Culture of Food

During the 1960’s, food became a form of youth culture and resistance. People begin moving away from the typical meat-and-potatoes dinner to more natural and organic foods. This is apparent when Belasco explains how upset he could make his roommates by “leaving the meat out of the lasagna, injecting the roast beef with red dye, or serving octopus instead of tuna salad.” He then continues by adding, “In 1970, my wife and I met our first macrobiotic, who seemed irritatingly self-righteous and mystical; but soon we too turned vegetarian and came to appreciate the provocative power of refusing steak at the family dinner table” (Belasco). In the Ruth Reichl book, she explains how she simply wanted that sense of belonging and how food became a part of her culture. She wanted to be a good cook in order to gain social acceptance. She wanted a niche, but she already had a humorous friend and a beautiful friend, so cooking was her only other option. Belasco then shows how the culture of food had changed worldwide. He explains that “eating is more than just a private, physiological act; it connects us to people and places all over the world – past, present, and future” (Belasco). Ruth also experiences a similar adjustment in culture due to food. Ruth initially shows some resistance when she refuses to go to France because she just wanted to be normal and work at Dairy Queen. However, she eventually agrees to move to France and upon arrival, she notices how her outlook on food has changed. She has begun seeking out new foods and ingredients to incorporate into her diet and cooking. Food became a part of her culture. Another common occurrence during this time period is the sense of temptation and the act of over indulging. Teenagers are always dealing with this sense of temptation and over indulgence. One example that Ruth refers to is devil’s food cake, which is very tempting and people tend to over indulge when eating it. Devil’s food cake embodies the culture of the time period.

"Out of the Kitchen, Onto the Couch"

American’s are becoming increasingly fascinated with cooking shows, while cooking in the home is on the decline. Michael Pollan, the author of the article “Out of the Kitchen, Onto the Couch,” argues that “it has been easier for us to give up cooking than it has been to give up watching it.” He continues to make his point by adding that “watching other people cook is not exactly a new behavior for us humans. Most of us have happy memories of watching our mothers cooking in the kitchen.” The typical American has nearly eliminated cooking in their everyday life; according to Pollan, “the average American spends a mere 27 minutes a day on food preparation and another 4 minutes cleaning up. This suggests that a great many Americans are spending considerably more time watching images of cooking on television than they are cooking themselves.” This is occurring in virtually all American households so much so that the definition of “cooking” had to be adjusted. Harry Balzer of the NPD Group “noticed that the definition of cooking held by his respondents had grown so broad as to be meaningless, so the firm tightened up the meaning. To cook means to prepare a main dish that requires some degree of ‘assembly of elements.’ Microwaving a pizza doesn’t count as cooking, but washing a head of lettuce and pouring bottled dressing over it does” (Pollan). The shift in American culture has been attributed to our fascination with cooking shows. This is due in large part to Erica Gruen, the cable executive often credited with putting the Food Network on the map. It was her understanding that “people don’t watch television to learn things. So she shifted the network’s target audience form people who love to cook to people who love to eat” (Pollan). Many of today’s cooking shows also utilize ingredients which contain a combination of other ingredients. Pollan claims that “canned soups, jarred mayonnaise, frozen vegetables, powdered sauces, vanilla wafers, limeade concentrate, and Marshmallow Fluff” are all “ingredients” used in many of today’s cooking shows. Many ads on the Food Network also shy away from cooking in the home. These “food-related ads hardly ever hawk kitchen appliances or ingredients.” They tend to “push the usual supermarket cart of edible foodlike substances, including Manwich sloppy joe in a can, Special K protein shakes and Ore-Ida frozen French fries, along with fast-casual eateries like Olive Garden and Red Lobster” (Pollan). They advertise cooking with already assembled products that you only have to heat or mix. These shows and advertisements provide us with more satisfaction than the actual task of cooking. It is easy to see why this fascination with cooking shows is driving Americans out of the kitchen.

References:

Pollan, Michael. "Out of the Kitchen, Onto the Couch." New York Times. 2 Aug 2009: MM26. Web. 13 Nov. 2012. <http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/02/magazine/02cooking-t.html>.

