This week in class we discussed the differences among cultures when it comes to food. Differences in food does not only mean what food is eaten or not; differences among food is possibly countless. There will be differences on how the food is prepped, how the food is eaten, when the food is eaten, where the food is eaten (i.e. the floor versus the table), and the behaviors that are customary during the consumption of the food. As many people in class discussed his or her first encounter with cultural differences in food, I noticed that many people (including myself) mainly compared and contrasted different cultures that are outside of the United States. For example I remember differences comparing my norms with my best friend from Fiji and another girl in my group discussed the time when a foreign exchange student from Japan lived with her and her family. Moreover, when I was thinking about what to write in my blog, I kept trying to remember a time in my life when I was exposed to another culture or thinking of movies when culture conflicts between people from different countries. Although it sounds very obvious when I say it, but people do need to remember that there are cultural differences right next door to you. I find that when a person says “culture” or “culture clashes” many times people think of cultures so different that the cultures must originate on opposite continents, which is clearly not the case. This is important for a person to keep in mind because one should always be aware that a variety of cultures can be found anywhere and in any form. For example, when watching the “Travel Channel” not long ago I came across a show that compares and contrasts the same type of food but how it is prepared and eaten. This one episode looks at different regions of the United States and how each place cooks, prepares, and eats a hot dog. After listening to people being interviewed, there seems to be a competition about which hot dog is the best, but there is still an overall belief that the hot dog is an American icon. Which brings me to ask why it is an American icon? Would you agree with that?
Below is the link that explains what each hot dog contains in the meat and toppings. There is also a video clip of part of the show I saw. Enjoy!
Thanks for sharing the video with us! You made a very good point -- we don't have to go far to see cultural differences; very often, they are just right next door to us!
ReplyDeleteI like the clip you attached to your first blog with Tom Selleck. It's interesting to see how he interacts during eating time with a culturally different family. I think food is fun. A hot dog can be made different by the people who make them. Some like it hot, some like it not. Do you know avocados? They are so sweet and creamy. My mom puts avocado into crush ice, mixes it up, and then uses a spoon to scoop it up and eat it. It's chilled and I think the cold avocado tastes better. I love vermicelli noodles. Different cultures eat it differently. At my house, we eat vermicelli with pork, shrimp, tofu, fish, and lots of other foods. There is also vermicelli that is folded, it's a Vietnamese food. I eat it with spicy sauce. It's delicious. We buy it sometimes when we go to San Jose. When I go to Italy, I will eat vermicelli their way. I think it is more cool that way...in Italy.
ReplyDelete