essay about food and culture

Essay Service Examples Sociology Cultural Diversity

Essay about Food and Culture

Proper editing and formatting
Free revision, title page, and bibliography
Flexible prices and money-back guarantee

Our writers will provide you with an essay sample written from scratch: any topic, any deadline, any instructions.

Cite this paper

Join our 150k of happy users

Get original paper written according to your instructions
Save time for what matters most

Fair Use Policy

EduBirdie considers academic integrity to be the essential part of the learning process and does not support any violation of the academic standards. Should you have any questions regarding our Fair Use Policy or become aware of any violations, please do not hesitate to contact us via [email protected].

We are here 24/7 to write your paper in as fast as 3 hours.

Provide your email, and we'll send you this sample!

By providing your email, you agree to our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy .

Say goodbye to copy-pasting!

Get custom-crafted papers for you.

Enter your email, and we'll promptly send you the full essay. No need to copy piece by piece. It's in your inbox!

Food as Culture: Cuisine, Food Customs, and Cultural Identity

Posted July 19, 2023 by Savannah Evans

Food is an essential part of every culture. It’s more than just a means of sustenance, but a way of expressing oneself, connecting with others, and passing on rich cultural heritage. Food is deeply ingrained in our cultural identity and serves as a representation of our heritage, history, and values. Here’s an in-depth look at food as culture .

Intangible Cultural Heritage

Food is considered a part of intangible cultural heritage, a way of life that is passed down from generation to generation. Traditional recipes, cooking techniques, and dining etiquette can reflect the values and beliefs of different communities and are all vital parts of cultural heritage. The UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list includes many dishes and food-related customs and traditions, including:

Al-Mansaf, a festive banquet in Jordan
Harissa from Tunisia
Traditional tea processing techniques and social practices in China
Culture of Ukrainian borscht cooking
Palov culture and tradition in Uzbekistan
Arabic coffee, a symbol of generosity in Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, and the UAE

Traditional Food and Local Cuisine

Traditional food is an integral part of cultural identity. The food itself and the associated preparation techniques and social customs serve as a reminder of the past and provide a connection to historic and cultural roots.

In Italy, for example, food is not just about sustenance, but also about family, community, and tradition. Italians have a rich culinary history that dates back to ancient times, with important traditional dishes such as pasta and pizza. The Italian food experience centers not only on taste, but on sharing meals with loved ones, the pleasure of cooking, and pride in their culinary heritage.

Similarly, in Japan, food and cultural identity are closely tied. Japanese cuisine is known for its simplicity, elegance, and attention to detail. The preparation and presentation of traditional Japanese dishes like sushi, tempura, and ramen are considered an art form. Japanese food culture pays attention to the aesthetics and symbolism of food, and honors culturally rooted respect for nature and tradition.

Countries may also find their culture defined by a certain food— a national dish. A national dish is a culinary dish that is widely considered to be a country’s most representative or iconic food. It’s strongly associated with a particular country and its culture, and often has a long history and deep cultural significance. National dishes may have regional variations, but are generally recognized and enjoyed throughout the country. Examples of national dishes include sushi in Japan, paella in Spain, pizza in Italy, and hamburgers in the United States.

In these ways, food can define and perpetuate culture. Yet food customs and dining etiquette are not only important for preserving cultural identity, but also for promoting cultural diversity and understanding. Food can serve as a bridge between different cultures, allowing people to learn about and appreciate other ways of life.

In the US, immigrants have brought their traditional dishes and culinary practices with them, enriching American cuisine and creating a cultural melting pot. Foods such as pizza, tacos, and sushi have become staples of American cuisine, reflecting the diverse backgrounds of its citizens. This cultural blending can also lead to unique local cuisine and traditions, like the Cajun and Creole cuisines of New Orleans, Louisiana.

Dining Etiquette and Sharing Meals

Food also plays a significant role in social interactions and rituals. It is often the centerpiece of celebrations and gatherings, such as weddings, birthdays, and holidays. Traditional dishes are passed down from generation to generation, and family recipes are cherished and kept secret. The preparation and sharing of food can bring people together and create a sense of community and belonging.

In addition to fostering cultural preservation and belonging, cultural foods and traditional food customs can also promote good nutrition and health. Traditional foods are often made with fresh, locally sourced ingredients and prepared using traditional cooking methods that have been passed down for generations. As a result, they tend to be healthier and more nutrient-dense than processed or fast foods. Traditional diets are also typically rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats, which can help lower the risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers.

To keep traditional food and dining etiquette alive, it is important to educate and pass down these practices to future generations. Schools and cultural organizations can offer cooking classes and workshops to teach traditional recipes and techniques. Families can share their recipes and cooking traditions with their children and grandchildren, ensuring that they are passed down to future generations. Traditional restaurants and markets can also play a role in preserving cultural heritage by promoting traditional dishes and ingredients.

Honoring Cultural Foods and Heritage Through Food Bank Services

Food Banks should pay special attention to the link between food and culture to ensure that everyone has access to fresh, healthy, and culturally significant food. Traditional foods and customs are an essential part of cultural identity and heritage, and should be accessible to keep cultural heritage alive and create a more diverse and inclusive society.

While traditionally viewed as providers of emergency sustenance, food banks like the SLO Food Bank are increasingly embracing the role of preserving and honoring cultural foods and heritage. Recognizing the vital role that food plays in cultural identity and comfort, many food banks now source a diverse range of culturally specific foods from different global cuisines.

This shift is not just about hunger alleviation; it’s about providing food that nourishes the body and the soul, acknowledging and respecting the cultural diversity of our communities. By doing so, food banks affirm the importance of cultural foods and heritage, fostering a sense of community and belonging among the recipients.

Here at the SLO Food Bank, we:

Source fresh foods from a variety of sources: We source food from wholesalers, USDA commodities, and more, while also rescuing food from local farms, households, and grocery stores. This wide network allows us to bring in the greatest variety of food so that we can offer food choice whenever possible.
Encourage choice-based services with Agency Partners: We work with our Agency Partners and Hunger Relief Network to encourage programs, meals, and pantries to offer a variety of choices, if possible, for neighbors to pick up foods that work best for their lifestyle and culture.
Share recipes and educational resources to support nutrition across global cuisines: Our seasonal recipes include a range of cultural dishes, such as Rice and Beans With Carnitas , Canned Salmon Sushi Rolls , and Shakshuka . We also offer information for nutrition education, including Spanish language resources . These offerings help us reach the breadth of our community and foster principles of inclusion and food justice.
Connect people with vital financial resources for food: We aim to connect our community with essential resources like CalFresh, which can support food budgets and empower people to partake in the meals and foods that connect them to their culture, heritage, and identity.

The accessibility of culturally specific foods plays a key role in the preservation of heritage and the expression of identity. Food is often deeply intertwined with traditions, customs, and memories, and can serve as an important touchstone for individuals navigating multicultural landscapes. Food access is not just a matter of nutrition and physical health, but also a vital component of cultural continuity, community belonging, and personal identity. Here at the SLO Food Bank, we are committed to providing that access and supporting the rich cultural diversity and health of the community we all call home.

About the SLO Food Bank

We at the SLO Food Bank believe that everyone has the right to nutritious food. That’s why we work hard to ensure access to fresh food for everyone in our community. We structure our programs in a few different ways to make fresh produce more accessible and affordable for those who need it. We also promote food assistance programs like CalFresh , while also hosting food distributions in the most rural areas of our county, where a grocery store may be more than 50 miles away.

With our network of community partners in San Luis Obispo, we strive to alleviate hunger and to build a healthier community. If you’re in the area, check out our Food Locator to find food sources near you, or support our cause through volunteer opportunities or donations , if you are able to give. With reliable access to wholesome food, we are all healthier, happier, and more productive members of our communities. Donate today to help us bring health and happiness to San Luis Obispo County!

Agency Partners
Distributions
Nutrition Education
Press Releases

An official website of the United States government

The .gov means it’s official. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

The site is secure. The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Publications
Account settings

Preview improvements coming to the PMC website in October 2024. Learn More or Try it out now .

Advanced Search
Journal List
Int J Environ Res Public Health

Why We Eat the Way We Do: A Call to Consider Food Culture in Public Health Initiatives

Edwina mingay.

1 School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, Newcastle, NSW 2308, Australia; ua.ude.niws@gnooys (S.Y.); [email protected] (A.H.)

2 Hunter Medical Research Institute, New Lambton Heights, Newcastle, NSW 2305, Australia

Melissa Hart

3 School of Health Sciences, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, Newcastle, NSW 2308, Australia; [email protected]

4 Hunter New England Mental Health Service, Waratah, Newcastle, NSW 2298, Australia

Serene Yoong

5 Hunter New England Population Health, Wallsend, Newcastle, NSW 2287, Australia

6 School of Health Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, Melbourne, VIC 3122, Australia

Alexis Hure

The way we eat has changed dramatically in only a few decades. While definitions of food culture have previously existed, a clear description of modern food culture that can be used for health promotion is lacking. In this paper, we propose a concept of food culture for application within public health, what a positive food culture looks like compared to negative elements that have dominated in developed countries and the consequences for physical and mental health and wellbeing. We support calls to action from the international community to reconsider the way we eat. All segments of society have a role to play in building a positive food culture, and it is critical that macro (policy and systems) and meso (community) level environmental factors align and provide supportive environments that promote health-enhancing behaviours. Defining food culture is a necessary step towards articulating the complexities that influence food behaviours and impact health. The ultimate goal is collective action to enable population-wide and sustained improvements to the way we eat, and how we think and feel about food.

1. Introduction

The way we engage with and consume food has changed dramatically in only a few decades with changes to food systems and environments that have exacerbated poor eating patterns and food choices [ 1 ]. The negative impact of these changes on physical and mental health and wellbeing at a population level is a global priority [ 2 ]. Dietary risk factors are driving the global burden of disease, including mental health, which have escalated in both developed and developing nations [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ]. In 2016, more than 2.2 billion people worldwide were overweight or obese [ 7 ], and it has been projected that without change to current policies, global levels could increase to 3.28 billion people by 2030 (from 1.33 billion in 2005) which represents one third of the projected global population and increased burden of disease [ 2 ]. Globally in 2017, 11 million deaths and 255 million disability adjusted life years were attributable to dietary risk factors, in particular diets high in sodium, and low in fruit, wholegrains, nuts and seeds, vegetables, and seafood omega-3 fatty acids [ 8 ]. These findings provide a stark reminder of the significant relationship between diet quality and non-communicable diseases (NCDs) which has been examined extensively and is well recognised [ 8 , 9 , 10 ]. For example, diet is a primary risk factor for type 2 diabetes, which ranked as the ninth leading cause of mortality worldwide in 2017 (from eighteenth in 1990) and affected 462 million people (6.28% of the population); a prevalence rate of 6059 per 100,000 that is projected to rise to 7079 per 100,000 by 2030 [ 11 ]. Importantly, diet is a preventable risk factor, highlighting the need to improve dietary practices, with contributions from all segments of society [ 8 ]. Peak authoritative bodies, including the World Health Organization, are calling for a shift in, or at least a share of, focus from treating disease to promoting health and more sustainable food systems that deliver healthy diets for all and promote lasting health-enhancing behaviours [ 2 , 10 , 12 , 13 ].

In response to this, we call for an approach that directs focus towards a positive food culture that extends beyond individual level factors to include the influence of social, economic, technological and political factors that have re-shaped our foodways and changed habitual behaviours and beliefs (cultural considerations) around food and eating [ 14 ]. To date, efforts to improve healthy eating have largely focused on strategies in isolation that target behaviour change at an individual level [ 15 , 16 ]. However, without strategies that incorporate and target environmental, behavioural and cultural determinants to influence habitual food behaviours, values and beliefs, it is unsurprising that most of these strategies on their own show limited effects for health gains and longer-term efficacy [ 17 , 18 ]. The promise of current nutrition interventions in achieving population wide health gains is clearly not being achieved. It is time to act with vision and leadership, challenging traditional ways of improving public health nutrition and investing in strategies that are likely to benefit many, over time, and for future generations. We join Hedegaard (2016) and support the need to define and understand the vast and complex components that influence eating patterns and subsequently shape food culture [ 14 ], and Block et al. (2011) who propose a shift in paradigm towards ‘food as wellbeing’ to capture social and cultural considerations for our understanding of the role of food in our lives [ 19 ]. Food culture has always existed but has not been consistently defined. In this manuscript, we seek to define food culture to fill this gap, and in doing so, highlight its significance, and call for its application within public health. We explore the detrimental changes to food culture among developed countries, and highlight opportunities and examples where understanding what a positive food culture looks like can help improve the design and longer-term efficacy of nutrition-related health promotion efforts to ultimately improve habitual food behaviours, values and beliefs going forward.

2. Food Culture Explained

Culture within social anthropology has been described by Wolcott (2008) as “the various ways different groups go about their lives and to the belief systems associated with that behaviour” [ 20 ]. Applying this concept, here within, we refer to food culture as what we do, think and feel around food as an individual or group, within the social and environmental constructs at that time. Our food culture is influenced by food-related drivers that extend beyond individual factors to include our surrounding environments, food socialisation and cultural practices (people, place, policy and time) that interact (directly and indirectly), are highly influential for food choice, and shape the way we eat. Importantly, it encompasses cultivated and shared knowledge and behaviours through inherited ideas, and learning and accumulated experience throughout our lives that mould our beliefs and values around, and relationship with, food and eating. Food culture drivers include:

Our social milieu : close relationships and extended influencers from the media; our interactions, behaviours, ways of thinking and understanding of food, that create social norms through exposure and accumulated experience [ 21 ].
Place : physical settings within the home, workplace, neighbourhood, educational settings that we occupy to engage with and consume food.
Guidelines : rules, expectations and instructions within a society that guide people around food-related behaviour [ 21 ].
Food literacy : cultivated and transmitted food literacy across generations, influenced by temporal (perception of time) and spatial (perception of physical space) dimensions, cultural practices, economic resources, and habitual behaviours linked to global and traditional changes to food procurement, selection, preparation and consumption [ 22 , 23 ].
Food systems : the activities that encompass paddock to plate to disposal practices, shaped by policy, economics, and health, ethical and sustainability concerns [ 2 , 24 ].

Food culture expresses identity and meaning, links to dietary patterns, and therefore impacts health and wellbeing. It has always existed, and elements have been explored and described; particularly within sociology, public health literature and recent dietary guidelines [ 21 , 25 , 26 , 27 ]. Parallel influences can be drawn from the health promotion and public health literature, including policy and ecological frameworks [ 1 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 ], and principles from the Ottawa Charter [ 31 ] and the Constitution of the World Health Organization [ 32 ] that remain firmly relevant today.

Our food culture is closely linked to our surrounding food environments. We argue for the application of food culture within public health to expand the lens and consider cultural and symbolic meanings around food and eating within our food environments. Applying a food culture lens forces the opportunity to question how food culture is represented within each environment where we engage with and consume food. Is it one that considers and promotes a positive and supportive approach to food behaviours, and contributes to moulding positive values and beliefs around food and eating for individuals and communities? Or is it one that diminishes the vital contribution food plays in our lives that encompasses a broad umbrella over health, wellbeing, socialisation, knowledge and skills, access and availability, values and beliefs.

Exploring food culture in the way we approach nutrition interventions enables a holistic picture of the complexities that shape our food behaviours within society, the structure that provides organisation for people. This includes characteristics of all segments of society (individuals, families, communities, businesses, industries, organisations, governments) to build our understanding of why we eat the way we do. Food behaviours “are not universal, natural or inevitable” [ 21 ], nor are they static. This challenges us to think about the whole of food culture being greater than the sum of its parts.

3. Detrimental Changes to Food Culture

The way we engage with and consume food has changed. Globalisation of food, urbanisation, information technology, social and lifestyle changes all contribute to moulding the environment in which we live. It is suggested that these changes have played a significant role in shaping the population’s eating behaviours, and therefore the risk and burden of non-communicable conditions, including mental health [ 5 , 14 , 27 , 33 ].

The globalisation of food has impacts on food choices, habitual food behaviours and nutrient intake. Our modern food systems are characterised by inequitable availability and accessibility to safe and nutritionally adequate food [ 2 ]. More foods than before have been manufactured, refined, repackaged and branded. Choice has expanded with increased imports, abundant convenience and ultra-processed foods [ 5 , 34 ]. For the most part, this has led to poorer nutritional quality alternatives than the original wholefoods [ 5 , 35 , 36 ]. In supermarkets and convenience stores, low-nutritional quality food at low cost is readily available and heavily marketed, often targeting vulnerable groups [ 37 , 38 ]. Super-sized portions, portable foods and beverages, and take-away meals have displaced social and cultural functions of the home-prepared meals that were typically shared around the dining table [ 5 ].

Urbanisation and increased parental workforce hours have increased time away from home and changed the way lives are structured [ 39 ]. Time constraints faced as a result demand time-saving food sourcing and preparation towards convenience foods that are associated with poorer nutritional quality [ 36 , 40 ]. Population level evidence indicates urban populations consume more meals away from the home environment [ 39 ]. We hypothesise such social changes have decreased the transfer of food knowledge and skills from family and carers to younger generations, including a loss of skills, value, celebration and ritual around food.

The information age brings information overload and quickly spread exposure to socio-cultural influence (norms and values) and Western ideals. Competing nutrition messages and body misrepresentations through all forms of media is commonplace, creating confusion about food choices and body image, and increasing the risk of disordered eating patterns [ 41 , 42 ]. This includes idealised body shapes with unrealistic body fat composition or muscular physique. Body dissatisfaction and disordered eating behaviour are now common across social class, age and gender [ 43 , 44 , 45 ]. At the same time, there is increasing noise about ‘diets’, ‘obesity’ and the ‘thin ideal’. There has been an explosion of weight loss, or fad diets and products that are often commercially driven. They promise a quick fix without supporting evidence, and may compromise essential nutrient intake, organ function and ongoing health [ 46 , 47 ]. Without adequate media and food literacy, this poses challenges for younger generations to navigate, develop and practice health-promoting behaviours. The voice of reason, founded on scientific evidence, and positive values around food and eating gets lost amongst the noise of sensationalised media and marketing.

4. Health Promotion, Not Disease Deficit

The detrimental changes to food culture highlight a need for public health initiatives to focus on promoting healthy food-related behaviours, as a whole, to predominate, and change the way we think and feel about food and eating. The financial cost and intangibility of outcomes, has often led to a lack of investment in health promotion that facilitates a positive food culture, while significant investment in curative approaches continue [ 48 ]. Authorities are urging for greater investment, arguing initiatives that promote health-enhancing behaviours is offset by the reduced cost in treating disease [ 48 ].

Recurring themes resonate throughout calls to action from the international community to drive commitment towards food-related action to improve population-wide health. This includes calls for policy action, a multi-sectoral approach, creation of health-enhancing environments, regulatory action, investment, education and information, community awareness, early intervention, a life course approach and targeted efforts for priority populations [ 3 , 13 , 49 , 50 ]. In addition, climate change and the greenhouse gas contributions from farming practices and food production, demand a new approach to foodways and our attitudes around food and eating [ 12 ]. The United Nations (UN) Decade of Action on Nutrition 2016–2025 [ 13 ], and more recently, the EAT-Lancet Commission on Healthy Diets from Sustainable Sources [ 3 ] are important initiatives that align with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and call for healthier, more sustainable dietary intakes that are accessible for all.

Advances in dietary guidelines reflect the need for a fresh approach, highlighting the importance of environmental and policy interventions that promote and direct people and populations towards knowledge building, and practicing health-enhancing behaviours. The recently updated Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020–2025, provides a public health framework that promotes continuity of healthy eating patterns (as a whole rather than isolating foods and nutrients) across different life stages, recognising the benefits of developing healthy habits for life course disease prevention. The guidelines focus on nutrient-dense options across food groups to meet nutritional needs, which can be customised to reflect personal preferences, cultural traditions, and budgets; the focus is on health promotion across multiple settings, not disease deficit [ 51 ]. The guidelines have been said to fall short in addressing the link between dietary practices and planetary health [ 52 ], though they do recognise the important contribution from all segments of society to support healthy choices.

Other examples include the Dietary Guidelines for the Brazilian Population which adapts a social-ecological model to illustrate the need for collective action; recognising everyone has a role to play to promote healthy eating practices. The principles focus on fresh or minimally processed foods, social and cultural dimensions of food choice, modes of eating (time, focus, place and company), environmental sustainability and the right to adequate and healthy food; the overall emphasis is the participation of all [ 26 ]. The Canadian Dietary Guidelines 2019 extends healthy eating recommendations beyond the numbers on the plate to include consideration to food behaviours (where, when, why and how we eat). This includes mindful eating, cooking more often, enjoying your food, eating with others, and the benefits of learned and shared skills from others [ 25 ]. This is consistent with our description of food culture above.

