Cultural Identity, Food Systems and Globalization

Miranda Lauzon

Third blog entry

Cultural Identity, Food Systems and Globalization

What is Globalization?

Our world is rapidly changing; the phenomenon of globalization reaches new heights with each passing day. The rapid influx of new ideas, people, technology, recipes, traditions and much more are circulating the globe like never before. A rapidly globalizing world has many benefits, such as the spread of cultural and culinary diversity, but there are several drawbacks, specifically regarding food allocation, food security and preserving local, traditional cuisine.

Globalization raises questions:

·      How does globalization relate to food and identity?

·      What are some current trends/patterns in global migration?

·      How does globalization shape foodways and food systems?

·      What does this mean for identities?

Globalization also raises Malthusian questions:

·      If current trends continue, will we see a global food surplus or a global food shortage?

·      Will we see global hunger increase or decrease?

·      How will food be allocated across the globe?

·      How does food surplus and/or food scarcity relate to identity?

In this blog entry, I will explore the questions listed above…

Food is a prominent part of one’s identity. What we enjoy eating, what we do not enjoy eating and what we are accustomed to eating all play a major role in the development and maintenance of our social and cultural identity. As globalization occurs, new foodways are developed. As mentioned in previous blog entries, the rapid influx of sushi restaurants, falafel restaurants, burger joints and taco trucks are popping up in places all over the globe that they have never been seen before.

Globalization then shapes foodways and food systems by promoting new ideas. This means that identities are changing and will continue to change as globalization and migration occur. Currently, we are in a global state of rapid and vast migration, allowing nations, families and individuals to experience changes in identity like never before.

Trends/Patterns in Global Migration:

Above (graphs): Two different diagrams depicting global migration patterns in terms of locations (locations of both immigration and emigration) and in terms of numerical statistics.

As our world becomes increasingly globalized and population increases, we are faced with two options: food will be abundant or there will be a food shortage due to poor allocation of resources. These options depend largely on decisions made by key global players such as the United States and esteemed members of the European Union.

What is the Malthusian dilemma?

The Malthusian dilemma “describes how unchecked population growth is exponential while the growth of the food supply was expected to be arithmetical.” (Wikipedia).

“Enough food is available in the world today that if it were evenly distributed, nobody should have to go hungry.” (Pinstrup and Anderson)

But…

“Today, there are over 700 million people who do not have access to sufficient food to meet the needs for a healthy and productive life; they often go hungry and are insecure when they will have their next meal.” (Pinstrup and Anderson)

This is a global paradox. The most broad, yet important, question is: What do we do about it? First and foremost, poverty must be eliminated. Majority of global poverty can be seen in (Sub-Saharan) Africa and (South and East) Asia. In order to diminish food insecurity and promote food security, national and global economies must thrive. Despite food being abundant at the moment, if population trends (and poor allocation trends) continue we could potentially not have enough food to go around, which is an extremely upsetting thought.

Above (graph): This is a Malthusian (theory) graph depicting demographic growth. Note the point where the population and food lines intersect, this indicates the point in time when food will (potentially) become vastly more scarce, leading to increased rates of malnutrition and starvation.  

In relation to identity, inadequate nutrition and means to acquire food cause identity to dwindle. For example, as explored in my first blog entry, the cultural identity of Elisabeth Ramon-Bacon and her family was undermined since they were not able to gain access to conventional Spanish ingredients to carry on their culinary traditions.

Also in relation to identity and its connections to food (although slightly off topic), I am currently watching the Netflix series “Chef’s Table.”  This show centers around the concept of personal identities in relation to foodways through interviewing and following different chefs from diverse ( and often remote) locations. These chefs are internationally renowned and use unique, yet distinctive, techniques in producing, preparing and cooking ingredients. One of my favorite episodes features Argentine chef Francis Mallmann. Mallmann is an expert at cooking over open, wood fires. Perhaps his most famous meal is salmon; he wraps the fish in clay to keep it moist as he slowly cooks it over the low heat in the embers of the open fire. While watching this episode I am deeply captivated by his passion for cooking and how he defines himself and his identity through culinary creativity and exploration. If you subscribe to Netflix, I highly recommend checking out this series, it’s pretty darn cool.

Above (photo): Argentine chef Francis Mallmann (at right, wearing the hat and striped apron) tends to an open, wood fire in Patagonia, a traditional Argentine method used to cook meat and fish. Mallmann’s identity is largely defined through food.

Works Cited:

Pinstrup, and Anderson. “World Food Trends and How They May Be Modified.” Web. 10 Nov. 2015.