TRECHAS Chile Powder

TRECHAS is a company that produces a delicious chile powder that can be used on many types of food. The company was initially founded “thirty years ago, when TRECHAS began with the commercialization of fresh fruits like papayas and bananas. One of the owners was taking charge of gathering the fruit in the fields of Chiapas, Mexico, while the other was selling it at super markets in the United States.” The company then began to make a chile powder that could be eaten with these fruit as a supplemental flavor. The company proudly claims that “TRECHAS is a 100% Mexican food, since all our products are selected by the ingredients of the highest quality that only Mexico can offer. Every presentation gives you a Mexican flavor, offering products that undoubtedly give an incomparable touch to your meals, with a ripeness especially for you (trechas.com).” It is obvious to me that the Mexican community takes tremendous pride in producing and consuming TRECHAS chile powder.

Many people are involved in the production of TRECHAS chile powder. TRECHAS is a Mexican company that produces several varieties of seasonings and salsas. There most popular product is a tangy, spicy fruit seasoning powder consisting of chile peppers, salt and lime juice. The ingredients for this powder are grown and cultivated in Mexico.  The company takes pride in the “dedication that we give for having cultivated the fruits and chilis that we use.” They also show a great deal of “care in giving ingredients in our plants (trechas.com).” The chile powder must then be transported to supermarkets across Mexico and the United States.  TRECHAS chile powder is available in most supermarkets and is commonly used as a condiment on the tables of many Mexican restaurants (Wikipedia.org).

The TRECHAS chile powder gave me a sense of belonging to the guys I work with. I have always fought for acceptance into their way of life and culture, but had been unsuccessful. They are all great guys, but it was extremely difficult for me to relate to them because they do not share the same work schedule or outlook on life as me. This TRECHAS chile powder provided me a way to relate to their culture and community. TRECHAS chile powder has a great deal of meaning to other people as well, especially people of Spanish heritage living in Mexico and the United States. “In the current times, the name TRECHAS is associated with everything from toppings for fruit, marinades, and even margaritas. TRECHAS keeps on expanding with new recipes and products to touch the palate (trechas.com).”

*It should be noted that the TRECHAS website is written in Spanish, so I was unable to read it as my Spanish is relatively bad. However, the information from the website was translated into English with the help of an online translation website because this information provided great insight. Some of my translation may still be slightly off.

References:

http://www.trechas.com/

http://translation2.paralink.com/Spanish-English-Translation/

http://www.wikipedia.org/

Sense of Belonging

While working at H-E-B, I have encountered numerous people with different backgrounds and culture.  I have noticed that each person has different tastes in foods and it is typically related to their upbringing. I have come to associate their culture with the types of food they eat. The food choices that we make on a daily basis are used as a means of belonging to a particular society, culture, or community.

I had the opportunity to experience this sense of belonging while working at H-E-B. A typical day at work for me includes stocking shelves and working through the stuff that the overnight guys were unable to put on the shelf the previous night. So, as time passed, I began to form a relationship with the guys that consistently worked overnight. I also noticed that a majority of them were of Mexican decent and were not exactly accustomed to the lifestyle that people on the north side of San Antonio are used to living. I was also not accustomed to the lifestyle in which they lived either. When they would come to work, they brought their heritage and choices in food along with them. When on the job, I tend to try to eat cheap, as I do not like to spend an excessive amount of money on food. One common food choice of mine is the fruit that the produce guys mark down. They will reduce the price on containers of fruit that are going to expire the next day in order to sell through the old stuff and make room for the new. So, I can generally get a $4.99 container of fruit for 99¢. This is a savings of 80% and I am all about saving money. One evening, I found some pineapple that our produce department had already marked down. I was getting hungry and was about to take a break, so I decided to purchase a container of pineapple. However, these containers are relatively large and I knew it was going to be too much for me to eat. So, I convinced my friend, who has worked overnight for about 4 years, to sit down and share some pineapple with me. He reluctantly agreed and I went to purchase the container of pineapple. Meanwhile, he went and picked out some chile powder that is used on many citrus fruits and vegetables as a complementary flavor. H-E-B carries a brand of chile powder for fruits and vegetables called Trechas. We smothered our pineapple in this chile powder and devoured the whole container in less than 15 minutes. I found this new “topping” to be absolutely delicious and I have continued to use is on my fruits ever since.