5. Opportunities and Potential Solutions to the Current Challenges

A positive food culture aims to preserve and nurture good health and wellbeing, and promotes positive food behaviours, values and beliefs through both collective and independent efforts from each segment of society. Producing sustained change to the way we think and feel about food and eating is indeed challenging and ambitious. Multi-strategy opportunities and potential solutions are sought to achieve incremental gains across multiple levels, that are interconnected. To this effect, the World Cancer Research Fund developed the NOURISHING Framework which is an example of a viable tool to guide action across multiple levels to improve dietary behaviours and prevent obesity and NCDs. The framework identifies three domains (food environment, food system, behaviour change communication) and ten accompanying policy areas that can be adopted to suit populations’ varying community and national contexts [ 53 ]. In addition, it is a valuable resource that includes a database of initiatives that have been implemented around the world.

The aim of building a positive food culture is to consolidate the incremental gains, generate momentum and ultimately impact habitual change across communities, households and individuals alike. Opportunities and potential solutions include, but are not limited to:

Government and peak authoritative bodies : policy, priorities and dietary guidelines to align around positive food culture, promoting a common goal [ 54 ]. A positive food culture could be placed at the forefront as a key construct in dietary guidelines and policy development; importantly, to foster public trust and provide supportive environments that promote health-enhancing behaviours and sustainable practices [ 5 , 52 ].
Educators : to align teaching material with consistent, evidence-based food and nutrition recommendations in conjunction with environmental impacts and promotion of healthy body image. Schools provide an ideal platform to promote positive food behaviours among young people, and build knowledge, skills, confidence and media literacy [ 55 , 56 , 57 ]. For example, Australian initiatives targeting schools include the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program which delivers interactive and hands-on food education with the aim to build positive and pleasurable food habits for life [ 58 , 59 ], and the recently launched Butterfly Body Bright promoting positive attitudes and behaviours around eating and our bodies [ 60 ]. Both initiatives endeavour to influence values and beliefs around food and eating.
Physical settings that provide a food service : settings such as schools, childcare, workplace, recreational facilities, community programs, retail, restaurants, and catering to offer appealing dining spaces or environments that encourage positive food-related behaviours. For example, table displays, presentation and layout of food, and health-promoting menus and messaging. These are examples of behavioural economics principles that have been implemented in a range of dining settings that ‘nudge’ people towards healthier food selection and consumption [ 61 , 62 , 63 , 64 , 65 , 66 ]. In particular, health promoting schools have the opportunity to reach large numbers of students, provide health-enhancing environments, and reduce disparities [ 67 ]. For example, adopting behavioural economics principles in the United States, the Smarter Lunchroom Movement offers schools a suite of low or no-cost evidence-based strategies to promote healthy school lunch options and reduce food waste [ 68 , 69 ]. School meal programs around the world contribute to social cohesion, and aim to improve school attendance and provide access to nutritionally balanced meals [ 70 ].
Food systems : to prioritise the accessibility and affordability of safe and nutritionally adequate food for all people, with consideration to environmental impacts, cultural and traditional practices, and prioritising wholefoods over processed foods [ 2 , 3 , 5 , 36 ]. We can turn to the multi-layered nature of the Mediterranean Diet and the extensive literature that has exposed health benefits, enhanced quality of life, low environmental impacts and positive food values and behaviours [ 71 , 72 ]. The development of the Med Diet 4.0 framework and an updated Mediterranean Diet Pyramid have ensued, incorporating sustainability and environmental food system considerations alongside nutrition and health needs of populations and individuals [ 71 , 73 ].
Food literacy : programs across a range of settings (for example, local communities, families and schools) to be promoted and evaluated with the goal to improve food and nutrition knowledge, hands-on skills, confidence and decision making around food selection and preparation. Longitudinal studies of cooking skills have indicated sustained skills, and positive outcomes around confidence and eating behaviours [ 74 , 75 , 76 , 77 ].
Marketing and media : to prioritise the promotion of healthy body image, food choices and eating behaviours using appropriate language and messaging; an important medium for promoting positive attitudes around healthy eating and body image. Exposure to ideal body images, prescriptive dieting, and manipulative food marketing for general populations should be minimised. For example, an intervention designed to target adolescent values (autonomy from adult control and desire for social justice) and reframe food marketing to reject junk food in favour of healthy alternatives, found sustained change in dietary attitudes and food choices [ 37 ]. Without socio-cultural changes to what is portrayed in the media, realistic and positive body image representations and longer-term healthy eating behaviours will be difficult to achieve.
Home environment : positive food behaviours in the home to be demonstrated and encouraged. The home environment plays a significant role in developing food literacy and habitual behaviours [ 78 ]. Importantly, behaviours can track from childhood and adolescence to adulthood [ 79 , 80 , 81 ], and across generations [ 82 ]. The need for a healthy start to life and the first 1000 days is well recognised [ 83 ]; and the subsequent 7000 days should not be underserved, but rather early gains secured with continued focus on building healthy behaviours during the transition to adulthood [ 84 ]. Raising children and adolescents within a positive food culture is one component of this.
Organisations and community groups : continued efforts from groups to combat the degradation of wholefoods. For example, the Slow Food Movement, local farmers markets, community gardens and food festivals [ 85 , 86 , 87 ]. While these initiatives are considered niche rather than mainstream, they promote a hands-on approach where wholefoods and socialisation around food is celebrated. They build knowledge, skills and confidence, and empower people and communities to connect with food and expand their exposure and experience. However, it is recognised there are economic and physical determinants that influence affordability, availability, and accessibility to such opportunities. Barriers may include low income and food literacy, availability of food assistance programs in different countries, geographical locations where people live and associated neighbourhood food environments, transport links, environmental conditions, and seasonality of food. An example of efforts to overcome access and improve food culture for those on low income, in the United States it is recommended that farmers markets are expanded to multiple settings, and food assistance programs such as SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) and WIC (Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children) extend benefits to farmers markets purchases and offer related nutrition education [ 88 ].

Cultural considerations in the public health nutrition sphere requires changing beliefs, values and attitudes towards healthy eating patterns, which are vital for the longevity, and transfer of shared and learned food behaviours across generations; “to exist with some permanency through time and across space” [ 89 ]. The suggestions above aim to influence our belief systems and behaviour patterns towards sustained change and a positive food culture. There remains heavy work towards disseminating the importance and practice of sustainable diets alongside healthy food choices and behaviours, which reinforces the significance of food culture within population and planetary health for further consideration.

6. Conclusions

Understanding our current food culture is necessary to articulate the complexities that influence our food behaviours, values and beliefs, and have important implications for physical and mental health and wellbeing. Food culture provides the rationale to target multi-strategy multi-level nutrition interventions that incorporate environmental, behavioural and cultural elements to influence habitual food behaviours, values and beliefs. What is clear is that at a population level we need to foster health-promoting and supportive environments to enable population-wide improvements to the way we eat, and how we think and feel about food and our bodies.

Author Contributions

Conceptualization, E.M., M.H., S.Y. and A.H.; writing-original draft preparation, E.M.; writing-review and editing, E.M., M.H., S.Y. and A.H.; supervision, M.H., S.Y. and A.H. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

This research received no external funding.

Institutional Review Board Statement

Not applicable.

Informed Consent Statement

Conflicts of interest.

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Social Justice
Environment
Health & Happiness
Get YES! Emails
Teacher Resources

Give A Gift Subscription
Teaching Sustainability
Teaching Social Justice
Teaching Respect & Empathy
Student Writing Lessons
Visual Learning Lessons
Tough Topics Discussion Guides
About the YES! for Teachers Program
Student Writing Contest

Follow YES! For Teachers

Six brilliant student essays on the power of food to spark social change.

Read winning essays from our fall 2018 “Feeding Ourselves, Feeding Our Revolutions,” student writing contest.

For the Fall 2018 student writing competition, “Feeding Ourselves, Feeding Our Revolutions,” we invited students to read the YES! Magazine article, “Cooking Stirs the Pot for Social Change,” by Korsha Wilson and respond to this writing prompt: If you were to host a potluck or dinner to discuss a challenge facing your community or country, what food would you cook? Whom would you invite? On what issue would you deliberate?

The Winners

From the hundreds of essays written, these six—on anti-Semitism, cultural identity, death row prisoners, coming out as transgender, climate change, and addiction—were chosen as essay winners. Be sure to read the literary gems and catchy titles that caught our eye.

Middle School Winner: India Brown High School Winner: Grace Williams University Winner: Lillia Borodkin Powerful Voice Winner: Paisley Regester Powerful Voice Winner: Emma Lingo Powerful Voice Winner: Hayden Wilson

Literary Gems Clever Titles

Middle School Winner: India Brown

A Feast for the Future

Close your eyes and imagine the not too distant future: The Statue of Liberty is up to her knees in water, the streets of lower Manhattan resemble the canals of Venice, and hurricanes arrive in the fall and stay until summer. Now, open your eyes and see the beautiful planet that we will destroy if we do not do something. Now is the time for change. Our future is in our control if we take actions, ranging from small steps, such as not using plastic straws, to large ones, such as reducing fossil fuel consumption and electing leaders who take the problem seriously.

Hosting a dinner party is an extraordinary way to publicize what is at stake. At my potluck, I would serve linguini with clams. The clams would be sautéed in white wine sauce. The pasta tossed with a light coat of butter and topped with freshly shredded parmesan. I choose this meal because it cannot be made if global warming’s patterns persist. Soon enough, the ocean will be too warm to cultivate clams, vineyards will be too sweltering to grow grapes, and wheat fields will dry out, leaving us without pasta.

I think that giving my guests a delicious meal and then breaking the news to them that its ingredients would be unattainable if Earth continues to get hotter is a creative strategy to initiate action. Plus, on the off chance the conversation gets drastically tense, pasta is a relatively difficult food to throw.

In YES! Magazine’s article, “Cooking Stirs the Pot for Social Change,” Korsha Wilson says “…beyond the narrow definition of what cooking is, you can see that cooking is and has always been an act of resistance.” I hope that my dish inspires people to be aware of what’s at stake with increasing greenhouse gas emissions and work toward creating a clean energy future.

My guest list for the potluck would include two groups of people: local farmers, who are directly and personally affected by rising temperatures, increased carbon dioxide, drought, and flooding, and people who either do not believe in human-caused climate change or don’t think it affects anyone. I would invite the farmers or farm owners because their jobs and crops are dependent on the weather. I hope that after hearing a farmer’s perspective, climate-deniers would be awakened by the truth and more receptive to the effort to reverse these catastrophic trends.

Earth is a beautiful planet that provides everything we’ll ever need, but because of our pattern of living—wasteful consumption, fossil fuel burning, and greenhouse gas emissions— our habitat is rapidly deteriorating. Whether you are a farmer, a long-shower-taking teenager, a worker in a pollution-producing factory, or a climate-denier, the future of humankind is in our hands. The choices we make and the actions we take will forever affect planet Earth.

India Brown is an eighth grader who lives in New York City with her parents and older brother. She enjoys spending time with her friends, walking her dog, Morty, playing volleyball and lacrosse, and swimming.

High School Winner: Grace Williams

Apple Pie Embrace

It’s 1:47 a.m. Thanksgiving smells fill the kitchen. The sweet aroma of sugar-covered apples and buttery dough swirls into my nostrils. Fragrant orange and rosemary permeate the room and every corner smells like a stroll past the open door of a French bakery. My eleven-year-old eyes water, red with drowsiness, and refocus on the oven timer counting down. Behind me, my mom and aunt chat to no end, fueled by the seemingly self-replenishable coffee pot stashed in the corner. Their hands work fast, mashing potatoes, crumbling cornbread, and covering finished dishes in a thin layer of plastic wrap. The most my tired body can do is sit slouched on the backless wooden footstool. I bask in the heat escaping under the oven door.

As a child, I enjoyed Thanksgiving and the preparations that came with it, but it seemed like more of a bridge between my birthday and Christmas than an actual holiday. Now, it’s a time of year I look forward to, dedicated to family, memories, and, most importantly, food. What I realized as I grew older was that my homemade Thanksgiving apple pie was more than its flaky crust and soft-fruit center. This American food symbolized a rite of passage, my Iraqi family’s ticket to assimilation.

Some argue that by adopting American customs like the apple pie, we lose our culture. I would argue that while American culture influences what my family eats and celebrates, it doesn’t define our character. In my family, we eat Iraqi dishes like mesta and tahini, but we also eat Cinnamon Toast Crunch for breakfast. This doesn’t mean we favor one culture over the other; instead, we create a beautiful blend of the two, adapting traditions to make them our own.

That said, my family has always been more than the “mashed potatoes and turkey” type.

My mom’s family immigrated to the United States in 1976. Upon their arrival, they encountered a deeply divided America. Racism thrived, even after the significant freedoms gained from the Civil Rights Movement a few years before. Here, my family was thrust into a completely unknown world: they didn’t speak the language, they didn’t dress normally, and dinners like riza maraka seemed strange in comparison to the Pop Tarts and Oreos lining grocery store shelves.

If I were to host a dinner party, it would be like Thanksgiving with my Chaldean family. The guests, my extended family, are a diverse people, distinct ingredients in a sweet potato casserole, coming together to create a delicious dish.

In her article “Cooking Stirs the Pot for Social Change,” Korsha Wilson writes, “each ingredient that we use, every technique, every spice tells a story about our access, our privilege, our heritage, and our culture.” Voices around the room will echo off the walls into the late hours of the night while the hot apple pie steams at the table’s center.

We will play concan on the blanketed floor and I’ll try to understand my Toto, who, after forty years, still speaks broken English. I’ll listen to my elders as they tell stories about growing up in Unionville, Michigan, a predominately white town where they always felt like outsiders, stories of racism that I have the privilege not to experience. While snacking on sunflower seeds and salted pistachios, we’ll talk about the news- how thousands of people across the country are protesting for justice among immigrants. No one protested to give my family a voice.

Our Thanksgiving food is more than just sustenance, it is a physical representation of my family ’s blended and ever-changing culture, even after 40 years in the United States. No matter how the food on our plates changes, it will always symbolize our sense of family—immediate and extended—and our unbreakable bond.

Grace Williams, a student at Kirkwood High School in Kirkwood, Missouri, enjoys playing tennis, baking, and spending time with her family. Grace also enjoys her time as a writing editor for her school’s yearbook, the Pioneer. In the future, Grace hopes to continue her travels abroad, as well as live near extended family along the sunny beaches of La Jolla, California.

University Winner: Lillia Borodkin

Nourishing Change After Tragedy Strikes

In the Jewish community, food is paramount. We often spend our holidays gathered around a table, sharing a meal and reveling in our people’s story. On other sacred days, we fast, focusing instead on reflection, atonement, and forgiveness.

As a child, I delighted in the comfort of matzo ball soup, the sweetness of hamantaschen, and the beauty of braided challah. But as I grew older and more knowledgeable about my faith, I learned that the origins of these foods are not rooted in joy, but in sacrifice.

The matzo of matzo balls was a necessity as the Jewish people did not have time for their bread to rise as they fled slavery in Egypt. The hamantaschen was an homage to the hat of Haman, the villain of the Purim story who plotted the Jewish people’s destruction. The unbaked portion of braided challah was tithed by commandment to the kohen or priests. Our food is an expression of our history, commemorating both our struggles and our triumphs.

As I write this, only days have passed since eleven Jews were killed at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh. These people, intending only to pray and celebrate the Sabbath with their community, were murdered simply for being Jewish. This brutal event, in a temple and city much like my own, is a reminder that anti-Semitism still exists in this country. A reminder that hatred of Jews, of me, my family, and my community, is alive and flourishing in America today. The thought that a difference in religion would make some believe that others do not have the right to exist is frightening and sickening.

This is why, if given the chance, I would sit down the entire Jewish American community at one giant Shabbat table. I’d serve matzo ball soup, pass around loaves of challah, and do my best to offer comfort. We would take time to remember the beautiful souls lost to anti-Semitism this October and the countless others who have been victims of such hatred in the past. I would then ask that we channel all we are feeling—all the fear, confusion, and anger —into the fight.

As suggested in Korsha Wilson’s “Cooking Stirs the Pot for Social Change,” I would urge my guests to direct our passion for justice and the comfort and care provided by the food we are eating into resisting anti-Semitism and hatred of all kinds.

We must use the courage this sustenance provides to create change and honor our people’s suffering and strength. We must remind our neighbors, both Jewish and non-Jewish, that anti-Semitism is alive and well today. We must shout and scream and vote until our elected leaders take this threat to our community seriously. And, we must stand with, support, and listen to other communities that are subjected to vengeful hate today in the same way that many of these groups have supported us in the wake of this tragedy.

This terrible shooting is not the first of its kind, and if conflict and loathing are permitted to grow, I fear it will not be the last. While political change may help, the best way to target this hate is through smaller-scale actions in our own communities.

It is critical that we as a Jewish people take time to congregate and heal together, but it is equally necessary to include those outside the Jewish community to build a powerful crusade against hatred and bigotry. While convening with these individuals, we will work to end the dangerous “otherizing” that plagues our society and seek to understand that we share far more in common than we thought. As disagreements arise during our discussions, we will learn to respect and treat each other with the fairness we each desire. Together, we shall share the comfort, strength, and courage that traditional Jewish foods provide and use them to fuel our revolution.

We are not alone in the fight despite what extremists and anti-semites might like us to believe. So, like any Jew would do, I invite you to join me at the Shabbat table. First, we will eat. Then, we will get to work.

Lillia Borodkin is a senior at Kent State University majoring in Psychology with a concentration in Child Psychology. She plans to attend graduate school and become a school psychologist while continuing to pursue her passion for reading and writing. Outside of class, Lillia is involved in research in the psychology department and volunteers at the Women’s Center on campus.

Powerful Voice Winner: Paisley Regester

As a kid, I remember asking my friends jokingly, ”If you were stuck on a deserted island, what single item of food would you bring?” Some of my friends answered practically and said they’d bring water. Others answered comically and said they’d bring snacks like Flamin’ Hot Cheetos or a banana. However, most of my friends answered sentimentally and listed the foods that made them happy. This seems like fun and games, but what happens if the hypothetical changes? Imagine being asked, on the eve of your death, to choose the final meal you will ever eat. What food would you pick? Something practical? Comical? Sentimental?

This situation is the reality for the 2,747 American prisoners who are currently awaiting execution on death row. The grim ritual of “last meals,” when prisoners choose their final meal before execution, can reveal a lot about these individuals and what they valued throughout their lives.

It is difficult for us to imagine someone eating steak, lobster tail, apple pie, and vanilla ice cream one moment and being killed by state-approved lethal injection the next. The prisoner can only hope that the apple pie he requested tastes as good as his mom’s. Surprisingly, many people in prison decline the option to request a special last meal. We often think of food as something that keeps us alive, so is there really any point to eating if someone knows they are going to die?

“Controlling food is a means of controlling power,” said chef Sean Sherman in the YES! Magazine article “Cooking Stirs the Pot for Social Change,” by Korsha Wilson. There are deeper stories that lie behind the final meals of individuals on death row.

I want to bring awareness to the complex and often controversial conditions of this country’s criminal justice system and change the common perception of prisoners as inhuman. To accomplish this, I would host a potluck where I would recreate the last meals of prisoners sentenced to death.

In front of each plate, there would be a place card with the prisoner’s full name, the date of execution, and the method of execution. These meals could range from a plate of fried chicken, peas with butter, apple pie, and a Dr. Pepper, reminiscent of a Sunday dinner at Grandma’s, to a single olive.

Seeing these meals up close, meals that many may eat at their own table or feed to their own kids, would force attendees to face the reality of the death penalty. It will urge my guests to look at these individuals not just as prisoners, assigned a number and a death date, but as people, capable of love and rehabilitation.

This potluck is not only about realizing a prisoner’s humanity, but it is also about recognizing a flawed criminal justice system. Over the years, I have become skeptical of the American judicial system, especially when only seven states have judges who ethnically represent the people they serve. I was shocked when I found out that the officers who killed Michael Brown and Anthony Lamar Smith were exonerated for their actions. How could that be possible when so many teens and adults of color have spent years in prison, some even executed, for crimes they never committed?

Lawmakers, police officers, city officials, and young constituents, along with former prisoners and their families, would be invited to my potluck to start an honest conversation about the role and application of inequality, dehumanization, and racism in the death penalty. Food served at the potluck would represent the humanity of prisoners and push people to acknowledge that many inmates are victims of a racist and corrupt judicial system.

Recognizing these injustices is only the first step towards a more equitable society. The second step would be acting on these injustices to ensure that every voice is heard, even ones separated from us by prison walls. Let’s leave that for the next potluck, where I plan to serve humble pie.