Migration chart: http://qz.com/192440/where-everyone-in-the-world-is-migrating-in-one-gorgeous-chart/

Migration graph: http://gt2030.com/tag/immigration/

Malthusian graph: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malthusianism

http://wps.pearsoncustom.com/pcp_miller_econtoday_13_v1/38/9826/2515661.cw/content/index.html

Photo of Francis Mellmann: http://www.tableconversation.com/2012/11/finally-meeting-francis-mallmann.html

Let's Make Meals Together

I've based most of my blogging on how education affects the way that people eat.  In my last entry I talked about the importance of students having access to balanced meals in school.  Today, I'm going to talk about easy recipes that parents can make with their children to bring to school.  

While food remains to be an important part of one's identity, I believe that the process of making the food and who one is making it with is just as important.  When I was in elementary school, my dad would always pack me a lunch.  Making lunch was always very special to me because we would make lunch for each other.  I would pack him a lunch to take to work and he would pack me a lunch to bring to school.  This sort of experience was not only representative of us as a family unit, but it represented a small tradition that revolved around food.  

Today, food no longer has a lot of meaning.  "Sadly, Americans rarely eat together anymore. In fact, the average American eats one in every five meals in her car, one in four Americans eats at least one fast food meal every single day, and the majority of American families report eating a single meal together less than five days a week" (Delistraty).  These statistics affect both children and families as an entire unit.  There is no longer time to catch up with one another and discover how things are at work, school, or in general.  I think that now I treasure the mornings I had with my dad more than ever becasye of the drastic change in the way that people eat.  

I've decided to attach a simple recipe to my blog this week.  I think that this is a recipe that can be easily utulized by families with children (and it makes for great leftovers!).  Pizza delivery cars go by my house more than people walk by...while this is an unfortunate observation, I think that we can take this pizza revolution and make something healthy and wholesome out of it!

Pizza on the go is a fun and easy recipe that won't take too much time, but is sure to make a lot of memories.  I make this recipe with my roomates all the time because we can bring them to class and eat them on our way out the door.

Have you ever seen the lunchable pizza packs?  Well, this is a healthy alternative to those with all the fun and WAY more nutrition.

I recommend making a bunch of personal sized pizza crusts with the recipe below!

Ingredients

·         1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast

·         1 teaspoon white sugar

·         1 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)

·         2 1/2 cups bread flour

·         2 tablespoons olive oil

·         1 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). In a medium bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
2. Stir in flour, salt and oil. Beat until smooth. Let rest for 5 minutes.
3. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and pat or roll into a round. Transfer crust to a lightly greased pizza pan or baker's peel dusted with cornmeal. Spread with desired toppings and bake in preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Let baked pizza cool for 5 minutes before serving.

The only difference is that I don't put the toppings on until later...it's up to you, but I think that it's more fun to put my pizza together and then eat it!

Now, the sauce is a bit more tricky than the crust, but it only takes you 45 minutes and you can freeze whatever you don't think you'll use!  This is the recipe I use

Ingredients

·         2 (14.5 ounce) cans stewed tomatoes

·         1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste

·         4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

·         1 clove garlic, minced

·         1 teaspoon dried oregano

·         1 teaspoon salt

·         1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

·         6 tablespoons olive oil

·         1/3 cup finely diced onion

·         1/2 cup white wine

Directions

1. In a food processor place Italian tomatoes, tomato paste, chopped parsley, minced garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper. Blend until smooth.
2. In a large skillet over medium heat sauté the finely chopped onion in olive oil for 2 minutes. Add the blended tomato sauce and white wine.
3. Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

So this sauce recipe is super delicious!  The last step of this wonderful take on make your own pizza is just to refrigerate everything.  The next day I put all of my ingredients in separate Tupperware containers and then I put the pizza together right before I eat it.  This recipe is fun for kids and adults.  It's super easy and healthy.  It's a great alternative to the greasy, processed pizza that children are fed at school.  Pack some veggies in a container and they can be put right on top of the pizza.  

Works Cited

 Delistraty, C. (2014, July 18). The Importance of Eating Together. Retrieved November 13, 2015, from http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/07/the-importance-of-eating-together/374256/

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/11966/best-marinara-sauce-yet/print/

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/20171/quick-and-easy-pizza-crust/print/

Peach Dumplings

Jessie Melincoff 

In our modern time, the process of cooking has become simplified and standardized so that it is possible for us to cook easy and fast meals to keep up with our busy schedules. We see this trend very apparent through the “Mcdonaldization” of our Western foodways. Food and cooking has become something our previous generations would be horrified by. 

