Culture is represented by language, fashion, music and food. These key characteristics create a community and self-identity all around the world. Cultural food from many different countries can found almost anywhere there is a market for it. Atkins and Bowler (2001) discuss the misrepresentation of cultural food origin and food labelling. They also mention the false link and labels that allow the traceability of foods to the site of production but also origin (p.277). In terms of food and society Kuttianen (2015) states ‘Taste is culturally constructed, also an expression of our identity’. As mentioned before, cultural food represents culture but the place of origin of a specific taste or food can be labelled elsewhere. For example ‘Brazilian coffee’ can be grown in several different countries but remains as ‘Brazilian coffee’ regardless of the community it comes from. This misrepresentation of a culture based on an origin naming or tastes that doesn’t represent the true authenticity of the culture. Asian take-away is another example, where business owners can ‘westernise’ the menu and tastes of food in order for business to strive. Another misrepresentation of culture through food is from the first Diasporas, migrations or colonization. Culture and food was spread all around the world but with time changing but is almost unnoticeable unless you travel and experience the food in the country of origin.
 |
| https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Chinese_cuisine |
Labeling is a major issue in the cultural identity also for instance “If a business claim goods are 'made in' or 'manufactured in' a particular country: 50% or more of the total production or manufacturing costs of the goods must be incurred in that country. These products could contain ingredients from other countries. A product with 'Made in Australia' label won't necessarily contain Australian ingredients” (The Department of Justice, 2014). This creates a false representation of the product and may in fact deny the country of origin recognition.
Reference:
Atkins, P., & Bowler, I. (2001). The origins of taste. In food in society: Economy, culture, geography (pp. 272-295). New York, NY: Oxford University Press Inc.
The espresso guy. (2015). Espresso guy. Retrieved from http://www.espressoguy.com/coffee_beans/buying_coffee_beans
Kuttainen, V. (2015). BA1002: Our space: Networks, narratives, and the making of place, lecture 8: Food networks. [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from http://learnjcu.jcu.edu.au
The Department of Justice. (2014) Australian Consumer Law. Retrieved from http://www.consumer.tas.gov.au/fair_trading/country_of_origin
Image:
American Chinese Cuisine .(2015). In Wikipedia. [Image]. Retrieved Septemebr 18, 2015, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Chinese_cuisine
It would be interesting to explore the implications that social media websites, like Facebook, have within the process of food labelling. Facebook, and many other social networking sites like Tumblr, Twitter and Instagram, has become a platform for people to share their meals with everyone, home cooked, store bought or restaurant meals; you simply take a picture and upload it to Facebook with a caption telling people where you're eating it, who you are with and what the meal is called. Through this process these cultural foods are being separated from their traditions, or countries of origins and becoming another basic food that people take for granted. It could be argued that this process effects how people find their sense of identity through food, as Atkins & Bowler (2001, pp. 273) explain, "one factor in the origin and persistence of food ways is that they often represent an important expression of our identity..."
ReplyDeleteReference:
Atkins, P. & Bowler, I. (2001). Food in society: Economy, culture, geography. New York, United Sates of America: Oxford University Press Inc