Paisley Regester is a high school senior and devotes her life to activism, the arts, and adventure. Inspired by her experiences traveling abroad to Nicaragua, Mexico, and Scotland, Paisley hopes to someday write about the diverse people and places she has encountered and share her stories with the rest of the world.

Powerful Voice Winner: Emma Lingo

The Empty Seat

“If you aren’t sober, then I don’t want to see you on Christmas.”

Harsh words for my father to hear from his daughter but words he needed to hear. Words I needed him to understand and words he seemed to consider as he fiddled with his wine glass at the head of the table. Our guests, my grandma, and her neighbors remained resolutely silent. They were not about to defend my drunken father–or Charles as I call him–from my anger or my ultimatum.

This was the first dinner we had had together in a year. The last meal we shared ended with Charles slopping his drink all over my birthday presents and my mother explaining heroin addiction to me. So, I wasn’t surprised when Charles threw down some liquid valor before dinner in anticipation of my anger. If he wanted to be welcomed on Christmas, he needed to be sober—or he needed to be gone.

Countless dinners, holidays, and birthdays taught me that my demands for sobriety would fall on deaf ears. But not this time. Charles gave me a gift—a one of a kind, limited edition, absolutely awkward treat. One that I didn’t know how to deal with at all. Charles went home that night, smacked a bright red bow on my father, and hand-delivered him to me on Christmas morning.

He arrived for breakfast freshly showered and looking flustered. He would remember this day for once only because his daughter had scolded him into sobriety. Dad teetered between happiness and shame. Grandma distracted us from Dad’s presence by bringing the piping hot bacon and biscuits from the kitchen to the table, theatrically announcing their arrival. Although these foods were the alleged focus of the meal, the real spotlight shined on the unopened liquor cabinet in my grandma’s kitchen—the cabinet I know Charles was begging Dad to open.

I’ve isolated myself from Charles. My family has too. It means we don’t see Dad, but it’s the best way to avoid confrontation and heartache. Sometimes I find myself wondering what it would be like if we talked with him more or if he still lived nearby. Would he be less inclined to use? If all families with an addict tried to hang on to a relationship with the user, would there be fewer addicts in the world? Christmas breakfast with Dad was followed by Charles whisking him away to Colorado where pot had just been legalized. I haven’t talked to Dad since that Christmas.

As Korsha Wilson stated in her YES! Magazine article, “Cooking Stirs the Pot for Social Change,” “Sometimes what we don’t cook says more than what we do cook.” When it comes to addiction, what isn’t served is more important than what is. In quiet moments, I like to imagine a meal with my family–including Dad. He’d have a spot at the table in my little fantasy. No alcohol would push him out of his chair, the cigarettes would remain seated in his back pocket, and the stench of weed wouldn’t invade the dining room. Fruit salad and gumbo would fill the table—foods that Dad likes. We’d talk about trivial matters in life, like how school is going and what we watched last night on TV.

Dad would feel loved. We would connect. He would feel less alone. At the end of the night, he’d walk me to the door and promise to see me again soon. And I would believe him.

Emma Lingo spends her time working as an editor for her school paper, reading, and being vocal about social justice issues. Emma is active with many clubs such as Youth and Government, KHS Cares, and Peer Helpers. She hopes to be a journalist one day and to be able to continue helping out people by volunteering at local nonprofits.

Powerful Voice Winner: Hayden Wilson

Bittersweet Reunion

I close my eyes and envision a dinner of my wildest dreams. I would invite all of my relatives. Not just my sister who doesn’t ask how I am anymore. Not just my nephews who I’m told are too young to understand me. No, I would gather all of my aunts, uncles, and cousins to introduce them to the me they haven’t met.

For almost two years, I’ve gone by a different name that most of my family refuses to acknowledge. My aunt, a nun of 40 years, told me at a recent birthday dinner that she’d heard of my “nickname.” I didn’t want to start a fight, so I decided not to correct her. Even the ones who’ve adjusted to my name have yet to recognize the bigger issue.

Last year on Facebook, I announced to my friends and family that I am transgender. No one in my family has talked to me about it, but they have plenty to say to my parents. I feel as if this is about my parents more than me—that they’ve made some big parenting mistake. Maybe if I invited everyone to dinner and opened up a discussion, they would voice their concerns to me instead of my parents.

I would serve two different meals of comfort food to remind my family of our good times. For my dad’s family, I would cook heavily salted breakfast food, the kind my grandpa used to enjoy. He took all of his kids to IHOP every Sunday and ordered the least healthy option he could find, usually some combination of an overcooked omelet and a loaded Classic Burger. For my mom’s family, I would buy shakes and burgers from Hardee’s. In my grandma’s final weeks, she let aluminum tins of sympathy meals pile up on her dining table while she made my uncle take her to Hardee’s every day.

In her article on cooking and activism, food writer Korsha Wilson writes, “Everyone puts down their guard over a good meal, and in that space, change is possible.” Hopefully the same will apply to my guests.

When I first thought of this idea, my mind rushed to the endless negative possibilities. My nun-aunt and my two non-nun aunts who live like nuns would whip out their Bibles before I even finished my first sentence. My very liberal, state representative cousin would say how proud she is of the guy I’m becoming, but this would trigger my aunts to accuse her of corrupting my mind. My sister, who has never spoken to me about my genderidentity, would cover her children’s ears and rush them out of the house. My Great-Depression-raised grandparents would roll over in their graves, mumbling about how kids have it easy nowadays.

After mentally mapping out every imaginable terrible outcome this dinner could have, I realized a conversation is unavoidable if I want my family to accept who I am. I long to restore the deep connection I used to have with them. Though I often think these former relationships are out of reach, I won’t know until I try to repair them. For a year and a half, I’ve relied on Facebook and my parents to relay messages about my identity, but I need to tell my own story.

At first, I thought Korsha Wilson’s idea of a cooked meal leading the way to social change was too optimistic, but now I understand that I need to think more like her. Maybe, just maybe, my family could all gather around a table, enjoy some overpriced shakes, and be as close as we were when I was a little girl.

Hayden Wilson is a 17-year-old high school junior from Missouri. He loves writing, making music, and painting. He’s a part of his school’s writing club, as well as the GSA and a few service clubs.

Literary Gems

We received many outstanding essays for the Fall 2018 Writing Competition. Though not every participant can win the contest, we’d like to share some excerpts that caught our eye.

Thinking of the main staple of the dish—potatoes, the starchy vegetable that provides sustenance for people around the globe. The onion, the layers of sorrow and joy—a base for this dish served during the holidays. The oil, symbolic of hope and perseverance. All of these elements come together to form this delicious oval pancake permeating with possibilities. I wonder about future possibilities as I flip the latkes.

—Nikki Markman, University of San Francisco, San Francisco, California

The egg is a treasure. It is a fragile heart of gold that once broken, flows over the blemishless surface of the egg white in dandelion colored streams, like ribbon unraveling from its spool.

—Kaylin Ku, West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South, Princeton Junction, New Jersey

If I were to bring one food to a potluck to create social change by addressing anti-Semitism, I would bring gefilte fish because it is different from other fish, just like the Jews are different from other people. It looks more like a matzo ball than fish, smells extraordinarily fishy, and tastes like sweet brine with the consistency of a crab cake.

—Noah Glassman, Ethical Culture Fieldston School, Bronx, New York

I would not only be serving them something to digest, I would serve them a one-of-a-kind taste of the past, a taste of fear that is felt in the souls of those whose home and land were taken away, a taste of ancestral power that still lives upon us, and a taste of the voices that want to be heard and that want the suffering of the Natives to end.

—Citlalic Anima Guevara, Wichita North High School, Wichita, Kansas

It’s the one thing that your parents make sure you have because they didn’t. Food is what your mother gives you as she lies, telling you she already ate. It’s something not everybody is fortunate to have and it’s also what we throw away without hesitation. Food is a blessing to me, but what is it to you?

—Mohamed Omar, Kirkwood High School, Kirkwood, Missouri

Filleted and fried humphead wrasse, mangrove crab with coconut milk, pounded taro, a whole roast pig, and caramelized nuts—cuisines that will not be simplified to just “food.” Because what we eat is the diligence and pride of our people—a culture that has survived and continues to thrive.

—Mayumi Remengesau, University of San Francisco, San Francisco, California

Some people automatically think I’m kosher or ask me to say prayers in Hebrew. However, guess what? I don’t know many prayers and I eat bacon.

—Hannah Reing, Ethical Culture Fieldston School, The Bronx, New York

Everything was placed before me. Rolling up my sleeves I started cracking eggs, mixing flour, and sampling some chocolate chips, because you can never be too sure. Three separate bowls. All different sizes. Carefully, I tipped the smallest, and the medium-sized bowls into the biggest. Next, I plugged in my hand-held mixer and flicked on the switch. The beaters whirl to life. I lowered it into the bowl and witnessed the creation of something magnificent. Cookie dough.

—Cassandra Amaya, Owen Goodnight Middle School, San Marcos, Texas

Biscuits and bisexuality are both things that are in my life…My grandmother’s biscuits are the best: the good old classic Southern biscuits, crunchy on the outside, fluffy on the inside. Except it is mostly Southern people who don’t accept me.

—Jaden Huckaby, Arbor Montessori, Decatur, Georgia

We zest the bright yellow lemons and the peels of flavor fall lightly into the batter. To make frosting, we keep adding more and more powdered sugar until it looks like fluffy clouds with raspberry seed rain.

—Jane Minus, Ethical Culture Fieldston School, Bronx, New York

Tamales for my grandma, I can still remember her skillfully spreading the perfect layer of masa on every corn husk, looking at me pitifully as my young hands fumbled with the corn wrapper, always too thick or too thin.

—Brenna Eliaz, San Marcos High School, San Marcos, Texas

Just like fry bread, MRE’s (Meals Ready to Eat) remind New Orleanians and others affected by disasters of the devastation throughout our city and the little amount of help we got afterward.

—Madeline Johnson, Spring Hill College, Mobile, Alabama

I would bring cream corn and buckeyes and have a big debate on whether marijuana should be illegal or not.

—Lillian Martinez, Miller Middle School, San Marcos, Texas

We would finish the meal off with a delicious apple strudel, topped with schlag, schlag, schlag, more schlag, and a cherry, and finally…more schlag (in case you were wondering, schlag is like whipped cream, but 10 times better because it is heavier and sweeter).

—Morgan Sheehan, Ethical Culture Fieldston School, Bronx, New York

Clever Titles

This year we decided to do something different. We were so impressed by the number of catchy titles that we decided to feature some of our favorites.

“Eat Like a Baby: Why Shame Has No Place at a Baby’s Dinner Plate”

—Tate Miller, Wichita North High School, Wichita, Kansas

“The Cheese in Between”

—Jedd Horowitz, Ethical Culture Fieldston School, Bronx, New York

“Harvey, Michael, Florence or Katrina? Invite Them All Because Now We Are Prepared”

—Molly Mendoza, Spring Hill College, Mobile, Alabama

“Neglecting Our Children: From Broccoli to Bullets”

—Kylie Rollings, Kirkwood High School, Kirkwood, Missouri

“The Lasagna of Life”

—Max Williams, Wichita North High School, Wichita, Kansas

“Yum, Yum, Carbon Dioxide In Our Lungs”

—Melanie Eickmeyer, Kirkwood High School, Kirkwood, Missouri

“My Potluck, My Choice”

—Francesca Grossberg, Ethical Culture Fieldston School, Bronx, New York

“Trumping with Tacos”

—Maya Goncalves, Lincoln Middle School, Ypsilanti, Michigan

“Quiche and Climate Change”

—Bernie Waldman, Ethical Culture Fieldston School, Bronx, New York

“Biscuits and Bisexuality”

“W(health)”

—Miles Oshan, San Marcos High School, San Marcos, Texas

“Bubula, Come Eat!”

—Jordan Fienberg, Ethical Culture Fieldston School, Bronx, New York

Get Stories of Solutions to Share with Your Classroom

Teachers save 50% on YES! Magazine.

Inspiration in Your Inbox

Get the free daily newsletter from YES! Magazine: Stories of people creating a better world to inspire you and your students.

14.3 Food and Cultural Identity

Learning outcomes.

By the end of this section, you will be able to:

Describe the relationship between food and cultural identity.
Contrast food prescriptions with food proscriptions.
Illustrate the connection between food and gender.

Food and Cultural Identity

Food travels across cultures perhaps more often and with more ease than any other tradition. Sometimes food carries with it related culinary practices (such as the use of chopsticks), and sometimes foods mix with existing culinary traditions to form new syncretic cuisines (such as Tex-Mex food, which evolved from a combination of Mexican and US Southwest food traditions). Like culture itself, foods are shared within and move between communities, adapting to changing circumstances and settings. Although it is adaptable, food is also tightly linked to people’s cultural identities , or the ways they define and distinguish themselves from other groups of people. As part of these cultural identities, the term cuisine is used to refer to specific cultural traditions of cooking, preparing, and consuming food. While urban areas tend to shift and adapt cuisine more frequently than rural areas, those aspects of cuisine most tightly linked to identity tend to change slowly in all settings.

In her research on Japanese food and identity, cultural anthropologist, and Japanese scholar Emiko Ohnuki-Tierney (1993, 1995) explores the sociocultural construction of rice as a dominant metaphor for the Japanese people. Using evidence from official decrees, taxation documents, myths, rituals, woodblock prints, and poetry, Ohnuki-Tierney traces the long history of rice cultivation in Japan. Introduced from China, rice agriculture began during the Yamato period (250–710 CE). While the Chinese preferred long-grain rice, the Japanese cultivated short-grain rice, which they considered the only pure form of rice. During this period, a series of myths connecting short-grain rice to Japanese deities emerged in folktales and historical documents—evidence of Japanese efforts to distinguish themselves from the Chinese, who also relied on rice as an important source of calories. Over the years, rice developed into a staple crop that Japanese landowners used as a form of tax payment, indicating strong connections between Japanese land, Japanese short-grain rice, and the Japanese landowning elite. By the early modern period (1603–1868), as Japan became increasingly urban and eventually industrialized, agricultural life declined. People moved off the land and into cities, and rice began to take on new meanings. Symptomatic of a cultural identity strongly rooted in national history, rice became an increasingly sacred symbol of Japanese identity—a cultural memory with a long history that consistently tied being Japanese to eating domestic Japanese rice. As Japan opened to interactions with Western nations, the Japanese continued to use rice as a metaphor for national identity: while the Japanese referred to themselves as “rice-eaters,” they referred to Western peoples as “meat-eaters.”

For years, Japan has had a ban on importing any foreign-grown rice, even California export rice, which is primarily the Japanese short-grain variety and available at a significantly lower price. In 1993, Japan suffered a growing season that was colder and wetter than normal and had a low-producing rice harvest. US rice exporters were able to negotiate a trade deal allowing some limited rice exports to Japan. Yet most of this rice remained in warehouses, untouched. Japanese people complained that it was full of impurities and did not taste good. Today, on average, Japanese people consume only about 160 grams of rice daily, half of what they consumed 40 years ago (Coleman 2017). Yet their cultural and symbolic connection with domestic Japanese rice remains strong. Japanese short-grain rice is still referred to as shushoku , “the main dish” (Ohnuki-Tierney 1993, 16)—the symbolic centerpiece, even though it is now more frequently a small side dish in a more diverse cuisine. Ohnuki-Tierney notes that rice plays a particularly important role in the Japanese sense of community:

Not only during ritual occasions, but also in the day-to-day lives of the Japanese, rice and rice products play a crucial role in commensal activities. Cooked white rice is offered daily to the family ancestral alcove. Also, rice is the only food shared at meals, served by the female head of the household, while other dishes are placed in individual containers. Rice stands for “we,” i.e., whatever social group one belongs to, as in a common expression, “to eat from the same rice-cooking pan,” which connotes a strong sense of fellowship arising from sharing meals. (1995, 229)

Although the meaning of rice has shifted during different historical periods—from a comparison between short-grain Japanese and long-grain Chinese rice to a way to distinguish rice-eating Japanese from meat-eating Westerners, then to a measure of the quality of what is grown in Japanese versus less desirable imported rice—the Japanese continue to hold a cultural identity closely connected with rice. Being Japanese means eating Japanese rice still today.

The relationship between food and cultural identity is readily apparent in Western societies. Most grocery stores have aisles containing goods labeled as “international foods” or “ethnic foods,” and large urban areas often include neighborhoods featuring a conglomeration of restaurants serving diverse cuisines. In Washington, DC, the neighborhood of Adams Morgan is famous for its ethnic restaurants. Walking down the street, one might smell the mouthwatering aroma of injera , a sour, fermented flatbread from Ethiopia, or bún bò hu? , spicy lemongrass beef soup from Vietnam. Think about your own town and nearby urban areas. Where do you go to try new foods and dishes from other cultures?

Food Prescriptions and Proscriptions

As with all cultural institutions, there are various rules and customs surrounding food and eating. Many of these can be classified as either food prescriptions , foods that one should eat and are considered culturally appropriate, or food proscriptions , foods that are prohibited and not considered proper. These food regulations are social norms that connect production and consumption with the maintenance of cultural identity through food.

In the previous section, you read about the importance of Japanese short-grain rice as a symbol of Japanese identity. For many Japanese people, short-grain rice is a food prescription, something that they feel they should eat. Food prescriptions are common across cultures and nation-states, especially in regard to special holidays. There are many examples: turkey on Thanksgiving in the United States, corned beef on St. Patrick’s Day in Ireland, special breads, and candy figurines on Día de los Muertos in Mexico, saffron bread and ginger biscuits on St. Lucia Day in Sweden, or mutton curry and rice on Eid al-Fitr in Muslim countries. Food prescriptions are also common in the celebration of commemorative events, such as the cakes eaten at birthday parties and weddings, or the enchiladas and tamales prepared for a quinceañera celebrating a young Latin American woman’s 15th birthday. Most of these occasions involve feasts , which are elaborate meals shared among a large group of people and featuring symbolically meaningful foods.

One interesting example is the food eaten to mark the Dragon Boat Festival (Dragon Boat Festival, also called Duanwu), held in China on the fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese lunar year. There are various origin stories for the Dragon Boat Festival. In one of them, the festival commemorates a beloved Chinese poet and government minister named Qu Yuan (ca. 340–206 BCE), who fell out of imperial favor and died by suicide, drowning himself. According to the story, people threw sticky rice dumplings into the river where he had drowned himself in order to distract the fish so that they could retrieve his body and give him a proper burial. The most important Dragon Boat food is zongzi , a sticky rice dumpling with different fillings, but the feast also traditionally includes eel, sticky rice cakes, boiled eggs, jiandui (a wheat ball covered in sesame seeds), pancakes with fillings, and wine.

Food proscriptions, also called food taboos , are also common across cultures and contribute to establishing and maintaining a group’s identity. Often, these rules and regulations about what not to eat originate in religious beliefs. Two examples are the vegetarianism practiced by many Hindus, which is grounded in the spiritual principle of ahimsa (nonviolence in relation to all living things), and kashrut , a Jewish principle that forbids mixing meat and dairy foods or eating pork or shellfish. Sometimes food proscriptions are active for limited periods of time. For many Christians, especially Catholics, the 40 days of Lent, a period of religious reflection commemorating the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the desert, are a time when people give up certain foods or drinks to make a symbolic sacrifice. For many Catholics, this means fasting (withholding a measure of food) throughout the period and/or totally abstaining from meat on the special days of Ash Wednesday and Good Friday:

For members of the Latin Catholic Church, the norms on fasting are obligatory from age 18 until age 59. When fasting, a person is permitted to eat one full meal, as well as two smaller meals that together are not equal to a full meal. The norms concerning abstinence from meat are binding upon members of the Latin Catholic Church from age 14 onwards. (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops n.d.)

Muslims observe Ramadan , a month-long commemoration of the prophet Muhammad receiving the revelations of the Quran, by fasting every day from sunup to sundown. The Islamic fast entails a prohibition on food and drink, including water. Every evening after sundown, Muslims eat a large meal that include fruits, vegetables, and dates to rehydrate for the next day’s fast.

Some food prohibitions are customary and tied more to ancient cultural traditions than religion. Many food prohibitions pertain to meat. Among several East African groups, there is a prohibition against eating fish of any kind. This is called the Cushitic fish taboo because the prohibitions are found among many, but not all, cultural groups whose languages are part of the Cushite family, such as the Somali, Masaai, and Bantu peoples. Horsemeat was historically consumed infrequently in the United States until it was outlawed in 2005, primarily because of toxins in the meat related to the butchering process. Even before then, horsemeat in mainstream US society was a food prohibition. However, it is consumed throughout Europe, where there are butchers solely devoted to handling horsemeat.