Every week, I go to Trader Joes to do my grocery shopping. Trader Joes is my favorite store because of how simple they have made cooking. As a college student with little time and money, I am able to buy a weeks worth of groceries at an affordable price, but also buy things that are pre-made, frozen, and simple to cook. I can buy pre-made lasagna or pulled pork without ever having to buy the individual ingredients to make it or have the skills to cook from an intricate recipe. 

Older generations, like my grandparents, cooked with kitchen skills they acquired from their parents and grandparents. They used recipes passed down through their family and cooked and baked as a social event. Home cooked meals made from scratch was part of who women were at the time. Cooking was something that held social meaning, where cookbooks, recipes, kitchen tools, and knowledge were passed down through generations. Women had to be able to cook from scratch because they did not have the ability to stop at the store and pick up a pre-made lasagna with meat sauce. 

Sutton calls into question, “loss of tradition, which is, in fact, loss of particular skills, as a necessary part of becoming the modern, individualistic Americans that his family members aspired to be” (Counihan, 299). I too, see this happening in my own cooking and kitchen skills. My mother, who makes amazing meals, has tried to teach me all my life how to cook. I never expressed interest in learning from her until I got to college and began cooking for myself. I have regretted, ever since, that I did not pay more attention when I lived at home. The knowledge and skills she learned from her mom, that my grandmother learned from her mom, will disappear if I do not learn them and continue to pass them along. 

As I have begun to recognize this issue, I’ve also understood the importance of family recipes. Food is such an important aspect of our lives, and can evoke important memories and periods of time throughout our lives with the single taste or smell of something familiar. “Preserving family recipes allows us to access these emotions any time we choose, whether it’s a holiday or a simple occasion we want to make special” (food editorial). 

A recipe that has been passed along through the women in my family for many generations is one to make peach dumplings. My great grandmother used to come in from the city to make peach dumplings with my grandmother every weekend. When my mom was younger, her and my grandmother would make peach dumplings together. Finally, my mom used to make them for me when I was younger. They have become something cherished in my family that we all love. It is exciting and brings up memories and stories when we eat them together. This is a perfect reminder for me of how female generations have passed along recipes and cooking knowledge and why it is important to preserve them.

Peach Dumpling Recipe

Preheat oven to 375

Dough Ingredients:

1 small box of Bisquick

3 eggs

3 tablespoons of sugar

Cinnamon and nutmeg 

1/2 cup of milk

White Sauce Ingredients:

1/2 gallon of milk

1/2 cup of sugar

1/2 teaspoon of lemon extract

1/2 teaspoon of vanilla

1/8 teaspoon of salt

8 tablespoons of corn starch 

1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg

Directions:

Sprinkle peaches with cinnamon, sugar, and a pat of butter

Wrap peaches in the dough

Bake for 30-35 minutes, uncovered 

While peaches are baking, prepare the white sauce

Add all ingredients, except milk and corn starch, to a heavy bottom sauce pan

Mix remaining milk and corn starch together and then add to the above ingredients 

Over medium heat, continue to stir until thick

Drizzle sauce over dumplings prior to serving

http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/apple-dumplings/6907c45f-62d0-4bc7-a958-25d8c6013f2e

Sources

Counihan, Carole. "Cooking Skills, The Senses, and Memory: The Fate of Practical Knowledge" Food and Culture: A Reader. 3rd ed. New York: Routledge, 1997. Print.

"The Power of Food and the Importance of Family Recipes." The Power of Food and the Importance of Family Recipes. Web. 13 Nov. 2015.

Maple Madness

By Patrick Buono

Vermont, to many, is essentially synonymous with maple syrup and maple products. Vermont's production of maple syrup consistently tops all other states, producing a whopping 1,350,000 gallons in 2014 (http://www.nass.usda.gov). That is certainly A LOT of syrup. You'll find many people across the USA (including myself) who insist on having "the real stuff" when eating pancakes, waffles, oatmeal, etc. Besides being a massive economic driver for the state, maple syrup and maple products each create a sense of group identity among Vermonters. Although much of my previous posts has been devoted to finding identity through food on a more individual level, regional identity cannot be overlooked when considering cultural groups and local cuisines.

dakinfarm.com

As a Burlington resident, it's impossible to ignore the multitude of maple products that we have around our small city. We've got maple syrup, maple donuts, smoked maple lattes, maple glazed meats; the list goes on and on. People love it here, and people truly identify with it as a part of their culture. Many of these specialty maple products don't exist in regions far from New England and Canada. Sure, one can buy real maple syrup in many places across the globe (thanks to the ever-efficient global food systems addressed in my previous post), but maple's existence at the forefront of culinary experiences in Vermont is unmatched.

