,” according to Wikipedia.

“Cultural appropriation is a sociological concept which views the adoption or use of elements of one culture by members of a different culture as a largely negative phenomenon.”

Acceptance and Admiration

Today, I believe that newer generations are much more culturally aware in all aspects, especially food. Personally, I find great pleasure in sampling new cuisines for (what Tam would deem) the right reasons. I have always looked at food and culture synonymously. So much in fact, that I decided to give up vegetarianism before I traveled to Europe for the first time; because I felt that I would be able to sample a greater variety of traditional food(s).

I also firmly believe that newer generations place value on all cuisines. Although there may be certain cuisines that individuals favor over others, taste alone does not determine cultural value or significance. “Today’s consumers have a much better educated palate than their parents and grandparents and take it for granted to have access to all kinds of foods from around the world without having to go far.” (Food and Health) As our nation and world become more globalized, culinary traditions are being explored and admired like never before; a trend that is greatly and steadily increasing.

Works Cited:

Tam, Ruth. “How It Feels When White People Shame Your Culture’s Food, Then Make it Trendy.” The Washington Post. 31 Aug. 2015. Web. Nov. 2015.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2015/08/31/childhood-friends-called-my-food-chinese-grossness-how-did-it-become-americas-hottest-food-trend/.

“Immigrants Changing American Food Preferences.” Food and Health. Solstice Publications, 2015. Web. 1. Nov. 2015. http://www.timigustafson.com/2013/immigrants-changing-american-food-preferences/.

Photo of Ruth Tam: https://www.google.com/search?q=ruth+tam&espv=2&biw=1406&bih=667&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAmoVChMIhfGIi-L6yAIVxOEmCh1oFwwS#imgrc=xpI8w4eao5XfXM%3A

Definition of cultural appropriation: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_appropriation

Cultural appropriation photo: https://theephemerals.wordpress.com/