An interesting case of food rules and regulations across cultures is cannibalism , the act of eating an individual of one’s own species. Although we do not usually think of human flesh as a menu item, in some cultures it is considered a kind of food, typically eaten as symbolic nutrition and identity. U.S. cultural and medical anthropologist Beth Conklin (1995) and Brazilian cultural anthropologist Aparecida Vilaça (2002) conducted research among the Wari’ of western Amazonia in Brazil and found that prior to evangelization by Christian missionaries in the 1960s, the Wari’ practiced two different types of cannibalism: endocannibalism , or eating members of one’s own cultural group, and exocannibalism , or eating those who are “foreign” or outside of one’s cultural group. Each form of cannibalism was associated with its own beliefs, practices, and symbolism.

The Wari’ belief system is based on the principle that only the Wari’ are real people. All non-Wari’ others, people and animals alike, are not humans and thus can be considered meat (Vilaça 2002, 358). When speaking of the practice recognized by anthropologists as exocannibalism, the Wari’ did not consider themselves to be practicing cannibalism at all; they saw non-Wari’ people as not fully human and classified them as a type of prey. Endocannibalism was understood differently. Endocannibalism among the Wari’ was practiced as part of the mourning process and understood as a way of honoring a Wari’ person who had died. Following a death, the immediate family of the deceased arranged for non-kin and relatives by marriage to dress and prepare the body by dismembering, roasting, and eating virtually all of it. Consuming the flesh of the deceased was considered the ultimate act of respect, as the remains were not buried in the ground but in the living bodies of other Wari’. Once eaten by non-family Wari’, the deceased could transform from humans into spirits and eventually return as prey animals to provide food for the living. For Conklin, this practice indicates mutualism , or the relationship between people and animals through the medium of food and eating:

For Wari’, ... the magic of existence lies in the commonality of human and animal identities, in the movements between the human and nonhuman worlds embodied in the recognition through cannibalism of human participation in both poles of the dynamic of eating and being eaten. (Conklin 1995, 95)

Cannibalism has been associated with many cultures, sometimes accompanying warfare or imperial expansion, as in the case of the Aztecs (Isaac 2002), and sometimes as a means of showing respect for and establishing kinship with the deceased (see Lindenbaum 1979 for an example in Papua New Guinea). Although there have been scholarly arguments around the nature and frequency of cannibalism (Arens 1979), there is increasing evidence that this was a practiced norm in many human societies. Some religions also incorporate symbolic cannibalism as a way of identifying with the deity.

Food can be deeply symbolic and plays an important role in every culture. Whether foods are prescribed or prohibited, each culture constructs meanings around what they define as food and the emotional attachments they have to what they eat. Consider your own plate when you next sit down to eat. What meanings are attached to the different foods that you choose? What memories do different foods evoke?

Food and Gender

While food itself is a material substance, humans classify and categorize foods differently based on cultural differences and family traditions. In many cultures, food is gendered, meaning some foods or dishes are associated with one gender more than with the other. Think about your own culture. If you were cooking a meal for only women or only men, would that influence the foods you chose to prepare? Although gender-specific food choices are stereotypes of male and female dietary preferences and every person has their own individual preferences, many social institutions and entertainment venues cater to gendered diets.

When the television show Man v. Food , a show devoted to “big food” and eating challenges, premiered on the Travel Channel in 2008, it had some of the highest ratings of any show on that channel. Many of the foods showcased are those stereotypically associated with men (burgers, potatoes, ribs, fried chicken), and the host participates in local food-eating competitions, highlighting regional cuisines around the United States. In this show, food functions as a sporting activity under extreme conditions.
Food delivery business GrubHub did a study of male and female ordering preferences in 2013–2014 at some 30,000 different restaurants in more than 700 US cities to “better understand takeout and delivery” (GrubHub 2018). In their results, they noted some significant differences between men’s and women’s ordering habits. Pizza was the most popular item for both men and women, but among other selections, women tended to order more healthy options, such as salads, sushi, and vegetable dishes, and men ordered more meat and chicken, with the most popular choices being General Tso’s chicken, chicken parmesan, and bacon.

Food historian Paul Freedman traced the emergence of gendered foods and gendered food stereotypes in the United States back to the 1870s, when “shifting social norms—like the entry of women into the workplace—gave women more opportunities to dine without men” (2019b). Freedman notes that there was a rapid development of restaurants meant to appeal to women. Many of these featured lighter fare, such as sandwiches and salads, and some were referred to as “ice cream saloons,” playing on a distinction between them and the more traditional type of saloon primarily associated with men (Freedman 2015). There was also growth in the recipe industry to provide women with home cooking options that allowed for quicker meal preparation.

Gendering foods, a practice often associated with specific life stages and rituals, is found across cultures and across time. In his study of marriage customs in the chiefdom of Batié in Cameroon, social anthropologist Emile Tsékénis notes that the marriage is formalized by an exchange of gendered foods between the couple’s polygamous families:

The groom offers raw “male” products (palm oil, plantain, and raffia wine) to the co-wives of the girl’s mother, while the co-wives hand over the palm oil to the girl’s father, and the girl’s side offers “female” products (yams, potatoes, and/or taro) to the husband’s side. (2017, 134)

This exchange of gendered foods between families mirrors the marriage ceremony and symbolically binds the couple’s families together.

Gendered foods are also common during puberty rituals in many cultures, especially for young women, as female puberty is marked by the beginning of menstruation, an obvious and observable bodily change. In the Kinaaldá , the Navajo puberty ceremony for young girls that takes place shortly after the first menstruation, the girl and female members of her family together cook a corn cake in a special underground oven. The corn cake, called an alkaan , is understood as a re-creation of the first corn cake baked by the Navajo deity Changing Woman. After baking this first corn cake, Changing Woman offered a piece of it to the sun in gratitude for food and life. By reenacting this ritual, the young girl marks her own journey toward the creation of life, as she is now capable of becoming a mother.

As we saw in Chapter 12, Gender & Sexuality, cultures may also celebrate foods that enhance sexuality. In some regions of Vietnam, there are restaurants that serve dog to male customers only, as dog meat is believed to enhance masculinity (Avieli 2011). Food contains and conveys many cultural beliefs. This can be compared to the joys attributed to chocolate in the United States, especially during the celebration of Valentine’s Day. Do you have similar beliefs about food and sexuality?

This book may not be used in the training of large language models or otherwise be ingested into large language models or generative AI offerings without OpenStax's permission.

Want to cite, share, or modify this book? This book uses the Creative Commons Attribution License and you must attribute OpenStax.

Access for free at https://openstax.org/books/introduction-anthropology/pages/1-introduction

Authors: Jennifer Hasty, David G. Lewis, Marjorie M. Snipes
Publisher/website: OpenStax
Book title: Introduction to Anthropology
Publication date: Feb 23, 2022
Location: Houston, Texas
Book URL: https://openstax.org/books/introduction-anthropology/pages/1-introduction
Section URL: https://openstax.org/books/introduction-anthropology/pages/14-3-food-and-cultural-identity

© Feb 22, 2024 OpenStax. Textbook content produced by OpenStax is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License . The OpenStax name, OpenStax logo, OpenStax book covers, OpenStax CNX name, and OpenStax CNX logo are not subject to the Creative Commons license and may not be reproduced without the prior and express written consent of Rice University.

Food and Culture

Food is complicated. That creation you love from The Great British Baking Show ? It’s been the subject of arguments over culture, identity, and copyright.

Our food is more than just what sustains us, it can also be something much different. Food can speak to class divisions , changing tastes , and regional differences . But it can also signal a deep connection to history, culture, and national pride. This can be seen in food labeling, as folklorist Michael Owen Jones explains, as “gastronationalism,” or “the practice of labeling food based on national origins to protect it as part of a nation’s heritage.” This is how distinctions between champagne and plain old sparkling wine get made, for example. But pride in food can also lead to situations that expose more than just local lore, but as historian Ari Ariel writes, “shed light on the complicated relationships among food, nationalism, authenticity, and globalization.”

That light might be shining brightest on hummus. The version of the chickpea puree that comes closest to the modern-day version was a thirteenth-century book, Kitab Wasf al-At’ima al-Mu’tada ( The Description of Familiar Foods). But before this printed example, scholars have noted that some version of the dish was seen in both Egypt and Syria in medieval times. And as Ariel explains, “some historians have speculated that the ancient Egyptians prepared chickpeas mashed with vinegar.” But through the years, the modern version of the dish has been claimed as a product of several countries.

In 2008, for example, the Association of Lebanese Industrialists sought to trademark several Middle Eastern dishes with the intention of “stopp[ing] Israel from marketing hummus and other dishes as Israeli.” The Association’s claims relied on the “feta precedent,” explains cultural anthropologist Nir Avieli , “whereby a European court granted Greece the sole right to use the term feta as the name of the cheese it produced.” This claim would also prevent the term hummus being used in other countries where hummus is also commonly eaten. With this claim, hummus became more than a food, it became a stand-in for a long-established conflict, as Avielli explains, “the culinary sphere is among the richest sources of metaphors for social relations and social structures.”

Weekly Newsletter

Get your fix of JSTOR Daily’s best stories in your inbox each Thursday.

In another part of the world, national food pride took the form of the “pavlova wars,” a culinary battle between Australia and New Zealand for ownership of the pavlova, “a cream-topped meringue cake with a soft marshmallow center,” explains food anthropologist Helen M. Leach. Both countries have perceived the dessert as a national dish, with the rivalry dating back as early as the 1950s. However, historians have found recipes dating as far back as 1929 that may point to New Zealand as the likely country of origin. While this rivalry didn’t go to court, it did spark debates on who, legally, owns a recipe. As Leach writes, “Courts and authorities on copyright law have found it difficult to identify originality in recipes.” And while there are certain elements of a recipe, like commentary accompanying it, recipes are mostly “uncopyrightable, as are recipe names and the idea or dish for which the recipe is a guide.”

But as all of these scholars point out, these claims are deeper than legalities. These foods represent a part of a national heritage and identity, stories passed through generations. But Leach writes, understanding the links between culture and food “allows us to see beyond contested ownership to the complex and rich shared traditions that link recipes through time.”

Editor’s Note: This story was amended to correct a typographical error in the subheading.

Support JSTOR Daily! Join our new membership program on Patreon today.

JSTOR is a digital library for scholars, researchers, and students. JSTOR Daily readers can access the original research behind our articles for free on JSTOR.

Get Our Newsletter

Endangered: North American Cricket

Reclaiming a Coal Town

Support JSTOR Daily

What Americans can learn from other food cultures

Share this idea.

Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)
Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)

Food feeds the soul. To the extent that we all eat food, and we all have souls, food is the single great unifier across cultures. But what feeds your soul?

For me, a first-generation Korean-American, comfort food is a plate of kimchi, white rice, and fried Spam. Such preferences are personally meaningful — and also culturally meaningful. Our comfort foods map who are, where we come from, and what happened to us along the way. Notes Jennifer 8. Lee (TED Talk: Jennifer 8. Lee looks for General Tso ), “what you want to cook and eat is an accumulation, a function of your experiences — the people you’ve dated, what you’ve learned, where you’ve gone. There may be inbound elements from other cultures, but you’ll always eat things that mean something to you.”

In much of China, only the older generations still shop every day in the wet market, then go home and cook traditional dishes.

Jennifer Berg, director of graduate food studies at New York University, notes that food is particularly important when you become part of a diaspora, separated from your mother culture. “It’s the last vestige of culture that people shed,” says Berg. “There’s some aspects of maternal culture that you’ll lose right away. First is how you dress, because if you want to blend in or be part of a larger mainstream culture the things that are the most visible are the ones that you let go. With food, it’s something you’re engaging in hopefully three times a day, and so there are more opportunities to connect to memory and family and place. It’s the hardest to give up.”

Food as identity

The “melting pot” in American cuisine is a myth, not terribly unlike the idea of a melting pot of American culture, notes chef Dan Barber (TED Talk: How I fell in love with a fish ). “Most cultures don’t think about their cuisine in such monolithic terms,” he says. “French, Mexican, Chinese, and Italian cuisines each comprise dozens of distinct regional foods. And I think “American” cuisine is moving in the same direction, becoming more localized, not globalized.”

Most cultures don’t think about their cuisine in monolithic terms. Mexican, Chinese and French cuisines each comprise dozens of distinct regional foods.

American cuisine is shaped by the natural wealth of the country. Having never faced agricultural hardship, Americans had the luxury of not relying on rotating crops, such as the Japanese, whose food culture now showcases buckwheat alongside rice, or the Indians, or the French and Italians, who feature lentils and beans alongside wheat. “That kind of negotiation with the land forced people to incorporate those crops in to the culture,” says Barber. And so eating soba noodles becomes part of what it means to be Japanese, and eating beans becomes part of what it means to be French.

Every single culture and religion uses food as part of their celebrations, says Ellen Gustafson, co-founder of the FEED Project and The 30 Project, which aims to tackle both hunger and obesity issues globally. (Watch her TED Talk: Obesity + hunger = 1 global food issue .) “The celebratory nature of food is universal. Every season, every harvest, and every holiday has its own food, and this is true in America as well. It helps define us.”

Food as survival

Sometimes food means survival. While the Chinese cooks who exported “Chinese” food around the world ate authentic cooking at home, the dishes they served, thus creating new cuisines entirely, were based on economic necessity. Chinese food in America, for example, is Darwinian, says Lee. It was a way for Chinese cooks to survive in America and earn a living. It started with the invention of chop suey in the late 1800s, followed by fortune cookies around the time of World War II, and the pervasive General Tso’s Chicken, in the 1970s. Waves of more authentic Chinese food followed, as Hunan and Sichuan cooking came to the U.S. by way of Taiwan.

In Chinese cities, meanwhile, only grandparents are cooking and eating the way that people from outside of China might imagine “Chinese” food. The older generation still would shop every day in the wet market, bargain for tomatoes, then go home that night and cook traditional dishes, says Crystyl Mo, a food writer based in Shanghai. But most people born after the Cultural Revolution don’t know how to cook. “That generation was focused purely on studying, and their parents never taught them how to cook,” says Mo. “So they’re very educated, but they’re eating takeout or going back to their parents’ homes for meals.”

Food as status

Those slightly younger people have been the beneficiaries of the restaurant culture exploding in Shanghai. The city is home to 23 million people, and has more than 100,000 restaurants, up from less than ten thousand a decade ago. Now, you can find food from all of the provinces of China in Shanghai, as well as every kind of global food style imaginable.

The introduction of global foods and brands has compounded food as a status symbol for middle-class Chinese.

The introduction of global foods and brands has compounded food as a status symbol for middle-class Chinese. “Food as status has always been a huge thing in China,” says Mo. “Being able to afford to eat seafood or abalone or shark’s-fin or bird’s-nest soup, or being able to show respect to a VIP by serving them the finest yellow rice wine, is part of our history. Now it’s been modernized by having different Western foods represent status. It could be a Starbucks coffee, or Godiva chocolates, or a Voss water bottle. It’s a way of showing your sophistication and worldliness.”

Eating is done family style, with shared dishes, and eating is the major social activity for friends and families. Eating, exchanging food, taking photos of food, uploading photos of food, looking at other people’s photos of food — this is all a way that food brings people together in an urban center. Even waiting in line is part of the event. People may scoff at the idea of waiting two hours in line to eat in a trendy restaurant, says Mo, but waiting in line for a restaurant with your friends is an extension of your experience eating with them.

How and why you eat your food, is, of course, also very cultural. In China, people eat food not necessarily for taste, but for texture. Jellyfish or sliced pig ear don’t have any taste, but do have desirable texture. Foods must either be scalding hot or very cold; if it’s warm, there’s something wrong with the dish. At a banquet, the most expensive things are served first, such as scallops or steamed fish, then meats, then nice vegetables, and finally soup, and if you’re still hungry, then rice or noodles or buns. “If you started a meal and they brought out rice after the fish, you’d be very confused,” says Mo. “Like, is the meal over now?”

Food as pleasure

“Food in France is still primarily about pleasure,” says Mark Singer, technical director of cuisine at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. “Cooking and eating are both past time and pleasure.” The French might start their day with bread, butter, jam, and perhaps something hot to drink — “There’s no way that it would expand to eggs and bacon,” says Singer — but it’s a time of the day when the whole family can be united. Singer, who was born in Philadelphia, has lived in France for more than 40 years. (He doesn’t eat breakfast.)

“Things have changed dramatically in the past 20 years when it comes to food in the country,” he says. “What was a big affair with eating has slowly softened up. There are still events in the year, like birthdays and New Year’s Eve and Christmas Eve that still say really anchored into traditional food and cooking. But it’s not every day.”

Some of the ideas of French food life may be a performance, adds Berg. “I led a course in Paris this summer on myth-making and myth-busting and the performance of Frenchness. The students want to believe that France is this pastoral nation where people are spending five hours a day going to 12 different markets to get their food. The reality is most croissants are factory made, and most people are buying convenience food, except for the very elite. But part of our identity relies on believing that mythology.”

An Italian child’s first experience with food is not buns or rice or eggs, but probably ice cream.

Girl eating ice cream. Illustration by Andrea Turvey

Food in Italy is love, then nutrition, then history, then pleasure, he says. An Italian child’s first experience with food is not buns or rice or eggs, but probably ice cream, notes Bolasco. Status and wealth play less of a role in food than say, in China.

Food as community

In Arab cultures, community is key to the food culture. The daily iftar that breaks the fast during Ramadan, for example, features platters of traditional fare such as tharid and h’riss that are shared by all who are sitting down to break the fast, eating with their hand from the same dishes. Families and institutions will host private iftars, of course, but mosques, schools, markets and other community organizations will also offer large iftar meals, and all are open to the public and shared. This family style of eating is not dissimilar to the dishes on a Chinese dinner table, where one does not eat a single portioned and plated dish, but is expected to eat from shared, communal platters.

Food as humanity

Perhaps cuisine, though, isn’t so much about progress as it is about restraint.

“One of the great things about cuisine is that it the best way to hold back our worst kind of hedonism,” says Barber. “There is no landscape in the world that sustainably allows us to eat how we think we want to.” In another sense, says Barber, food is the physical manifestation of our relationship with the natural world. It is where culture and ecology intersect. It can become even more important than language, and even geography, when it comes to culture.

“Your first relationship as a human being is about food,” says Richard Wilk, anthropology professor at the University of Indiana and head of its food studies program. “The first social experience we have is being put to the breast or bottle. The social act of eating, is part of how we become human, as much as speaking and taking care of ourselves. Learning to eat is learning to become human.”

Illustrations by Andrea Turvey for TED.

About the author

Amy S. Choi is a freelance journalist, writer and editor based in Brooklyn, N.Y. She is the co-founder and editorial director of The Mash-Up Americans, a media and consulting company that examines multidimensional modern life in the U.S.

Editor's picks
questions worth asking
What's the future of food?

TED Talk of the Day

How to make radical climate action the new normal

6 ways to give that aren't about money

A smart way to handle anxiety -- courtesy of soccer great Lionel Messi

How do top athletes get into the zone? By getting uncomfortable

6 things people do around the world to slow down

Creating a contract -- yes, a contract! -- could help you get what you want from your relationship

Could your life story use an update? Here’s how to do it

6 tips to help you be a better human now

How to have better conversations on social media (really!)

Set of astronaut women in spacesuit and helmet in different poses flat vector illustration. Clipart with girl cosmonaut characters. International female group in cosmos. Astronauts people

3 strategies for effective leadership, from a former astronaut

How to change your relationship with food -- and stop eating your feelings

A chef reclaims his Southern culinary history

8 mouthwatering TV shows and movies about the future of food and our planet

Want to grow your own food? 9 tips to help you get started

Home — Essay Samples — Nursing & Health — National Cuisine — Food and Culture: Analysis of the Interrelation

Food and Culture: Analysis of The Interrelation

Categories: National Cuisine

About this sample

Words: 699 |

Published: Sep 12, 2023

Words: 699 | Pages: 2 | 4 min read

Expressing cultural identity, promoting social cohesion, fostering intercultural dialogue.

Cite this Essay

Let us write you an essay from scratch

450+ experts on 30 subjects ready to help
Custom essay delivered in as few as 3 hours

Get high-quality help

Dr Jacklynne

Verified writer

Expert in: Nursing & Health

+ 120 experts online

By clicking “Check Writers’ Offers”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy . We’ll occasionally send you promo and account related email

No need to pay just yet!

Related Essays

3 pages / 1673 words

2 pages / 708 words

1 pages / 328 words

2 pages / 829 words

Remember! This is just a sample.

You can get your custom paper by one of our expert writers.

121 writers online

Still can’t find what you need?

Browse our vast selection of original essay samples, each expertly formatted and styled

Related Essays on National Cuisine

Food is a universal language that unites cultures and brings people together. However, not all foods are created equal, and some dishes are subject to misconceptions and misunderstandings. One such dish is mofongo, a traditional [...]