The Trechas chile powder gave me a sense of belonging to the “overnight” community. I have always fought for acceptance into their way of life and culture, but had been unsuccessful. They are all great guys, but it was extremely difficult for me to relate to them because they do not share the same work schedule or outlook on life as me. This Trechas chile powder provided me a way to relate to their culture and community.

Food Aversion

One dish that really disgusts me is liver. My opinion on liver may be slightly skewed from my childhood memories. I vividly remember my dad telling me stories about his grandmother and how she used to make him eat liver every time he would visit. She would serve liver and give him the ultimatum; if you do not eat your dinner then you will just have to go to bed hungry. She pretty much required him to eat his liver dinner. My dad, however, could not stand eating it though, so he would excuse himself from the table and go spit it out in the toilet. Eventually, the toilet got clogged up and his grandfather would have to unclog it. He would tell me dad’s grandmother to stop feeding him liver because he cannot stand it. My dad’s stories affected my opinion of liver.

I can honestly say that I have never actually tasted liver and do not plan on trying it anytime soon. I can only imagine what it would taste like. However, I do not think that it would actually taste that bad. It seems to me that it would be similar to many other cuts of meat. Plus, I love to eat sausage and the casing used to form the shape of the sausage link in typically made from either pig or sheep intestines, so I do have an appreciation for food that may be labeled as disgusting; just not liver!

The smell of liver while it is being cooked is absolutely horrendous though. The smell is simply indescribable and cannot be related to anything you have ever smelled before. We typically butcher our own cows for beef as it cheaper than buying it at the grocery store. When the butcher shop returns the meat to you, they normally ask about stuff that people do not typically want, like the brain, tongue, and liver. My mom is not a very wasteful person so she generally accepts these cuts of meat. Then in the winter, when it gets really cold, she will barbeque this meat and give it to my dogs so they have a warm meal to eat. My dogs will generally eat anything and are always grateful for the meal, but I cannot stand the smell.

Liver just looks like any other piece of raw meat and does not initially produce a horrific odor. Once you begin cooking it though, you realize that it is no ordinary cut of meat. Liver seems to dry out really quick as it is cooked. I am not exactly sure why liver dries out quicker the other cuts of meat like steaks. Perhaps it is the thickness of the meat because liver does tend to be significantly thinner. Some other senses that could have been incorporated with my disgust for liver are sound and touch. I have never associated any sounds with the cooking of liver, nor have I ever touched as piece of liver because I do find it disgusting.

“Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies”

Diamond claims that countries with wealth and power have historically dominated other inferior countries over the course of time. Diamond points out European countries and their ability to thrive agriculturally, technologically, and financially has allowed them to accumulate great riches. Europeans were also able to domesticate crops and animals at an early stage in their countries development, essentially sustaining their ability to accumulate wealth. This allowed them to replace the hunter-gatherer way of life with a more agricultural lifestyle. Many plants and animals are typically associated with this transition between the nomadic and agricultural lifestyle. Some plants which would typically improve the quality of life include: barley and wheat. These grains are an excellent source of fiber and nutrients. They can easily be sown by hand and require little attention from farmers. Grains can also be stored for extended periods of time. Many animals also contributed to the economic success of the Europeans. Sheep where domesticated for their wool, which was in turn, used to make clothing. Cattle and goats normally produce milk, which is high in protein and can be used to produce other dairy products like cheese. Chickens produced protein rich eggs, which also assisted people geographically. In comparison to other African nations of the time, zebras and loins are difficult animals to domesticate. Plants and animals were used to support people of geographically “lucky” regions. Some animals were used for transportation purposes between countries. Horses, donkeys, and camels were typically used for transportation amongst countries. The interaction between people of different countries led to a flow of goods and information. Many European countries greatly benefited from the exchange of ideas, which led to the development of various technologies. These countries accumulated great riches from the flow of goods. For example, a European country could easily trade a chicken to an African nation in exchange for a diamond. Or perhaps they could trade a camel to a Middle Eastern country in exchange for gold. We also see the trade of goods with Southeastern Asian countries in exchange for spices, which could be used in the homes to prepare food or sold in local marketplaces. The Europeans ability to trade with various countries is the main reason they were able to flourish financially in accumulating great riches, whereas some African nations remained historically poor. 