Below you'll find a recipe for Maple and Mustard Roasted Root Vegetables, a seasonally appropriate and perfect Thanksgiving dish.

From http://vermontmaple.org/maple-recipes/maple-and-mustard-roasted-root-vegetables/

Recipe by Jolinda Hackett, vegetarian food expert at vegetarian.about.com

Yields 6 servings.
 

vermontmaple.org

1/4 cup maple syrup
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 cup coarsely chopped onion or 20 pearl onions, peeled
5 cups coarsely chopped or sliced veggies of your choice; turnips, parsnips, rutabaga, carrot, potato, yams, beets and/or golden beets.


Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Toss veggies and onions with the olive oil, salt and pepper on a baking pan. Roast in oven for 20 minutes, then remove and re-toss on baking sheet. Cook 15 minutes more. Toss again. Cook another 15 min. Combine maple syrup, Dijon mustard and garlic powder in a small bowl. Drizzle the maple mixture over potatoes and veggies and mix to coat well. Cook again until veggies (beets and potatoes will take the longest) are soft and glaze starts to caramelize and brown a bit.

Serve and enjoy!

I have yet to try this recipe, but I've got a yam, parsnips, carrots and some potatoes ready for cooking. I can't imagine that it's anything other than delicious. 

 I think that the fact that so many people associate Vermont with maple products and simultaneously being the nation's leader in syrup production is telling of the relevance in questions of identity. Countless Vermonters make their living in syrup production, where people's very existence is intertwined with maple trees and their valuable sap. Questions of authenticity also come in to play- in the public eye, maple syrups from other states don't quite stack up when compared to "Pure Vermont Maple Syrup", and many people are fascinatingly loyal to Vermont maple. All in all, Maple Syrup is a part of the culture here in Vermont, and Vermonters wouldn't have it any other way.



Works Cited

Hackett, Jolinda. "Vermont Maple Sugar Makers Association." Vermont Maple Sugar Makers Association RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Nov. 2015. 
  
"USDA/NASS 2014 State Agriculture Overview for Vermont." USDA/NASS 2014 State Agriculture Overview for Vermont. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Nov. 2015.

Does Free Lunch Come at a Price?

                Free lunch programs have been implemented in schools across the country.  At the surface, a free lunch system for students may seem like an incredible solution for students coming from homes that cannot afford to pack a nutritional lunch for their children.  It may all seem too good to be true, that's because in most cases it is. Students who are receiving these free school lunches can face the social stigma of being the "poor kid".  Along with stigmatization, students are not having their nutritional needs met by these lunches in comparison to their classmates who are bringing lunch from home. 

                Free lunch does not exactly mean free lunch anymore.  When we hear about the percentage of students who receive free lunch we do not think about the positive aspect of children eating in the middle of the day, we think of the socioeconomic status of that school or district.  Students who receive free lunch at school have become nothing more than a statistic.  Every student who receives a free lunch has a marker on his or her back declaring that he or she is coming from a low income home.  Bruce Baker, an education researcher at Rutgers University tracks education data and made the statement that "people should recognize that free and reduced-price lunch is a helpful, but limited, metric. "It ain't great, but it's what we've got, and it is predictive of what we want to know about student outcomes." 

            Students are labeled all the time.  When it comes to academic status, social status, and economic status, children bear the burden of carrying baggage that they may not have created for themselves.  Children are reduced to the scrutiny of their peers and educators and they are not ignorant to the judgement placed upon them by society.

            Now I would like to discuss the kinds of foods that lunch programs are feeding to their free lunch students.  It is clear to students that they are all different.  Some identify themselves with the lunch packed with love by parents and others identify with having no choice in the unhealthy and unsatisfying school lunch that they receive.  Below, I've posted a video created by students who are declaring that THEY ARE HUNGRY!  The school lunches that they are receiving do not meet their dietary needs and they are more than aware of that fact.

            Through personal experience I have seen student get the short end of the stick over and over again.  While student teaching in a refugee community I realized that most of the refugee students were not eating at lunch.  Their families did not have the money to send them to school with prepared lunches, but the free lunches these students were receiving were unfamiliar and in most cases gross to them.  I asked some of the refugee students from Nepal why they were not eating their cheeseburgers and through broken English they told me that they have never seen it before, they were not sure if their parents would approve, and they were disgusted by the appearance and smell.  These students were not only being ostracized by their peers due to misunderstanding in language and social cues, but because they were not eating a "normal" American favorite.  

Works Cited:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IB7NDUSBOo

Huntsberry, W. (n.d.). True Or False? Free And Reduced-Price Lunch = Poor. from http://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2015/01/30/379330001/true-or-false-free-and-reduced-price-lunch-poor

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/