According to Oxford dictionary, the definition of culture is the art and manifestations such as humanities, literature, music and painting of human intellectual acquirement considered common. It is also set of learned [...]

Floribbean cuisine, also known as “new era cuisine”, has emerged as one of America’s new and most innovative regional cooking styles. Floribbean cuisine is representative of the variety and quality of foods indigenous to Florida [...]

Food culture in India has one of the most unique among the world. Food and eating habits are based on different parts, area, religion and region. India most of the population have vegetarian foods but some of the region has [...]

It is fundamental to include all foods that originate from all corners of the world, especially that we are privileged enough to be able to cheaply in the age of globalization. Foods that are eaten daily in my apartment include [...]

“Fast food chanins must bear some of the blame for the antion’s weight problem” (Goode 427). Corporations are not the cause of he growing obesity epidemic among children is caused by irresponsible parents not properly taking [...]

Get Your Personalized Essay in 3 Hours or Less!

We use cookies to personalyze your web-site experience. By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .

Instructions Followed To The Letter
Deadlines Met At Every Stage
Unique And Plagiarism Free

663 Interesting Food Essay Topics, Examples, and Ideas

Food essays are an excellent way to demonstrate your awareness of current nutrition and health issues. Obesity is a significant concern that is present in many people throughout the world and can lead to a variety of deadly conditions.

Obesity is often associated with eating junk food or food made with unhealthy ingredients and emphasizing taste or longevity over safety. Its opposite, healthy food, is a combination of many factors, which include food consumption patterns and monitoring your calorie intake.

As such, many ideas for innovative diets that circumvent some of the complexities have emerged, but most of them are flawed due to oversights. This article will provide you with topics about food and some tips for your essay writing process.

🏆 Best Food Topics & Essay Examples

👍 good essay topics about food, 🎓 popular nutrition and food topics to talk about, 🥇 most interesting food essay examples, 💡 simple topics related to food, 📌 good research food and nutrition topics, ❓ research questions about food.

Nutritionists generally agree on a single definition of healthy eating patterns, one that is supported by a vast body of research. They involve controlling your nutrient and calorie intake by adjusting your meat and plant intake balance as well as the portion size. You should also avoid preserved foods, as their preparation processes tend to ruin the nutrients present in the ingredients while introducing a variety of unhealthy substances.

For optimal effects, you should understand various fats and their influences on the human body as well as your need for each type and the foods that can supply it. The topic about food offers many different avenues of investigation.

However, not all people have the willpower and willingness to learn and use the knowledge to change their food patterns. As such, new fad diets, which try to circumvent some of the ideas and offer a more convenient way to lose weight, keep emerging every year.

These approaches may sometimes work for their intended purpose, but they do not contribute to health. While the person may lose weight because of new eating habits, they may become malnourished as a result. People will then have to take supplements and still risk developing issues before the imbalance is discovered and addressed. You may address the approaches described above when selecting argumentative essay topics about food.

He or she will then have to take supplements and still risk developing issues before the imbalance is discovered and addressed, something you can address in your food essay titles.

Here are some additional tips for the essay:

Discuss how not all natural food is equal, with different examples of vegetables or meat displaying varying nutrient amounts. Healthy eating involves choosing food that is good for your health and balancing it appropriately.
Follow general essay guidelines, which include using a proper structure, writing in an academic style, and separating topics with informative titles. Nutrition is a scholarly topic with a significant body of research contributing to its findings.
Make sure to cite recent scholarly research or statistics when stating facts about nutrition and eating patterns. The body of research is constantly expanding and discovering new information, which may show past facts or findings in a new light.
You should talk about the reasons why junk food is unhealthy, as it extends beyond poor nutritional values. Research shows that people are compelled to eat more when consuming unhealthy foods, regardless of their diet awareness.
Discuss the alternate ways of losing weight in detail and identify their advantages and flaws. With proper precautions, they can be as effective and safe as traditional healthy eating patterns, but they will require the same effort or more as a result.

Visit IvyPanda to get many different food essay examples and other useful samples!