I agree with Jared Diamond in that geography is the main factor in which counties become rich and powerful through the development of technology; however, I only agree with him to a certain extent. I believe that you do need a suitable geographic location to initially become rich and powerful. If you are doomed to fail from the start, then there is no way you will succeed. Once your country becomes rich and powerful, it becomes the duty of the citizens to continue to develop new technologies and learn to adapt to their surroundings. They must continue to flourish and prosper in order to accumulate such riches and power.

References:
Jared Diamond, “Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies”

Food Deserts

In a time of abundance, some Americans are experiencing hunger and/or nutritional problems. These problems have been linked primarily to food deserts. Food deserts can lead to hunger by making it difficult for people to access grocery stores, physically and financially. Food deserts can also lead to nutritional problems as experts see a rise in the amount of food being consumed at fast food restaurants.

The availability of grocery stores and the inability to access them for various reasons has caused food deserts to appear across America. A food desert refers to an area with minimal access to foods needed to maintain healthy diet. However, fast food restaurants are typically prominent in these districts. What is creating these food deserts? There are multiple reasons for these food deserts. One is the actual physical access to grocery stores. Some people do not have means of transportation to grocery stores that are further away than desired. Some people only have access to public transportation and do not feel comfortable taking their groceries on the bus, subway, or in a taxi. On a more personal note, I had a good friend back in my hometown who I worked with at a local grocery store. He had no means of transportation and he found it difficult to purchase groceries and carry them home. He experienced nutrition problems to say the least. Food deserts cannot only be created by physical access, but by financial access as well. Government assistance programs are designed to help low income families, but they have limited funds. Many grocery stores are located in places where the most money can be made. This concept often limits lower income families to a few possible supermarkets. This drives people to consume food from other sources such as fast food restaurants and small convenient stores. Food deserts then arise in areas like this and contribute greatly to nutritional problems. Americans have seen a spike in fast food consumption. These meals are typically unhealthy and lacking significant nutrition, as I have experienced firsthand by tracking my food consumption with the help of a food journal. The existence of these food deserts has greatly contributed to the hunger and nutritional problems in America’s time of abundance (from lecture slides).

Another possible source of hunger and nutritional problems can be seen on college campuses across America. Most students have no voice in what food is served at their university. Many college campuses offer minimal healthy alternatives to students. Students are making unhealthy food choices, which leads to nutritional problems. Many students also have little financial access to more nutritional foods. For example, consider the price of a watermelon compared to the price of a package of ramen noodles. The choice of many college students are the ramen noodles because they are cheaper and fit into the budget well. These unhealthy decisions lead to nutritional problems especially among college students (from Cafeteria Consciousness).

Food Crisis - Sources and Solutions

Countries around the world are experiencing what experts are referring to as a food crisis. Many of these countries are home to some of the poorest people in the world. What is causing this food crisis? Is it as simple as rising food costs, or is there a deeper, underlying cause to the food crisis? And what is being done to assist those in need? Some countries are using a combination of solutions to help the hungry.

The Asia and Pacific region has the largest number of hungry people with 642 million, according to the “What is the right to food?” article. This number seems extremely high compared to other regions around the world. However, take into consideration the amount of people living in this area of the world. The food crisis in the Asia and Pacific region could be due to overpopulation. Consider where this number of people would live. Major cities must continue to expand in order to accommodate a growing population. These cities may be expanding into the rural farming areas, essentially cutting off their own food production. Food must then be imported to in order to meet the growing demand. This could also lead to higher food costs at markets, making it more difficult for low income families to purchase food. However, not much is being done to reduce the effects of the food crisis in this area of the world.

