I started this blog as a way to share my journey to discover, in better detail and a more articulate way, the importance of food culture. So far, I have learned that there are tons of equally important avenues that, when they are all considered as a conglomeration, make up this concept of food culture. It is overwhelming to think about food culture as a whole so I have begun to research the avenues separately in an effort to better understand each aspect. One of the most important pieces to remember about food culture is that there are hundreds of different food cultures around the world. So, this concept can be taken from a personal perspective in which one dictates their own food culture, but, more commonly, it is taken as a reflection of certain cultural and ancestral traditions that revolve around food and that originate from a certain region of the world.
I think the best place to start is by explaining where my passion for food comes from. See, I grew up on an organic vegetable farm so, from the beginning, I had an intimate relationship with my food. I planted the seeds, weeded around the plants, harvested the fruit, and consumed the produce. Along with this experience, my parents also helped foster a sense of respect for our food. We ate proper portion sizes during our meals which took place at about the same time each day. My mom emphasized the importance of eating a balanced diet with good proportions of each protein, vegetable and starch and my dad always enjoyed discussing where the food on our plates came from whether it be our farm, another local farm, or the supermarket.
My relationship with food is one of those things you don’t realize until someone points it out or you are put into a situation where you have a bit of a personal revelation. My revelation was when I started college because I finally left my comfort zone and entered a diverse environment. I quickly began to notice how differently people ate. I know that sounds strange but, for example, some people over-ate while others only consumed an average of 1.5 meals a day. Some people felt no guilt in choosing to chow down on a donut for breakfast while others picked very particular items that, if you read any recent media post, were declared amazing super-foods. One overarching trend throughout this was no one had a good reason for making the choices that they did. Either the media told them it was healthy or they liked to eat whatever tastes good or they didn’t have the time in their day to actually think about their meals so whatever was there was good enough. This lack of an appreciation, and the failure to question their food, is what sparked my curiosity. If you look at the American population, more than 30% of us are obese (and yes I know that obesity may not be the best gauge of our population’s health but just for the sake of this argument) and 1 in every 4 people die from cardiovascular disease, both of which are diet related diseases. Then you can consider how massive our food production system is and the fact that the industrialization of food has caused a gap between farmer and consumer. Now look at the socioeconomic discrepancies in our country and the correlation between low socioeconomic status, poor diet, little access to fresh food, and high rates of diet related health problems. These trends spell out the disparities in America. With no culturally unifying food culture for the entire country, there is little connection between person and food. So for some, this means food has become a comfortable routine and for others, it is a resource for which they fight everyday.
Our society could benefit from a renewed understanding of food and its presence in everyday life. Food lessons, if you will. And when I write society, i’m not just referring to the citizens of America but also to our government and our regulatory agencies because there are plenty of people in America who live in areas that desperately need improved food policies in order to benefit from a heightened understanding of their eating options. Due to an industrialized system, some have poor access to food and no choice of what they eat while others can choose from any food product in the world. This unbalance causes health problems on both sides. Food culture becomes relevant again when we think of it as a subset of society. Everyone has a right to real, natural, unprocessed food which means food deserts are a governmental problem. Food policy is an up and coming field as people realize that America has a surplus of food and still diet related diseases and malnutrition plague our cities.
As for the culture aspect of food, for those who have access to fresh foods in supermarkets, and can actively afford to shop there, be mindful of that which you put in your body. Think about how shopping local for a food product can not only benefit you but also the family you are purchasing it from. Consider how hard it is for some families to even reach a grocery store to buy fresh ingredients. Think about how much time you dedicate during your day to prepare and eat food. Also reflect on the quality of that food, was it processed? Or was it composed of raw, pure ingredients? Remember how many times you have given food as a gift to someone you care about or the last time you bonded with someone over a meal. Food is everywhere in our daily lives.
Look for future posts about all these different aspects of food culture, including a spotlight on the renowned gastronomy traditions of France.
Simply Food 