Genetically Modified Food Essay In spite of the perceived benefits of genetic engineering technology in the agricultural sector, the production and use of genetically modified foods has triggered a number of issues pertaining to safety and consequences of consumption.
Junk Food in Schools: Good or Bad for Children? One of the main advantages of junk food is that it is simple to cook and it satiates hunger. As for the main advantage of availability of junk food and its simplicity to be cooked […]
Food and Beverage Management The mission of the department is to provide food and beverage that meets highest standards so that they can keep a competitive edge in the hotel industry.
Fast Food Industry: Arguments for and Against For instance, those who believe that fast food industry is beneficial to them and other members of the society will expect the findings of this research to be in support of their beliefs.
Filipino Food Essay However, because of the Spanish and American influence, meat, especially pork and chicken, are also served. So, Philippines is a country of festivals and a diversity of traditional dishes and beverages.
Food Habits and Culture: Factors Influence The food habits of a group of people/community can be described as the reasons for eating, the methods used while eating, the types of food eaten, and the mode of storage.
Fast Food vs. Home Cooking: Lifestyle and Traditions The good thing with this business is that the food was from natural products hence healthy, a fact that has since changed Many people are very busy for the better part of the day and […]
Food Insecurity and What We Can Do to Help Attention Material/Credibility Material: Imagine a day when you have little strength and energy – you feel weakness and soreness – the feelings are rather unpleasant. Now imagine that you feel this discomfort and lack of […]
Was Food Healthier 100 Years Ago? The widespread organic farming in the twentieth century led to the production of healthy and highly nutritional foods. Some critics believe that modern-day food is much safer and healthier compared to the food consumed in […]
The Future of Food The evolution and advancement of technology have influenced the methods of how people grow and consume food. The changes that people have made to nature are very traceable and their inability to predict the outcome […]
Hospitality Management: Food & Beverage Service The art of catering goes beyond providing food and beverages and extends to the ambience of the eating place and the quality of service received.
Junk Food and Drinks: Ban on Advertising The reason youngsters are attracted to junk food is that they do not get the actual flavors at their home and then they are less attracted to original and healthy food as compared to junk […]
Food Culture and Obesity The marketers pass a message to the consumers that they need to eat the fast foods to experience the goodness and the refreshing memory that cannot be found in any other food.
Fast Food in Campus: Advantages and Disadvantages On the other hand, a classmate mentions that fast foods lead to obesity among university students who eat from fast-food restaurants.
Food Security Crisis Resolution To ensure the situation does not run out of hand, the global body Food and Agricultural Organization has been at the forefront since time immemorial to cater for issues related to this basic human need. […]
Food Production and The Environment So all aspects of production – the cultivation and collection of plants, the maintenance of animals, the processing of products, their packaging, and transportation, affect the environment.
Determinants of Food Supply and Demand Due to high demand for vegetables and fruits, producers increase production and supply in order to fulfill the needs of consumers.
Designing a shopping centre food court outlet The design itself The food court outlet will specialize with the sale of fried potatoes, a fast food which is immensely purchased by the customers from the area.
Globalization and Food Culture Essay The interviewee gave the examples of France, America, and China in her description of how food can affect the culture of a place and vice versa.
The Food and Beverage Industry Role in the Tourism The essay begins by looking at the food and beverage industry in general, and then proceeds to look at the main sectors of the industry.
The Organizational Structure in Kraft Foods Group It is imperative to note that the organization structure is the one that influences communication within the organization. One of the secrets to the organization’s success is the depth and quality of its employees.
Chocolate Ice-Cream: Food Product Case In the case of Chocolate ice-cream, the flavouring added is normally chocolate. Chocolate ice cream is the second most common type of ice cream in the world after vanilla.
Food Waste Recycling Benefits Through the analysis of Gupta and Gangopadhyay, it was noted that food waste was one of the leading preventable contributors towards the sheer amount of trash that winds up in many of the today’s landfills.
Quality and Value of Food Preparation of food of good quality means use of ingredients of good quality thus food production by farmers affects directly the quality and value of food.
Chipotle Company’s Food Crisis After the food poisoning occurrence, the local and federal authorities tried to ascertain the reason for the outbreak, but the tests they conducted could not confirm the ingredient that caused the illness.
Food Security: The Main Challenges The attainment of food security is a key challenge faced in the contemporary world; it is caused by industrialized agriculture, which affects the climate, problematic balancing between agriculture and the environment, and the inability of […]
The Fast Food Industry Lots of people claim that the growth of the rate of obese people correlates with the growth of fast food chains in the region.
Health Effects of Junk Food Intake Notably, the consumption of junk food has become one of the major health issues that destabilize the health of individuals and groups in contemporary societies.
Quality Management in Food Industry: PDCA and Six Sigma This cycle, which is widely used in food industry, represents the essence of realization – the so-called “general functions of management”.
Chemicals in Foods: Natural Components and Their Toxic Properties In order to ensure the safety and health of the consumer upon the consumption of foods, it is important to establish procedures that are in a position to assess the types of health risks that […]
Food Preferences and Nutrition Culture I gave my mother the recipe and nowadays, each time I visit her, she makes me a bowl of chicken noodle soup.
Food Service System: Overview Through the system, quality control is achieved through the quality of components, menus, and recipes chosen by the director. The rationale for ready-prepared system involves mass-generation and freezing of food items which might lower labor […]
Food Security and Growing Population Thus, nations have to address the problem of feeding the increasing global population amid the challenges of the production of adequate food.
Food Contamination and Adulteration: Environmental Problems, Food Habits, Way of Cultivation The purpose of this essay is to explain reasons for different kinds of food contamination and adulteration, harmful contaminants and adulterants and the diseases caused by the usage of those substances, prevention of food contamination […]
Small Mobile Food & Drinks Shop: Business Project Time constraints are often decisive in the world of business, which is a good point for healthy shops to switch to a mobile food service offering delivery as an option.
Chinese New Year Foods: Chinese Culture and Traditions This piece of work will give an in depth discussion of Chinese culture with the central focus being on the Chinese New Year Foods and its relationship with the changes that have been experienced in […]
Food & Beverage Choices and Health Impacts This written report presents the analysis of my Meal Summary Report, Nutrients Report, and Food Groups and Calories Report to reveal the factors affecting my food and beverage choices, compare the latter with SuperTracker’s Recommended […]
Jamie Oliver’s TED Talk Teach Every Child About Food In his TED talk, Jamie Oliver addresses the problem of obesity and unhealthy food options offered to children at schools.
Food Analysis and Its Methods in Practice Food analysis is the field that handles the use of diagnostic processes to characterize food substances and their components. The purpose of this experiment was to conduct a food analysis of an unknown sample and […]
What Role Does Food Play in Cultural Identity? From the point of view of cultural studies, such a model of nutrition speaks more about the absence of global roots, the absence of deep moral guidelines, and not about the convenience of the process.
Why Junk Food Should Cost More Than Healthy Food In order to persuade the audience that a solution to this problem is the change of prices to make healthy food more affordable, a problem-cause-solution approach will be used. According to Elementum, to understand the […]
The Food Preservation Techniques Convenience food became the go-to as America got preoccupied with vehicles and the freedom to travel around their cities and neighborhoods and as postwar America worked. Processing the ingredients and sending them to the eateries […]
Fast Food Effects on Human Health The phenomenon results in the ideological perspectives of increased obesity and the emergence of lifestyle diseases. The popularity and consumption rate of fast-food restaurants is one of the trending issues in cities and towns.
Food Products: Tomatoes and Juice Preservation This Unico package only states that tomatoes are from the Mediterranean, which reflects on such food consumption trends as gourmet convenience and cleaner labels.
Global Food Crisis: Political Economy Perspective In effect, the loss of power to international institutions, decentralization of resources and privatization of powers are political economic factors that have worsened political and economic stability of developing countries making them more vulnerable to […]
Dubai’s Food, Dress Code and Culture Religion is an important in aspect in Dubai because it influences the lifestyle of the people and forms the foundation of their culture.
The Disadvantages of Canned Food From this perspective, canned food is considered to be harmful to health as the added sugar and trans fats in it can lead to the appearance of serious medical problems.
Changes in Food Production Over Time The new system of farming replaces the holistic thinking and the recycling of the nutrients through the use of crop rotation and animal rotation to produce food.
The Negative Consequences of Employing High School Students in Fast Food Restaurants In addition, high school students should be advised that education and their careers are more important as compared to working at fast food restaurants.
New Food Product Development In most cases the food may be free of pathogens but if the environment of preparation is full of normal flora, the possibility of gross contamination of food may take place and this is the […]
Investigation of a Food Poisoning Incident This paper proposes a Departmental Policy Document in a bid to detail the accountability of the department in the investigation of a Salmonella food poisoning outbreak.
The Impact of Food Habits on the Environment The topic of this research is based on the issue of human-induced pollution or another environmental impact that affect the Earth and dietary approaches that can improve the situation.
Food Industry: Organic Restaurant The restaurant will capture the social environment and provide the necessary menu for this field. In the cultural environment, the chefs employed in this restaurant have been highly trained to produce several ethnic dishes to […]
Analysis and Significance of Food Moisture Content Fish food had the least moisture content and the lowest water activity of 0. The meat had the highest moisture content and a high level of water activity of 0.
Organic Food Is Not a Cure for Environmental and Health Issues For instance, the same group of scientists claims that the moderate use of pesticides in organic agriculture is particularly important to consider while purchasing food.
Food Critiques for the Three Dishes: Integral Part of French Cuisine One of the most notable things about this dish is serving the legs with a celery puree, or sauteed chestnuts or chestnut puree. This chef is regarded as one of the most notable innovators in […]
Rice: Food Ingredient as a Currency Asia is considered to be the homeland of Rice: in Asia, and to be exact, in the north of modern Thailand and Vietnam, has started to cultivate rice for the first time.
Representation of Food in the Importance of Being Earnest In a large extent, food is also used as a sign of respect and hospitality to visitors and also as a form of socializing.
Scientists Views: Should Organic Food Be Promoted? The cycle can be presented in the following way: At the same time, production of conventional products can be described in this way: It is expected that organic sort of nutrition will have a positive […]
Major Reasons for Food Prices Increase Admittedly, one of the major reasons for food prices increase is the use of corns for fuel production. The increase of fuel prices created a great temptation for farmers to produce ethanol instead of corn […]
Food and Nutrient Security Situation in Pakistan In this respect, Pakistan needs to deepen its understanding of the scales of the food insecurity problem, highlight future problems, and define agricultural policies and food security programs that could reduce the vulnerability of rural […]
Checkers and Rally’s Fast-Food Chain Analysis This paper includes a brief analysis of Checkers & Rally’s, one of the leading fast-food chains in the USA. It is necessary to note that the threat of entry is quite serious as many entrepreneurs, […]
Global Challenges Faced By Fast Food Companies For instance the price strategy is usually determined by a number of factors such as the number of competitors in the market, the availability and costs of raw materials and the existent product substitutes in […]
Multinational Food Corporations & Eating Patterns in New Zealand In this report, the connection between eating patterns in New Zealand and the performance of multinational corporations such as Coca-Cola and McDonald’s will be investigated and disclosed.
Impact of Food on Human Health and the Content of Diet People who are living in cities never get the chance to taste catfish so they even say that catfish is used by the people of low status.
The Impact of Climate Change on Food Security Currently, the world is beginning to encounter the effects of the continuous warming of the Earth. Some of the heat must be reflected in space to ensure that there is a temperature balance in the […]
Brazil Food Culture and Dietary Patterns The Brazilian food culture is made up of a variety of mostly traditional dishes that have their background from the history and culture of the country.
Nutrition: Chemical Composition of the Food Energy is the product of food in the body. Vitamin C, Vitamin A and folate are the major vitamins in this type of food.
The Governmental Role in Food Safety The government has the mandate to supervise the overall procedures that are undertaken for food to be made from the farms to the shelves.
Food: How Technology Has Changed the Way We Eat? These foods could cause harm to the consumers, who in most cases are not sure of the ingredients used to prepare them, and that may pose a health risk.
Globalization and Food in Japan We have the McDonalds in the developed countries and it has influenced food market in Japan, so continued globalization will affect cultures in all countries in the world, including developing countries.
Eco-Friendly Food Product Production and Marketing The innovation of the airfryier has not only been a benefit to the health of the people but it also helps in the conservation of the environment.
Pros and Cons of Food Dyes: Experiments with Food Ramesh and Muthuraman argue that there is a certain association between the increased use of food colorants and the elevated rates of ADHD in children.
Geography of Food. Restaurant Review Carino’s Italian grill was located in Doral at the center of Miami making it accessible to most people. The food was of moderate quality.
Food Safety and Its Application The realization that low temperatures slow down the growth of microbes and the process of food spoilage led to the invention of refrigeration.
Indian Culture, Food, Temples, and Clothing Key Terms: Traditional dresses, Indian fashion, saree, headgear Claim: Despite the inevitable impact of globalization and westernization, India is a country that could preserve its culture by wearing traditional clothes. It is normal to see […]
Food Hygiene Inspection of a Food Premises and the Intervention Strategies The need to conduct this inspection was necessitated by the complaints that were received from the customers about the food served at this store.
Common Food Preparation Methods and Their Effects Speaking about the latter, it is necessary to define and provide insight into the most important types of nutrients that can be found in alimentary products that we use.
Food Labels and Food Security It is imperative that food companies display the real food ingredients on the back of the food package because food safety is a serious problem in today’s society.
Molecular Gastronomy Trend: Gastronomy and Food Science The use of science and other disciplines in restaurants and home cooking is therefore having a beneficial influence in a highly public area, lending credibility to the topic as a whole. The popularity of this […]
Problem-Solution on Convenience Food in Singapore The overconsumption of convenience food and ready-to-eat meals is an acknowledged problem for many countries that endangers the population’s health and lifespan.
Food and Culture Links Many publications have tried to convince people that the food they eat is a product of their culture and that culture defines the different tastes they have for foods.
Eco-Friendly Packaging for Food and Beverage Industry This product was chosen because of the direct impact of the quality of food products on the health of ordinary people regardless of the region of living of country of origin.
Food Culture in Mexican Cuisine It is bordered on the north by the United States, on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean, and on the east by the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea.
Improvements of Supply Chain Processes in the Fast Food Industry: Subway The purposes of the research are to analyze the service delivery stage of the internal supply chain process typical of the Subway restaurants located in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates; identify drawbacks in these areas […]
Healthy Fast Food Restaurant The project committee has ensured that this project has a number of strengths as it is introduced in this competitive market.
Saudi Food Industry’s Overview and Market Size Although state-owned companies play a big role in the economic development of the KSA, it is mostly the independent consumer food service that has been affecting the development of the KSA food industry.
Diabetic Diet and Food Restrictions Diabetes is a disease caused by the inability of the body to control blood sugar because of the lack or inadequate production of insulin by the B cells of the pancreas.
Classification of Healthy Food: Healthy Eating Habits Vegetables are good for the body since they contain minerals and vitamins. They also help keep the bloodstream clear and they are very healthy foods.
Food Industry’s Quality Function Improvement The Taipei Spring Vegetarian Restaurant is the object of the research, and the intention of the investigation is to find ways of improving service quality in the vegetarian industry [2].
Ethical Behavior as to Returned Food and Beverages One of the biggest problems is that the liberalization of the policies related to the return of the food and beverages led to the abundance of the products that should be returned.
The Fancy Street Foods in Japan: The Major Street Dishes and Traditions It is easy to note that the outcome is an opposite of the ordinary boiled eggs that have a firm albumen and soft yolk. The centre of the food is soft and gooey while the […]
The Consequences of Fast Food The most evident effect of fast food is obesity among others and these effects are what will be considered as the basis of discouraging the intake of fast food while encouraging other healthier options.
Effects of Food Challenges to Health Insufficient access to nutritious and healthy food due to high-cost results in a short and long-term effect on both physical and mental health.
Food Web and Impact of Environmental Degradation In the course of this paper, ‘conservation’ refers to the preservation of natural resources that are, in any way, involved in the functioning of the food web.
Food Safety in the Modern World It is evident that the process of delivering food to the table is highly complex and there are multiple points along the way where food may be mishandled leading to contamination.
Food Hygiene Legislation in the UK For comprehension purposes, the applicable food laws and powers of authorized officers who conducted the inspection are presented briefly in the first section of the report.
Food and Grades of Students at School The paper conducts a literature review to determine how nutrition and healthy food helps to improve the academic performance of students.
The Application of Arginine Pyroglutamate as a Food Additive To substantiate the claim made by Senomyx in that the compound Arginine Pyroglutamate may act as a savory flavor enhancer, it is important to note that the Pyroglutamate component delivered by this compound may be […]
The Reasons Behind the Popularity of Fast Food in the Context of the Lebanese Market Nowadays, in Beirut, the variety of traditional dishes which can be prepared quickly and served as fast food is amazing, from the kebab, to the falafel; most dishes are represented.
Food and Beverage Server’s Duties and Dependencies As a food and beverage server, my relationship with the facilities department where I work would primarily consist of coordination regarding the disposal of material waste, bringing in the proper types of beverages that customers […]
Food and Taste Process Issues It is now accepted that certain areas of the tongue have a higher ability to taste those tastes, but they are also able to sense all the other flavors.
Food Safety and Health Violation at Workplace This can give pests access to food and enhance the growth and spread of bacteria. This can cause a quick growth and spread of bacteria.
Nanotechnology in the Food Industry The presence of PEG in the copolymer makes the surface charge less negative, thus enhancing the interaction of the nanoparticles with food compounds in the process of coating the food or the food ingredients.
HRM in the Fast Food Industry: US, Germany, and Australia It should be mentioned that the term human-resource relations refers to the programs that an organization puts in place in order to ensure that the employees receive the benefits that are guaranteed by legislation.
Whole Foods Market: Healthy and Natural Food The main principle of merchandising in the Whole Foods Market is to offer the customers only fresh and quality products they may be satisfied with. The security is really important in the stores of the […]
Good to Eat: Riddles of Food and Culture by Marvin Harris Good to eat is a thought provoking and intellectual journey that the author takes, in terms of the different kinds of food habits adopted by various groups of people and the reasons behind such habits.
Rice: Thailand Native Foods Thus, rice is the staple food of the Thai people and especially the jasmine variety of rice which makes up the largest portion of the Thai cuisine.
Dietary Record of Seven Days of Food Intake This paper aims to analyze the record of seven days of food intake, with regards to the quality and quantity of the intake, the time of the day, the size and distribution of the foods […]
Food Preservation Methods and Their Classification At the same time, conditions are created for the development of microorganisms, which change the properties of the product in the course of their life activity to improve its nutritional and taste qualities.
Personal Reflection of the Book “In Defense of Food” This means that when people eat food they are not supposed to fall sick or develop health conditions that will eventually be the cause of their death.
American Food, Its History and Global Distribution The adoption of the different styles of cooking and foods and the fusion of these foods has made them American. Some of the animals they hunted included the buffalo, wild turkey, and the bear.
McDonald’s Digital Campaign “Our Food. Your Questions” The digital campaign designed to answer the questions that have been bothering the consumers of fast food for a long time, provide transparency and get rid of the myths that make a negative impact on […]
Nutrition Process: Eating Healthy Foods The purpose of this paper is to encourage people to stay healthy by eating healthy foods. The paper intends to explain to people some of the critical areas of nutrition they need to be aware […]
Optimizing Production in the Food Industry The realization that tones of food end in landfills through irresponsible habits should drive people to engage in rational behavior about consumption, and storage of food. Also, correct societal perception would help in instilling the […]
Large-Scale Organic Farming and Food Supply The issue of environmental sustainability comes up due to the emerging ways of farming like the great shift of the farmers to the use of organic methods of farming.
Influencing Consumer Behavior: the changing image of ‘fast food’ Some of the factors that consumers may be influenced with include the cost, what their friends and family members say, where the restaurant is located, the duration the meal takes, and by how the consumers […]
Impacts of Fast Food on Childhood Eating Habits The author’s claim that lack of nutritional information on fast food packaging is a major cause of obesity among children and teenagers is not true.
A Sociology of Food and Nutrition: Unity of Traditions and Culture In Buddhism, there is also a reminder about the preferences in food and in terms of how and when to eat it, in particular.
The Supply and Demand for Energy Foods and Beverages One should pay attention to the following issues: 1) the growing demand for energy foods and drinks; 2) willingness of people to pay attention to the health effects of such products; 3) the increasing number […]
Zero Hunger and Food Production in Abu Dhabi Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the International Fund for Agricultural Development and the World Food Program have prepared new estimates of the additional investment needed to end hunger sustainably 2030 year.
Processed Food Industry The key concepts regarding the harmful nature of processed foods and the major reasons for UAE residents to consume fewer processed foods are covered in the last section of the paper.
Dog Food: Pedigree Company’s Case The attractiveness of the dog food category is manifested through the intense competitive nature of the various stakeholders. The third and final phase of the segmentation is to label the category of dog food as […]
Problem of Food Overconsumption Therefore, the goals of this paper are: to identify the problem of food overconsumption, to discuss the critical factors which influence the development of the given issue, to propose a solution, and to observe possible […]
Poverty and Global Food Crisis: Food and Agriculture Model Her innovative approach to the issue was to measure food shortages in calories as opposed to the traditional method of measuring in pounds and stones.
Food Delivery Industry Drivers in the United Kingdom The threat of entry is one of the drivers of the food industry in the United Kingdom. Substitution is a great driver of the food industry in the United Kingdom.
Do-Do Online Fresh Food Supply LLC’s Business Plan The “Do-Do Online Fresh Food Supply LLC” would be registered as a limited liability company with two owners who are the student of Long Island University at post-graduation level in the same discipline and they […]
Ethos, Logos, Pathos in the Food, Inc. Documentary In the documentary, there are many instances of its makers providing viewers with the factual information, as to the discussed subject matter, which is supposed to convince the latter in the full legitimacy of people’s […]
Kokubu Food Company’s Trends and Information System In addition, the paper aims to provide the in-depth analysis of the organizational trends and the role of the information systems in the strategy of the Kokubu Food Company.
The World’s Food Problems’ Solving When the population of a country increases, there are some associated problems that will automatically arise such as increase in the level of unemployment which leads to food problems in the developing countries.
Local Food Production in Malaysia According to the Ministry of Agriculture, the main challenge facing the agricultural sector is the lack of self-sufficiency in the production of food crops and over-reliance on food imports.
An Analysis of Marketing Strategies of Local vs. International Brands in the Fast Food Sector This comes as no surprise, considering that the UK is one of the world’s largest economies in the world, has one of Europe’s highest populations and is the largest consumer of fast food in the […]
Environmental and Industrial Analysis of UK Food Manufacturing Companies Technological Analysis The technological analysis has affected the Tasty Bake Company positively in that the global transport infrastructure has greatly improved in the recent past and this has enabled it to market its products widely.
Fast Foods More Harm Than Good The rest of the life of such a child is upsetting as the child is ridiculed in and out of school, through his/her adolescence, and even in college.
The Junk Food’s Risks Junk food has high content of fat and cholesterol that leads to clogging of the heart arteries. The content of many junk foods is unhealthy and it may expose the brain to premature aging and […]
Food Diary: Nutrition Opportunities and Challenges I need to improve the amount of protein and dietary fiber I consume by adding peas, lentils, chickpeas, and beans to my diet.
Healthy Nutrition: Affordable Food To understand more about the food on the plates, they set to understand the origin of the food, how it is grown, where and how long it takes, or how far it comes from.
Food Safety Policy for a Music Festival Several food businesses are expected to be at the festival thus posing a threat to the health of the participants should the right measures fail to be implemented to avoid the spread of food-borne diseases.
Inventory Control in the Food Industry To formulate a mathematical model to optimize cost in inventory control, it is critical to consider different aspects of inventory control that significantly contribute to the formulation of the model and the reorder policies.
Chemicals Used for Microbial Preservation of Food Usually, this chemical is used in the preservation of meat. It is common in the form of powder and white in color.
Causes and Effects of Fast Food: Reputation for Unhealthy Eating By setting this price to a low value, fast food companies can exclude traditional restaurants from the selection, improve throughput, and increase their brand equity.
Acid Effects on Starch Gels in Food Preparation The amount of heat to be used during simmering is not indicated. It is necessary to indicate the amount of heat to ensure uniformity.
Food & Drug Administration: Federal Health Agency To be healthy, people have to understand the importance of the use of radiation-emitting products, the participation in vaccination and blood control, the discussion of veterinary affairs, and the evaluation of cosmetics and tobacco products.
Hotpot Concept and Cultural Value The history of the Chinese hotpot goes back to the past 1000 years even though the roots of the delicacy are in Mongolia.
Organic Food Marketing Prospects The Forces will enable the manager analyze the risks to the organic industry, and their impact on marketing initiatives for the chosen product of the company.
Jamie Oliver and Leadership in the Food Industry He has a strong mastery of the market and the exact requirements of the customers to be his businesses end up matching the needs of the customers.
Food and Environmental Hygiene Department He also claims that the attendance book was left unattended and thus he filled in information in the absence of the receptionist attendant.Mr.
Agricultural Geography and the Production and Consumption of Food in British Columbia The impact of the disparity in the natural environment which causes variable conditions in different geographical areas is reflected in the productivity, production cost and efficiency of production.
Safe Food Supply System Though there is a system namely Food Safety and Inspection Service in the country for ensuring supply of safe and healthier supply of food, it need to more active and efforts must be taken to […]
Motivational Issues in the Fast Food Sector Fast food refers to a type of cuisine produced in mass and marketed by some eateries, presentation stands, and service establishments for fast and effective production and delivery.
Main Reasons for Establishing Food Banks The main reason for establishing food banks is to have platforms where people with more food can donate to people with less food. Food banks should also invest in teaching people the need to help […]
“Food Colombusing” and Cultural Appropriation Authenticity in cuisine defies efforts to create an all-inclusive and integrated world in which one is allowed to enjoy and feel the attributes of a culture that is not theirs.
Food and Beverage Brands’ Expansion and Site Selection In this paper, the researcher focused on investigating and comparing the conventional factors influencing site selection and the innovative indicators used in site selection in the food and beverage brands within the Kingdom of Saudi […]
Hunger Crisis and Food Security: Research This article is very useful and lays the basis for the research, as it determines the scope of the problem in the US and points at the most vulnerable groups. This source is very helpful […]
Sea Foods in the Environment Protection Context Further, the purpose of the website is to give information that seeks to reward the efforts of people who protect and safeguard the ocean and seafood supplies such as lobsters.
Impact of Fast Food on Human Body Firstly, it is the economics of fast food fast food is the cheapest food on the market in terms of a calorie per dollar.
Healthy Eating Plan by Food Pyramid When it comes to the social aspect of obesity I am well aware that it can sometimes cause low self-esteem, especially on campus, in the office, as well as in the community.
The Intervention Plan For a Food Poisoning Incident And, finally, a draft of the procedures that can be adopted by the officers and staff of the Council’s Environmental Health Department should such an outbreak occur is prepared.
Using Food Preservatives Ethical At present, the use of chemical food preservatives have gained prevalent use as many people have become tailored to the convenience of buying food that is already prepared, instead of preparing and preserving their food.
Investigation of Orange as a Food Commodity Oranges are considered to be world’s most popular fruits because of their presence in most of the country and the extent of their production across the world.
The Aspects of Food in the Hindu Religion
Organic Foods: the Best Solution or Not?
Food Costs Reduction in a Food Establishment
Writing on Preservation and Distribution of Food
Safety and Quality: Food Contaminants and Adulteration
Fast Foods Popularity: Causes and Effects
Food, Eating Behavior, and Culture in Chinese Society
Livestock Food Production Issues
Food, Customers, and Culture in the Grocery Store
Healthy Food: Lesson Plan
The Concept of Food as a Leisure Experience
Organic Farming for Sustainable Food Production
Service Marketing: Food Market
Traditional Food Culture in the Indian Religion
Global Food Trade’s Benefits
Wendy’s Fast Food Restaurant
Survey of Food Allergies in the UAE
Food Motif in Bartleby the Scrivener
What Are the Benefits of Organic Foods?
Weird Chinese Foods: Cultural Practices and Eating Culture
Should All Genetically Modified Foods Be Labeled?
Food Safety Risk Assessment
Food Retailing Industry in Turkey: Self-Sufficient Economics
McDonald’s Corporation: Analyzing Fast Food Industry
The McDonald’s Food Sustainability Model
Analysis of a Look at the Fast-Food Industry by Eric Schlosser
Food Truck Business Presentation
Biodiversity and Food Production
Food Work in the Family and Gender Aspects of Food Choice
The Egyptian Diet: Sociology of Food and Nutrition
The Importance of Food Safety in Live
Making Healthy Foods Available to the Poor People
The Food Served in Venice: World Famous Italian Foods
Oxidative Rancidity in Lipids and Food Storing
The Food Company New Product Development Group
Casa Vasca Restaurant’s Food Safety and Sanitation
Food Security in the United States: The Major Lapses of the Conventional Food Systems
Future of Genetic Engineering and the Concept of “Franken-Foods”
Food Preparation: Workplace Hygiene
Food Desert Investigation and Analysis
Impact of Food Waste on Climate Change
The Pleasures of Eating: Food and Consumer Culture
Food and Farming: Urban Farming Benefits the Local Economy
Food Insecurity: Key Principles
American Fast Food in Foreign Countries
Food Is Dangerous: Nutrition Transition
The Study of the Anthropology of Food
Food and Water Shortage: The Negative Effects
World Civilization History: Food Preservation Using Conventional and Modern Methods
Nurses’ Food Security Policy Advocacy
Food Security Policy Problem Analysis
Pathophysiology of Stress, Processed Foods, and Risky Alcohol Consumption
How Food Tank Solves Issue of Food Insecurities
Food Waste Management: Impact on Sustainability and Climate Change
The “In Defense of Food” Book by Michael Pollan
Poor Food Security Rates in Guatemala
Pandemic Effect on Texas Food Supplies
Food Choices in the United States
Can the Human Race Survive Without Genetically Modified Food?
An Argentinean Food Product Launch in Uruguay
Fast Food: What We Eat by Eric Schlosser
Implications of the Russia–Ukraine War for Global Food Security
The Entrepreneurial Journey of Foods Future Global
The Heinz Food Processing Company’s Information
Food Security, Improved Nutrition and Sustainable Agriculture
The Truth About Food Addiction in Society
Care for Real: Racism and Food Insecurity
On-Campus Food Services: Part-Time and Full-Time Students
The Culture of Fast Food Consumption
An Automation Business Plan in the Food Industry
The Actuality of Issue of Food Safety
Food Supply Issues During Warfare
Safety of Food: Weaning Management Practices
Food Purchase Behaviors in Australia: Impact of Marketing and Ethnicity
The Electronic Food Processor Project Management
Coalition in Solving the Lack of Food Resources
Sustainable Development and Water-Food-Energy Nexus in Sweden
The Effects of Fast Food Consumption on Obesity
The Fast Food Mass Production Problem
The Junk Food Issue in Australia
Work Experience at PH Food Inc.
Food Macromolecules – Lipids, Carbohydrates, and Proteins
The Gourmet Food Retail Store’s Business Plan
Factors Involved in Creating a Food Business
Food Deserts and Their Negative Effects
American Food Industry: Panera’s Value Chain
COVID-19 Vaccines: U.S. Food and Drug Administration
The Food Tax in Oklahoma Articles
The Problem of Obesity: The US Food Policies
Prerequisites for Reforms in the Local Food Movement
One Aspect of the Modern World That Bothers Me Most: Food Scarcity
Aspects of Food and Nutrition Myths
JBS S.A. Food Business in Brazil
Fast Food Restaurant: Emergency Procedure
Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) in Food Production
Food Insecurity in Maryland State
The Asian Food Industry After the COVID-19 Outbreak
Food Banks Board Members and Cycle of Poverty
You Are What You Eat: How Does Food Become an Addiction
Trends in Food Sources and Diet Quality Among US Children and Adults
The ‘Food Desert’ Times in the United States
Sustainable Business of Food and Beverage Delivery
Casa Mono: A Multi-Sensory Experience as a Food Critic
Food Waste in American Hospitals
Operations to Ensure Food Safety
The Peking Duck Food System’s Sustainability
Food Safety Modernization Act and Its Importance
Relation Between Food Policy and Politics
Salmonellosis and Food-Borne Poisoning
Drive-Thru Dreams and Fast Food Nation by Adam Chandler
Impact of Food on Health of Kids and Adults
A Food Truck Business: Project Summary
Organizing a Food Waste Awareness Campaign
Food Security: Sustainable Development
If Slow Is Good for Food, Why Not Medicine?
The Impact of Food Security of a Country on Its Political and Cultural Aspects
Multicultural Food Marketing Techniques
Food as Ritual Video by Crittenden
Slow and Fast Food Values by Alice Waters
Immigrants’ Employment in Agriculture and Food Processing
The Impact of the Food Industry on the Environment
The Necessity of Chemical Food Additives
Food Scarcity During Pandemic in Montgomery County
Data Driven in Food Production Companies
Blame It on Fast-Moving Food Industries or Personal Irresponsibility
Importance of Accession to Healthy Fresh Food Regularly
Preserving Food Hygiene and Safety
Foodways: Cultural Norms and Attitudes Toward Food
Food Banks in Canada and Their Relevance
Overpopulation and Food Production Problem
The Canine Health: Food, Vaccination, and Hygiene
Food Advertising and Its Effects on Children
Food in The Book of the Dead. The Food History
Food Industry: The Problems Caused by the Corona Crisis
How Fried Foods Affect Nutrition for Young Adults
Nutrients: Food and Nutrients in Disease Management
Food Safety and Organic Growing in the USA
Farm-to-Table Food: Dissemination Portfolio
The Community Mobile Food Truck for Children in Macomb County
Employee Retention & Staff Turnover in Fast Food Industry
Inadequate Food Choices for Americans in Low-Income Neighborhoods
Fritter’s Fast Food Restaurants: Overview
Impacts of Climatic Changes on Food Insecurity
Food Manufacturing: Term Definition
Pasteurization: Processing Food Substances
Healthier School Lunches Without Processed Foods
E-Commerce as a Fast-Growing Trend in the Industry of Food
Food Insecurity in Philadelphia, PA: Literature Review
The Truth About Fat: Fast Foods and Obesity
Primary Scales for Quinoa-Based Organic Foods
Reducing Food Waste Problem by Creating a Platform to Sell Expiring Food
Food Security Under Hot Climate in Saudi Arabia
Food Insecurity in the US: Feeding the Richest Country
Food Insecurity in the US: The New Face of Hunger
Research and Experiments: Molecules in Food, Photosynthesis
Ethical Ramifications of Eating Specific Food
Sustainable Development in the Food Industry
Genetically Modified Food: Health Risks
American Agricultural and Food System
Food Insecurity in the Gulf Region
The Environment of Fast Food Chains
Whole Foods Market in 2008: Vision, Core Values and Strategy
Loving Organic Foods by Diligent Consulting Group
Customer Loyalty in Fast Food Industry Under Current Economic Crisis
TED Talk “Teach Every Child About Food”
Consumers’ Behavioral Intentions as to Organic Food Products
Promoting Fast Food Ingredient Awareness
Global Population Growth and Increased Demand for Food
Wildlife Conservation and Food Safety for Human
The Role of the Flavor Industry in Processed Food
Analysis of Push and Pull Factors in Food Travel Motivation
Polysaccharides in Foods
The Fast Food Restaurant Market of Canada
The Food Justice Social Movement
The Impact of Food Demand Upon Areas of Outstanding Beauty
Dog Food by Subscription: Service Design Project
Organoleptic Properties in Foods: Substance Density Value
Strategic Planning of Whole Foods Market
Food Processing and Preservation Methods
Ideology of Fast Food Industry Development
Canada Food Guide Overview
Food Safety and Information Bulletin
COVID-19: Supply Chain Management Challenges of Food Industry
Distinguish Unpleasant Tastes From Food Reactions
Food, Music and Verbal Communication in China
Impacts of H7N9 Virus and Food Contamination at Maleic Acid on Inbound Tourism for Elderly to Taiwan
Changing the Food Journal After Every Month
The Chemical Composition of Food
The Sunshine Wok: Food Hygiene Inspection
Food Provision at the Annisburgh District Music Festival
The Fast Food Culture in Saudi Arabia
Consumptions of Fast Foods Among Youth in Saudi Arabia
Fast Food and Gender: Is There a Relation?
Genetically Modified Food: Analysis and Implications
Julia Food Booth: Business Decision Analysis
The Routine Food Hygiene Inspection
Food Borne Diseases Associated With Chilled Ready to Eat Food
Facing Food Insecurity: Causes & Current Programs
The Role of Food for Sustainability in the Built Environment
Nutrition: Preventing Food Born Diseases
Safe Food Handling for Optimum Nutrition
Obesity Prevalence and Fast Food Restaurant Prevalence
Regulation of the Fast Food Industry: Review
Nutrients and Food Guide Pyramid Recommendation
Brand: An Exceptional Food Experience
Food Stamp: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
The Food Industry as a Threat to Public Health and Food Safety
Food Security: Limiting the Use of Antibiotics to Reduce or Slow the Antibiotic Resistance
Sociology of Food and Nutrition
Food Product Trends Related to Consumer Demands
Food Processing and Farming Methods
Fast Food: What Is Really in It?
Are Packaged Foods Fat-Free Products?
Public Service Bulletin: Food Safety Issues
Fast-Food and Tobacco Industry Regulation
Recommendations for Food Security
Raising Awareness on Food Poisoning Among Children Riyadh
Food Security and Macroeconomics Discussion
Principles for the Location of Foods In a Supermarket
Nutrition. 3-Day Food Intake
Magnesium in Food and Dietary Allowance
Polymerase Chain Reaction-Based Diagnostics for Pathogens in Food
Food Diary Project: Dietary Recommended Intakes (DRI)
“The Bitter Truth About Fast Food” by Schlosser
Sugar Is Back on Food Labels as a Selling Point
Overnutrition, Obesity, and Food Insecurities as the Global Concerns
Keeping a Food Diary: Control of Calorie Intake
Entrepreneur Ayesha Khan and Her Food for Employees
Biotechnology and Animal Welfare: How Genetically Modified Chicken Serves the Demand in Fast Food Chains
The Food of Easter Holidays: The Roots of the Easter Tradition
Healthy Food With Proper Rationing and Balanced Meal
European Union Health Law and Food Law
Rhetorical Analysis on Healthy Food and Labeling Problem
Introducing Infants to Semi-Solid Food
Food Safety Policy and Inspection Services
Independent Food Safety Inspections in US Restaurants
The Problem of Food Safety and the Spread of Various Diseases
Protecting Americans From Food-Related Illnesses
Home Isolation Survival Kit: Food Kits for Emergencies
Quality System Implementation in Greek Food Sector
New Food Movements: The Raw Foodism
Festive Food in Chinese-Vietnamese Fests by Nir Avieli
Food Addiction and Obesity in Children and Teens
Food Texture in Packaging of Cakes, Pastries and Sweets
Food Security and Environmental Designers
Agriculture and Environment: Organic Foods
Adverse Impacts of Food on Human Health: Toxicity, Nutritional Deficiency, and Allergenicity
Fast-Food and Restaurant Strategic Marketing
Is Genetic Engineering an Environmentally Sound Way to Increase Food Production?
Kudler Fine Foods Analysis and Promotional Strategies
Flavours of Chittering Food & Wine Festival: Analysis
Organic Food as a Viable Option for Consumers
The Demand for Food in South Africa
Agro-Food Geographies: Food, Nature, Farmers and Agency
Appropriateness of a Food Production and Service
Foods Crises in Uganda Issue Analysis
The Specificity of Chinese Culture in Terms of Food and Music
Functional Food: Definition, Types, Benefits
Beef Industry: Nutrition and Food Safety Analysis
Science Nutrition: Controversies in Food and Nutrition
3D Printed Food and Utensils Safety
Meatpacking and Fast-Food Industry: Making a Better Tomorrow
Meat and Fast-Food Industry: What Are We Eating?
Texture Description of Food for Preschool Children
Water Efficiency in Food Production: Food Security, and Quality of Life
The Analysis of the Annual Amount Spent on Organic Food Using Multiple Linear Regression
The Opportunity for School Food to Influence a Child’s Dietary Intake
Food Distribution and Water Pollution
Extending Existing Knowledge in the Area of Schools Foods and Their Influence on Children’s Diets
How Architecture Is Being Used to Meet the Challenge of Food Provision
Organic Food: Eco-Friendly Attitudes and Behavior
Understanding Genetically Modified Foods by Howard et al.
Food Choices and Dietary Habits: An Interview With a Mexican Immigrant
Food and Drug Administration Importance
Menu Foods Tainted Pet Food Crisis, 2007
Dough Pizza Company in the Food Truck Industry
Food Security Solutions for Kenya
Science and Grow Food Sustainability
Processed Foods and High Fructose Corn Syrup Effects
Food Recommender Systems and Their Types
Emily Baumgaertner: Crop Viruses and Food Security
Environmental Issues and Food Efficiency
Conventional Food System: Justice and Security
Hong Kong Street Food in Ethnographic Studies
Food Anthropology and Its Research Methods
Low-Calorie Frozen and Microwavable Food Industry
Fast Food Restaurants and Buyers’ Responsibility
Changes in Food Preferences
Fast Food, Fat Profits: Obesity in America
Food Choices: Diets and Diseases
Gender Relationship: Food and Culture
Healthy Foods: Behavior Change Analysis
International Food and Beverage Business in Africa
Food Inspection Procedures in Saudi Arabia
Food Poisoning and Hygiene Awareness in Saudi Arabia
Genetically Modified Foods and Pesticides for Health
Food Business and Government Regulation in the US
Best Food Superstores’ Customer Service Policy
Snack Food Company’s Product Marketing Research
The 38th Winter Fancy Food Shows in San Francisco
Genetically Engineered Food Against World Hunger
Demographic Transition Model and Food Security
Food Texture and Health Outcomes Association
The Impact of Supply Chain Efficiency on Food Losses
Chemical Contaminants in Food: Endocrine Disruptors Study
Farmers Views: Should Organic Food Be Promoted From?
Should Organic Food Be Promoted?
The Organic Food Benefits
Globalization, Food, and Ethnic Identity in Literature
Disguised Observation: Students Food and Drink Preferences
Food Safety at Introducing of New Meal
Food Product Risk Assessment
The Effect of Food Texture on Health Outcomes
Chicago Food and Beverage Company: Human Resources
Childhood Obesity and Food Culture in Schools
Food Texture Research for Healthcare
Food Safety: Washing Contact Surfaces and Cooking
Technology and Communications in the Global Food Industry
East Asian Food and Its Identifying Factors
Kuwaiti Food Industry and Its Development
The Food Angel Visiting Project
Agri-Food Supply Chains Stakeholders
Food Allergies Management
Carlo’s Food Company: Information Misunderstanding
Genetically Modified Foods: Pros and Cons
Healthy Food Truck: Management Project
Oil-For-Food Program: International Law Issues
Janesville School District Food Services Leadership
Food Nexus Models in Abu Dhabi
Family Food and Meals Traditions in Dubai History
Schneiders Food Company and Tyson Foods Inc.
Food Corporations’ Damaging Influence
Unhealthy Food Access and Choice Ethics
The Science of Why You Crave Comfort Food
Genetically Modified Foods: Scientific Resources
Food Scarcity Factor in French Revolution
Healthy You: Diets and Food
Imbalance in Food Supply and Growing Demand
Organic Foods Consumption and Cancer Prevention
“How to Solve the Food Waste Problem” by Chavich
Genetic Engineering in Food: Development and Risks
Food and Water Quality Testing Device
Popular Food as a Part of Contemporary Culture
American Food Industry in “Food, Inc.” Documentary
Food Production and Animals Suffering
Black Families’ Issues in the “Soul Food” Series
Fresh Food Provision for Low-Income Families
UAE Food & Clothes Retail and Restaurant Business
Kasih Food Company’s Export Strategy
Pet Food Industry in the United States
Swordfish Restaurant and Store in Food Services
US Food and Drug Administration Approval System
Aspen Hills Inc.’s Food Safety and Quality Issues
US Pet Food Delivery: Industrial Marketing
Takeaway Food in Saudi Arabia: Business Plan
Cultural Studies: Aesthetics of Food and Wine
Australia New Zealand Food Authority Business Plan
Sous Vide Food Production System
Food Shortages in the Republic of Malawi
Food and Water Waste Disposal in NYC
Tamwal Mobile Food Trucks Business Plan
Food Security and Sustainable Local Food Systems
Fast Food Consumption in New Jersey (United States)
Mexican Cuisine’s Transition to Comfort Food
Food and Drug Administration’s Strategies
Employee Turnover in Fast-Food Restaurants
Food and Stress Relationship: Psychological Factor
Gluten-Free Products in the US Food Market
Low-Calorie Frozen Food Company’s Market Structure
McDonald’s New Strategy Toward Healthy Food
Depressive Food Intake Disorder
Organic Food as a Solution of Global Food Problem
Glass vs. Paper/Cardboard in Food Packaging
The “Waist Banned” Article – Taxes on Junk Food
Food Business and Government Role in Saudi Arabia
Factors Contributing to Fast Food Consumption in UAE
The Fast Food Danger Awareness Among the Young People
Food Nexus Tools and Results
Supply and Demand Influences on Food in the Recent Years
Halal Food and Terrorist Organizations in Australia
Food Sovereignty in United States
Malaysia National Agri-Food Policy: Local Food Promotion
Sliders Mobile Food Truck Marketing Plan
Blue Springs Fast Food Store vs. Blue Gardens Restaurant Analysis
Spoilage Device: Forget Expiration Dates
The Mass Production of Food: Food Safety Issue
Animal Production and Food Availability
Food Production Workshop Instructional Plan
Froma Harrop Views on Genetically Modified Food
Temperature Impacts on Food
Special Food Shop for Pregnant Women
Traditional Medicine or Food Customs in a Chinese Culture
Healthy Consequences of Fast Foods
Food Production, Sharing, and Consumption
Fast Food War in Singapore: The Stiff Competition and Fight for Customers
Recent and Promising Food Allergy Treatments
Feeding Baby: How to Avoid Food Allergies
Role of Food in Cultural Studies: Globalization and Exchange of Food
Food’ Role in International Students Interaction
Hinduism Religion: Food and Asceticism
Food as a Means of Cross-Cultural Interaction
Nutrition: Is Genetically Modified Food Bad or Good?
Should Fast Food Qualify As “Food”?
Fast Food Industry and Its Impacts
Food Role on Social Events
Genetically Modified Foods: Should They Be Consumed?
Corn is Our Every Day Food
Analysis of the Documentary Fast Food, Fat Profits
Good Food That Does not Grow on Trees: Analyzing the Key Supply Chain Issues
Organic Foods in Australia and the USA
Determinants of Success in the Swedish Food and Drink Industry
The Economic Effect of Issuing Food Stamps to Those in Poverty
Obesity and Fast Food
Liability in Food Illness Cases
Expanding the Australian Food Processing Industry into the United States
Wegmans Food Markets v. Camden Property Trust
World Food Program
Threats to Global Food Supplies
Whole Foods Market Strategic Analysis
Food Borne Diseases of Intoxicants on MSG
Increasing the Consumption of Healthy Food Products
Operations Decisions for Krafts Foods Inc. and Manute Foods Company
Kraft Foods’ Diverse Brand Portfolio
Monaghan’s Conributions to Society Foodservice Management
Analysis of Whole Foods Market’s feedback loops
Analysis of Whole Foods Market using Nadler-Tushman Congruence Model
Analysis of Whole Foods Market’s inputs
Organizational diagnosis for Whole Foods Market
Marketing Strategy and Competitive Positioning at the Whole Foods Market
RFID in Food Industry and Global Trading Patterns
Kudler Fine Foods: Incorporating Strategic Thinking
Fast Food Industry in the US
Business and economics: The organic food sector
Consumer Decision-Making Process on Buying Organic Foods
Food and Drug Administration in United States of America
Literature Review on Organic Food and Healthy Diet
Foods That Effect Children With ADHD/ ADD
Why Food Services Are the Most Commonly Outsourced Function in the Business Community
Food and Wine Tourism
A Typology for foodservice menu development
Food and Beverage Development
Effects of Food Advertising in Australian Television on Children Aged 5-12 Years
Sustainable Development in the Food Area
Food additives: Artificial sweeteners
Company Research: Whole Foods
Evaluate Human Resource Issues in Hong Kong Food and Environmental Hygiene Department
Expansion of Large Food Retailer into Emerging Markets
Diet Food Center at the University of California
Utley Food Markets: Pay-for-Performance Model Establishment
Food Ethics
The Problems in Food Ethics in Modern World
The economical aspects and different perspectives for fast food industry in Canada
The Contribution of Biofuels in the Food Crisis in 2011
Food and Culture: Food Habits in Cape Breton
Food Security in Detroit – Michigan
Challenges Inherent in Repositioning a Fast Food Chain
The Food and Beverage Sector
Whole Foods Company Analysis
Sub-Optimization of The Canadian Food Production System
Critical Review: “Food’s Footprint: Agriculture and Climate Change” by Jennifer Burney
The Effect of Genetically Modified Food on Society and Environment
Careers in Lodging and Food and Beverage Industries
South East Queensland Food and Wine Festivals
Genetically Modified Food of Monsanto Company
Are Government Bio Fuel Incentives Raising Food Prices?
The Fast-food Industry in Russia
Driving Forces behind a Surge of Demand for Food in the Developing Economies by 2020
Essential Foods Price: Basics Foods and High Increase in Prices
The Pros and Cons of Regulating the Food Business
Government Regulation of the Food Business
Healthy Foods and Obesity: Unhealthy Weight Loss Methods and Media Weight Loss Campaigns
Does Healthy Food Prevent Obesity?
Food and Beverage Industry Analysis
Foods That Are Being Served to Our Youth in the School System
Peoples Food and Policy
Genetically Modified Food and European Consumer Behavior
Entering the Indian Food Market
Fast Food Drive-throughs
Culture and Food: Sanumá Relation to Food Taboos
Organic Food and Healthy Eating
Genetically Modified Foods Projects
The Fast-Food Industry and Legal Accountability for Obesity
Concept of McDonaldization in Fast-Food Industry
Could Biotechnology Solve Food Shortage Problem?
Does Circadian Rhythm Affect Consumer Evaluation for Food Products?
Are China’s Grain Trade Policies Effective in the Stabilization of Domestic Food Prices?
Can Better Governance Improve Food Security?
Does Corporate Social Responsibility Matter in the Food Industry?
Are Female-Headed Households More Food Insecure?
Can Drought-Tolerant Varieties Produce More Food With Less Water?
What Factors Determine/Influence the Food Choice People Make?
Why Are Restricted Food Items Still Sold After the Implementation of the School Store Policy?
Are Food Safety Standards Different From Other Food Standards?
Can Food Monitoring and Accessible Healthy Food Help Combat Child Obesity?
Are Food Stamps Income or Food Supplementation?
Can Government-Allocated Land Contribute to Food Security?
Is Genetically Modified Food Safe for Consumption?
Can Insects Increase Food Security in Developing Countries?
Are Input Policies Effective to Enhance Food Security in Kenya?
Can Non-wood Forest Products Be Used in Promoting Household Food Security?
What Are Most Serious Negative Effects of Eating Fast Food?
Who Does Regulate Food Safety for the United States?
Should the Government Regulate Food More?
Vegetarianism Essay Ideas
Chocolate Topics
Eating Disorders Questions
Vitamins Research Topics
Dietary Supplements Questions
Meat Research Ideas
Poisoning Essay Ideas
Grocery Store Essay Topics
Chicago (A-D)
Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2024, February 25). 663 Interesting Food Essay Topics, Examples, and Ideas. https://ivypanda.com/essays/topic/food-essay-examples/