Another area being devastated by the food crisis is Sub-Saharan Africa. According to the “What is the right to food?” article, some 264 million people living in this region are hungry. One major cause of the food crisis in this region of the world is drought. These droughts have caused great turmoil as countries battle for valuable resources. The food crisis in this region could also be attributed to war. During times of war, many products, such as food, are rationed in order to conserve goods for the troops. With food in short supply due to the drought, the war puts a lot of strain on the food production. A short term solution in Malawi has temporarily suppressed the food crisis. Malawi has begun investing in chemical fertilizers to supplement grain growth. The government in Malawi is currently “re-evaluating the program and exploring other options, like using agroforestry to reduce dependency on agrofertilizers. One program the country is exploring is incentives for farmers to plant acacia trees that capture nitrogen from the atmosphere to fertilize the soils” (Who says food is a human right?).

Brazil is one of the few countries that has taken tremendous steps in reducing the number of hungry people. Brazil has instituted policies to increase access to food “by developing farmers’ markets, community kitchens, programs to prepare food for the very poor and other initiatives, a new localized food system was rebuilt from the bottom up in ways that later became a source of inspiration for social programs across Brazil” (Who says food is a human right?).

"Global Food Crisis"

Many experts in today's society claim to have identified a potential "global food crisis." Three major sources of this current crisis include: rising food costs, unusual weather patterns, and Americas inability to assist other nations.

Rising food costs have been a major factor in the current food crisis. A few products which have recently increased in price include: wheat, corn, rice, and many others. The rising cost has affected the global community more than we think. In the words of Lester Brown, "The New Geopolitics of Food," Americans may see only a small "difference between a $2 loaf of bread and a loaf costing maybe $2.10." Whereas, in Jakarta, when the "world price of rice doubles, so does the price of rice in your neighborhood market." There is clearly an unequal distribution globally in rising food costs. Perhaps the people in most need of this minimally increasing food costs would be some of the planet's poorest 2 billion people. According to Brown, "50 to 70 percent of their income" is spent on food. It seems outrageous that some people are struggling to provide their families with two meals a day, while we see the increase in prices at the supermarket as an "annoyance." Two reasons for the rising food costs are attributed to a greater population and more of a demand for food. Rising food costs are a major factor in the global food crisis.

Another major source of the "global food crisis" could be the inability of the United States to assist other nations in their time of need. In 1965, "President Lyndon Johnson's administration shipped one-fifth of the U.S. wheat crop to India," essentially preventing famine. The U.S. no longer assists other nations in this manner mostly because our "safety cushion is gone." Lots of our grains are used to feed animals such as: cows and horses. In the past 5 years, there has also been an increase in the production of ethanol, which is a corn product used as fuel. Many of our farmlands are not used to help produce food for consumption, but rather produce food for alternate purposes. This contributes greatly to our inability to help other nations through this "global food crisis."

A third major factor in the "global food crisis" is the unusual weather patterns seen throughout the world. Brown believes that"a monsoon failure in India, a drought in the former Soviet Union, a heat wave in the U.S. Midwest" have all contributed to a food shortage. Frank Newport of the Gallup believes the food crisis can be seen in our own backyard. He claims that 25 percent of people living in Mississippi have struggled to buy food for their families at least once in the past 12 months. I believe this could be traced back to an unusual weather pattern experienced by residents of Mississippi in 2005, Hurricane Katrina. Global warming is another unusual weather pattern contributing to the "global food crisis." Farmlands are drying out quicker, so there has been a rise in over pumping for irrigation purposes. This in turn depletes the water resources, and eventually, all grains will be imported into the country. According to Brown, this process is currently being seen in Saudi Arabia. One other weather pattern contributing to the "global food crisis" is the formation of new deserts where once fertile farmlands were located. This process is taking place in the northern regions of China at an astonishing rate. Some reports claim that nearly "1,400 square miles of land in northern China turn to desert" each year. This is a major reason why unusual weather patterns are a source of the "global food crisis."