"663 Interesting Food Essay Topics, Examples, and Ideas." IvyPanda , 25 Feb. 2024, ivypanda.com/essays/topic/food-essay-examples/.

IvyPanda . (2024) '663 Interesting Food Essay Topics, Examples, and Ideas'. 25 February.

IvyPanda . 2024. "663 Interesting Food Essay Topics, Examples, and Ideas." February 25, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/topic/food-essay-examples/.

1. IvyPanda . "663 Interesting Food Essay Topics, Examples, and Ideas." February 25, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/topic/food-essay-examples/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "663 Interesting Food Essay Topics, Examples, and Ideas." February 25, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/topic/food-essay-examples/.

Essay on Food And Culture

Students are often asked to write an essay on Food And Culture in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Food And Culture

What is food culture.

Food culture means the practices, attitudes, and beliefs as well as the networks and institutions surrounding the production, distribution, and consumption of food. It’s the way people in different places understand the importance of food, which goes beyond survival. Food is a way to celebrate, come together, and create a sense of community.

Food Traditions Around the World

Food and festivals.

Festivals often have special foods. For example, during Thanksgiving in the United States, people eat turkey. During the Moon Festival in China, people eat mooncakes. These foods help make festivals fun and memorable.

Food Shapes Identity

What we eat can show who we are. In many cultures, food is a way of showing your background and where you come from. For instance, your family recipes can be a way of keeping your heritage alive.

Food and Change

250 words essay on food and culture.

Food culture is the way we see food in our society. It includes what we eat, why we eat it, and how we cook and serve our meals. Every country or group of people has its own food culture. This is because food is more than just what keeps us alive. It shows our history, where we come from, and what we believe in.

Food Tells a Story

Think of food like a storybook. Each dish tells a tale about the land it comes from. The spices, ingredients, and recipes are like pages filled with stories. For example, in Italy, pasta dishes are very popular. They show the love Italians have for simple yet delicious meals. In Japan, sushi showcases the Japanese skill in making dishes that are not only tasty but also very pretty.

Festivals and Food

Festivals are times when food really shines. During these times, special meals are made that you might not see any other day. Thanksgiving in America has turkey, while mooncakes are eaten during the Mid-Autumn Festival in China. These foods help make these events special and memorable.

Food Brings Us Together

Food has a special power to bring people together. Families gather around the table for dinner, and friends meet to try new restaurants. When we share food, we also share a part of ourselves. Eating the same food can make us feel close to people even if they are far away.

In conclusion, food is a big part of our culture. It tells us where we belong and connects us with others. Every bite is a piece of history and a chance to learn about different ways of life.

500 Words Essay on Food And Culture

Introduction to food and culture, the meaning of food in different cultures.

In every part of the world, people have their own favorite dishes. These special foods often tell a story about the history of the place and the people who live there. For example, in Italy, pasta dishes are very popular and show the Italian love for simple yet delicious meals. In Japan, sushi reflects the Japanese skill in preparing food that is not only tasty but also beautiful to look at.

Food can also be a part of celebrations. In Mexico, people make a sweet bread called ‘Pan de Muerto’ for the Day of the Dead festival. This shows how food can help remember and honor loved ones who have passed away.

Family Traditions and Food

Food and social life, religious practices and food.

Religion often influences what people eat and how they eat it. Some religions have rules about what foods are okay to eat and what foods are not. For example, in Hinduism, many people choose not to eat beef out of respect for the cow, which is seen as a sacred animal. In Islam, people follow a halal diet, which includes certain ways of preparing and eating food.

The Impact of Globalization on Food

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

If you’re looking for more, here are essays on other interesting topics:

Happy studying!

Food and Culture

Updated 25 October 2023

Downloads 48

Category Food

Food and Culture: The Interconnection

As commonly stated that we are what we eat, this statement is very true to the fact that food and our culture are interconnected. People of different cultures consume a diverse variety of foodstuffs, and this is because most of the foods are indigenous and were introduced to us by our families who acquired them from the immediate family. For this matter, food goes with culture, for instance, those in Asia like the Chinese and Japanese consume some reptiles and even dogs that are weird delicacies in some continents. The act of food consumption goes with identity and conformity to cultural customs. In my case, I think culture plays an influential role in what we consume on a daily basis. The essay supports the argument that food has many effects on our culture and shapes our future. The outcomes of culture on food can be seen in the eating habits of Africans, Europeans, Asians, and the Americans with diverse cultures and so are the foods that they eat.

Personal Connections to Food and Identity

On a personal level, we grow up feeding on meals belonging to our cultures. That act becomes part of our identity and defines who we are. I sometimes connect food that I used to consume when young to pleasant memories and warm feelings tying me to my family, holding personal and special value for me. The family food has become the meal that acts as comfort food that I try to find during my low times due to stress and frustrations. For instance, when I was young and fell sick, I could not eat foods such as rice, and so my mother would prepare soups that were easy to consume on my bed. With time, I became familiar with the taste and smell of the soup. So today whenever I feel sick or exhausted due to daily stressors I find myself in dire need of the soup my mother used to give and from the back of my mind, I feel convinced that it is the only thing that can bring comfort at that particular time.

The Role of Food in Cultural Identity

On a larger level, food has got different meanings and plays a critical role in our culture. Traditional food is passed down from one offspring to another. The generation-to-generation passing of food is a means of expressing cultural identity. In African tradition, different cultures determined what was to be eaten on the many occasions. Like during circumcision and dowry, a few selected dishes were to be eaten (Anderson, 28). Today, these practices still take place on occasions. Also in most western states, foods such as chocolate act as valuable gifts to a person and the individual offered the gift would portray a different reaction from a gift of rice or cabbage (Anderson, 31).

Food and Culture on a National Level

Continents and nations are mostly associated with various diverse foods. For instance, a country like Italy is known for pasta and pizza (Paul, 82). However, this does not say that Italians do not eat other dishes, but food plays a significant role in Italian culture. Also in nations, food varies depending on the method of preparation and the food types. For example, in the United States, some citizens prefer to consume potatoes and beef, which are not eaten regularly in the country. In the southern part of The US, boiled corn is a delicacy for most families (Paul, 84). Such meals are not national delicacies and would not be preferred by many but just a few individuals that identify with the taste.

The Influence of Food on Cultural Change

Food has its role deeply embedded in the culture with the existence of local food eating habits. These habits may sometimes change with time as immigrants come with various eating cultures and somehow influence the inhabitants to alter their feeding patterns. The similarity in the food pattern fosters the connection of individuals with a similar ethnic origin. For instance, most immigrants use food as their identity. Thus, this enables them to blend easily with people of the same origin in the foreign country and helps in retaining their cultural identity and pride. With this kind of migration, food practices and eating patterns also migrate as food is always exported and at the same time imported. The imported food may have a positive influence on the inhabitants of the new country, and they may consider adopting the pattern if it is a good one, and as such food plays a role in culture change. Food has greatly influenced the eating culture of most citizens in the developing world to the extent that they have now shifted to consumption of what was earlier considered to be Western meals and culture. Since people and food are mobile, I find it difficult to characterize a nation by the food it consumes.

Cultural Beliefs and Symbols Associated with Food

Notwithstanding, products that are edible in one country or continent might be inedible in another state or continent. Even though the food is always selected based on its nutritional or the physical need, what most families eat have cultural beliefs that the given society attaches to it. A good example is whereby both the animal and plant sources contain sufficient nutritional requirements for proteins, beef, beans, dog meat, lizard, and caterpillars are all protein sources for the body. Due to the societal beliefs and symbols attached to these sources, they are not available for consumption in many families and societies. It is another proof that food plays a vital role in our culture.

Food and Religious Beliefs

Food effects on the culture of Muslims and Jews are widespread and can be based on their religious beliefs. Worldwide Muslims desist from eating during Ramadhan, a period that Muslims believe that the Qur'an was brought to Mohamed, the founder of the religion. Muslims, at this moment, fast during the day and eat before and after sunset (Anderson, 44). On the other hand, the Jews also have some Jewish traditional rules called the "Kosher" diet where they follow some procedures in the preparation of animal products according to spiritual health purposes (Anderson, 44). Many other religions also have their food effects on the religious culture like the Hindus, Buddhists, and the Jainists who are mainly vegetarians (Anderson, 44). Desisting from taking meat serves the purpose of honoring the law, which requires one not to harm other living beings.

Food, Culture, and Mealtime Habits

Food plays a crucial role in the world as far as culture is concerned. Even amidst the society with the similar origin and similar food habits, the feeding pattern is not the same. Conversations at the time of meals have variations depending on the place. While some families consider mealtime the best time to converse and have a pleasant time chatting together, some families outlaw the act of engaging in conversation, arguing that table manners need to be observed during meal times, which involves no talking.

The Significance of Food in Cultural Celebrations

Food effects on culture have different degrees of importance. For instance, in Samoa, various family cultural celebrations center on eating. When performing celebrations, the wealth and prosperity of the host family depend on the amount of food offered during the ceremony. This act is also evident in many African cultures where the riches of a given family are measured by the many cows slaughtered during ceremonies such burial, weddings, and even during the rite of passage (Paul, 92). Food goes hand in hand with traditions, which vary from one place to another. It is different even in a society sharing same cultural origins; feeding patterns are not similar. Families have variations in the daily routines on traveling, holidays, and the presence of guests. Women eat differently from men. Meals are taken according to age groups (Paul, 93). However, in many places, food is associated mostly with friendship gratitude and hospitality.

In Conclusion

We must embrace origin through our cultural cousins and also be aware and stay informed of other traditions by further tasting what they offer regarding food. It is very basic to put in mind that every dish possesses distinctive attention from its culture of origin and is very important to those preparing the cuisine. Food and culture are deeply connected, and we should treat them as such.

Works Cited

Anderson, Eugene Newton. Everyone eats: understanding food and culture. NYU Press, 2014.

Fieldhouse, Paul. Food and nutrition: customs and culture. Springer, 2013.

Deadline is approaching?

Wait no more. Let us write you an essay from scratch

Related Essays

What is America’s Food Culture?

The question, “What is America’s food culture,” produces many responses and almost always uncertainty. As Pollan mentions, America is a melting pot of many different cultures, each one bringing their own culinary traditions. New York City, where I grew up, is the epitome of this culinary melting pot. You can find almost any food from any culture if you look hard enough, from Polish bakeries, to Chinese restaurants, to burrito food trucks. You can even find fusions of these culinary traditions in restaurants, for example, a Spanish inspired sushi restaurant featuring yellowtail tacos. New York City has also latched on to the local movement. Farmers’ markets are popping up in many (upper-middle class) neighborhoods. Farm-to-Table restaurants are all the rage, showcasing produce, meat, and dairy from nearby farms. New York City is not unique in this regard—many other cities across America both have a huge variety of cultural cuisines and also promote local food. I want to think that this is the American food culture: diverse and local.

For many Americans, however, both inside and outside these cities, this food culture is out of reach. Schlosser writes that a meal of a hamburger and French fries from a fast food chain is the “quintessential American meal.” He also says that fast food, along with pop music and jeans, is one of America’s biggest “cultural exports.” This is unfortunate and true. Other countries bring their food traditions to America and they are celebrated, studied and eagerly adopted. Americans bring our food to other countries and it is seen as less sophisticated and less delicious. McDonald’s is now all over the world. This is of course an impressive feat for a company, but the food it sells is not should not make American’s proud.

I remember seeing a McDonald’s in Madrid and having two reactions. At first I felt warmth seeing the golden arches. McDonalds reminded me of home in a place where everything seemed unfamiliar. But then I thought to myself, “why would any Spaniard choose to eat this food when they have so many better options that are equally well priced?” McDonalds had upped its game a little bit in Europe—there was a focaccia burger on the menu (which I ordered)—but it didn’t compare to the ham sandwiches, potato and egg tortillas, and paella sold by the countless small restaurants on nearly every block of the city.

It will be very hard to alter the fast food culture of America. Just as I felt that slight sense of comfort seeing McDonalds abroad, many Americans love fast food because of its familiarity and consistency. I don’t know if there is a way to change the American love of fast food. I hope, however, that the local, seasonal, and sustainable food movement takes an even greater hold across the country and that this type of food becomes accessible to more people. Of course, other countries have been eating this way for a long time. (Last week we read the about Italian Petrini’s Slow Food movement.) Other countries take pride in what is regionally produced. I hope that Americans can claim this type of eating—celebrating what American land can produce rather than what can be created in a factory—as our new food culture.

19 thoughts on “ What is America’s Food Culture? ”

Informative article I was searching for this information on https://www.google.com/

Here is a good website with casinos en ligne belgique https://gambadeur.be/

I can advise on how to write term papers without any problems and difficulties. There is nothing particularly difficult here, it’s just necessary to look at it and read it. I am very glad that I was able to find a normal term paper without any problems and difficulties. For example, I am very glad that I was able to find this company https://writemyessay4me.org/term-paper without any special problems, I applied here and am very glad to do it. I recommend you to get acquainted with it, I hope that I was able to help someone else.

Kampala International University (KIU) founded in 2001 is a private chartered University in the Republic of Uganda. It is a member of the Association of Commonwealth Universities, the Association of Africa Universities as well as the Inter University-Council of East Africa. KIU offers a variety of programs in Health Sciences, Science and Technology, Engineering, Business and Management, Law, Humanities and Education.

https://kiu.ac.ug/

I miss my favourite chocolate cake. Check https://adaorasblog.com

Online Best Law Essay Writing Services UK.

http://www.lawessayservices.co.uk/

Or more specifically why I think America is fatter than the rest of the world. For the past 7 months I have been living in one of the most food-obsessed countries in the entire world. The default conversation topic is food, and it is a default conversation that I love to participate in as well, being, well, food-obsessed myself. Paradoxically, this foo- obsessed country is also one of the healthiest, renowned for its Mediterranean diet. America, by contrast, is significantly less food-obsessed and significantly less healthy and also, fatter than services from http://best-essay-services.com/ . At first this situation certainly resembles a “paradox,” but it quickly begins to unravel with some simple analysis. Italians, and much of the rest of the world, think about their meals with much care and analysis before the meal ever takes place. For important occasions, such as Christmas Eve, menu discussions are frequent, and frequently revisited. Everyone has an opinion, and everyone thinks that their opinion is the most important. These conversations are undertaken with great depth, gravity, and severity. Italians may joke about less important things, like politics and the economy (both in questionable places), but rarely will you find the Italian to joke about food — it’s simply not a laughing matter.

That is lovely to know.. Know more here https://fakazasong.com/

nice article. you can as well get more lovely ones here https://sahiphopza.com/category/download-mp3/

If you are a student and looking for a good grade in your written essays in a short span of time. Since you are busy with other academic works and searching for an essay writing company, then you are in the right place. We as a company provide an array of services and the major one is essay writing. Students can place any type of essay; narrative, argumentative, explanatory and it will be done. Many college students encounter challenges with research paper, term paper, personal statement, admission essays, reports, research proposals should not be a problem to worry about. Other writing assistance given includes thesis and dissertation writing. Our prices are the most affordable, especially for students. Their price table depends on the level of urgency, academic type and the volume of work. Where a student places a huge order, he or she will incur more costs. A smaller order goes for a much lower price especially when received earlier by the writers. And the best part is that our QAD team goes through a series of quality checks to make sure that the paper is free from any type of grammatical and linguistic errors and timely delivery is one of the most important factors because of which people love to work with us.

https://grademiners.com/

It isn’t always simple to compose an academic article, a research paper, a thesis, or even any different kind document quickly. No matter how quickly you publish, there are only twenty four hours in a day, and there is absolutely no way to earn days more so it’s possible to complete your essays and other duties punctually and have a social existence . Could it be even possible to deal with it all? You publish fast enough, but you can’t get it faster without significant damage into quality. Certainly, it’s necessary for you to devote sufficient time editing and proof reading the urgent essay; these are not matters you need to dismiss. You will find this advice in this informative essay with producing tips. So, exactly what are the most useful methods for coping with your written homework?

The plugins and themes have a high significance in accelerating the growth of the website. Not only for commenting, but there are also certain advantages that plugins can provide to you. These are like the good topics that have the potentiality to elevate the standard of your assignment write-ups automatically.

When anyone says”America” and “food” the first thing coming in mind is of course fast food. But really, with a bunch of other traditions like Mexican/Chinse/Thai food or something more like tradional Halloween/Thanksgiving food, the one thing you can say about Americans and food is – fast food 🙂 I don’t think there are many countries in which MacDonalds, burgers and pizza are such a food cult. But I don’t mind , I love fast food myself, I work in this paper writer service so I often can be too busy to have a peoper meal so fast food helps me out in such situations 🙂

Nina, I love your exploration of American food culture, and I think there’s a lot to unpack there. I encourage you to read Dan Barber’s book, the Third Plate, where he focuses on exactly that issue- of how to build a new American food culture that is sustainable, seasonal, and supportive of labor and the earth.

I also had the experience of going to a McDonald’s while I was in France. I ordered “Le Mac”. There is something wonderfully odd about eating at foreign McDonalds. In Japan, they have miniature pancakes that come with frosting packets, that really are divine.

Oh man I want to try those mini-pancakes. Incredible what McDonalds can do…

https://www.vipmay.com

Get Citation

The past few years have shown a growing interest in cooking and food, as a result of international food issues such as BSE, world trade and mass foreign travel, and at the same time there has been growing interest in Japanese Studies since the 1970s. This volume brings together the two interests of Japan and food, examining both from a number of perspectives. The book reflects on the social and cultural side of Japanese food, and at the same time reflects also on the ways in which Japanese culture has been affected by food, a basic human institution. Providing the reader with the historical and social bases to understand how Japanese cuisine has been and is being shaped, this book assumes minimal familiarity with Japanese society, but instead explores the country through the topic of its cuisine.

Privacy Policy
Terms & Conditions
Cookie Policy
Taylor & Francis Online
Taylor & Francis Group
Students/Researchers
Librarians/Institutions

Connect with us

Undergraduate
High School
Architecture
American History
Asian History
Antique Literature
American Literature
Asian Literature
Classic English Literature
World Literature
Creative Writing
Linguistics
Criminal Justice
Legal Issues
Anthropology
Archaeology
Political Science
World Affairs
African-American Studies
East European Studies
Latin-American Studies
Native-American Studies
West European Studies
Family and Consumer Science
Social Issues
Women and Gender Studies
Social Work
Natural Sciences
Pharmacology
Earth science
Agriculture
Agricultural Studies
Computer Science
IT Management
Mathematics
Investments
Engineering and Technology
Engineering
Aeronautics
Medicine and Health
Alternative Medicine
Communications and Media
Advertising
Communication Strategies
Public Relations
Educational Theories
Teacher's Career
Chicago/Turabian
Company Analysis
Education Theories
Shakespeare
Canadian Studies
Food Safety
Relation of Global Warming and Extreme Weather Condition
Movie Review
Admission Essay
Annotated Bibliography
Application Essay
Article Critique
Article Review
Article Writing

Book Review

Business Plan
Business Proposal
Capstone Project
Cover Letter
Creative Essay
Dissertation
Dissertation - Abstract
Dissertation - Conclusion
Dissertation - Discussion
Dissertation - Hypothesis
Dissertation - Introduction
Dissertation - Literature
Dissertation - Methodology
Dissertation - Results
GCSE Coursework
Grant Proposal
Marketing Plan
Multiple Choice Quiz
Personal Statement
Power Point Presentation
Power Point Presentation With Speaker Notes
Questionnaire
Reaction Paper
Research Paper
Research Proposal
SWOT analysis
Thesis Paper
Online Quiz
Literature Review
Movie Analysis
Statistics problem
Math Problem
All papers examples
How It Works
Money Back Policy
Terms of Use
Privacy Policy
We Are Hiring

Food and Culture, Essay Example

Pages: 4

Words: 1066

Hire a Writer for Custom Essay

Use 10% Off Discount: "custom10" in 1 Click 👇

You are free to use it as an inspiration or a source for your own work.

Introduction

Culture is defined as a set of attitudes, values, beliefs, and behaviors shared by a group of people, communicated from one generation to the next through language or other forms of communication (Ward, 2005).Culture affects all aspects of one’s life. Culture can determine where one lives, what type of job one has, attitude towards education, how one dress, and even what one eats. Both historical and ethnic influences can affect ones culture and food choices. Many people in North America have cultures that stem from other places, like Europe, Africa, Asia, and Latin America. When the settles arrived in North America from these various places they brought along with them foods and customs. Culture can be learned and transformed by society (Ward, 2005). Culture affects each person’s life in different ways by dictating one’s behavior, personality, and values; thus culture is the main determinant one’s food choice.

Religious Beliefs

Different cultures encourage and discourage the consumption of various types of foods. Likewise, a person’s religion has a great affect on the type of food they may or may not eat. Most cultures disapprove of the consumption of alcohol during pregnancy or breast-feeding. A person’s religious beliefs are a part of their culture. One’s religion may be one of the most influential components of food choice. In Hindu and Buddhist religions, pork and beef is a forbidden food because it is considered to be a unclean meat. There are even ancient scriptures that prohibit the consumption of these animals. As a result, more than 90 percent of people who practice this religion have excluded these meats from their diets (Ward, 2005). All other meats consumed by people practicing this religion most be kosher or halal. This means that prayers by appointed people must be prayed over these animals before they will be fit for consumption by people of this religion. However, in contrast to these strict guidelines, Christians and Catholics are allowed to consume any type of meat they desire.

Growing up in a distinctive culture will affect one choice of food. Some food traditions are healthy and others are not. Most female grow and prepare foods for their families similar to the food their mothers prepared when they were young. Evidence supports that people from certain cultures are more apt to have various health risks. For example, southern African Americans are known for soul food. Using foods like ham hocks, dressing, and fat meat are often the culprits behind heart disease (DeSoucey, 2010). Nonetheless, these types of foods are comfort foods that remind people of family and home. People of African American descent often remind each other that their parents ate foods like those because they could not afford or did not have access to any other food.

Personal Factors

Personal factors can affect one’s food choices as well. People who are living with low socio-economic status often have limited food choices. These people tend to buy only the necessities or food that can provide quantity. Unfortunately, these foods are not the best health choice. Cost can be a primary determinant for food choices in low income individual. Low-income groups have a greater tendency to consume unbalanced diets and in particular have low intakes of fruit and vegetables (Harris & Gerkin, 1997). Nonetheless, having adequate financial means does not automatically equate to better eating habits. One’s educational level can also influence diets. Higher levels of education and nutrition knowledge are strongly correlated (Harris & Gerkin, 1997). Finally, social status also determines food choices. One’s social status determines the type of job they work, television shows they watch, and even the type of music they listen to. People are influenced in the food choices they make. Television and radio commercials are often geared towards influencing people to consume certain foods. For example, more fast food commercials are aired at night than during the day (Harris & 1997). People who watch at least three hours of television a day are exposed to more than 10,000 food advertisements per year. Ninety-five percent of these commercials are for fast food, sodas, cereal, and candy (Harris & 1997).

Social Life

The company one keeps can also affect food choices, as well as geographical location. Often people may eat foods that they don’t normally eat while in a social setting or eat even when they are not hungry. Many people use dinner or luncheons as social gatherings (Darmon & Drenowski, 2008). Consequently, people who live in urban areas are more likely to eat fast food more often than people who live in rural areas. Fast food is a convenience for people who are busy and do not have time to prepare meals at home. Yet, urban areas have more variety to choose from when purchasing food. Urban areas have larger super markets and many farmers’ markets to choose from. They have access to fresh food, but many chose quick fast food. Contrarily, people in rural areas do not have as many choices when it comes to purchasing food. They usually have small grocery stores and limited fast food chains. However, a great deal of people in rural areas farm and raise animals to slaughter. They have access to fresh fruits and vegetables. People in rural areas have chicken farms that produce meat and eggs that can be used for their consumption (Darmon & Drenowski, 2008).

Many factors impact the type of foods a person may choose to consume. Culture directly affects the types of food a person eats because culture dictates all parts of one’s life. When choosing something to eat, one never really thinks about what is driving that decision. Education, social-status, environment, and geographic location play a dominant role in deciding what one will eat. Nonetheless, culture is something that can be adjusted and changed to fit the needs of a people. Many people in the United States are suffering from obesity, diabetes, and other diseases that are linked to poor diet. As a result, Americans are adjusting the way they eat, the amount, and how often they eat.

Darmon, N & Drenowski, A. (2008). Does social class predict diet quality? The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 87(1).

DeSoucey, M. (2010). Gastronationalism: Food traditions and authenticity. American Sociological Review, 75 (3).

Harris, C. E., & Gerkin, R. E. (1997). The effects of a multimedia system in supermarkets to alter shoppers’ food purchases. Journal of Health Psychology, 2 , 209–223.

Ward, A (2005). Consumption and theories in practice. Journal of Consumer Culture, 5 (2).

Stuck with your Essay?

Get in touch with one of our experts for instant help!

How One Man Invented a Color That Changed the World, Book Review Example

Renal, Case Study Example

Time is precious

don’t waste it!

Plagiarism-free guarantee

Privacy guarantee

Secure checkout

Money back guarantee

Related Essay Samples & Examples

Voting as a civic responsibility, essay example.

Pages: 1

Words: 287

Utilitarianism and Its Applications, Essay Example

Words: 356

The Age-Related Changes of the Older Person, Essay Example

Pages: 2

Words: 448

The Problems ESOL Teachers Face, Essay Example

Pages: 8

Words: 2293

Should English Be the Primary Language? Essay Example

Words: 999

The Term “Social Construction of Reality”, Essay Example

Words: 371

IMAGES

Food Culture of Philippines Free Essay Example 2899 words
(PDF) Food Cultures: Introduction
≫ Chinese and American Food Culture Free Essay Sample on Samploon.com
Essay Importance OF Eating Healthy FOOD
My favorite food essay sample
Food Culture Exploration!

COMMENTS

Essay about Food and Culture
2. This essay sample was donated by a student to help the academic community. Papers provided by EduBirdie writers usually outdo students' samples. Cite this essay. Download. It doesn't matter where in the world you're from - you have to eat. Since the beginning of mankind, food was important simply for nourishment and soon went to grow ...
Food as Culture: Cuisine, Food Customs, and Cultural Identity
Food is an essential part of every culture. It's more than just a means of sustenance, but a way of expressing oneself, connecting with others, and passing on rich cultural heritage. Food is deeply ingrained in our cultural identity and serves as a representation of our heritage, history, and values. Here's an in-depth look at food as culture.
Exploring Food Culture: How Cuisines Reflect Cultural Identity
In this article, I will explore the role of food in shaping cultural identity and how it reflects the diversity of human experience. Food is more than just a means to satisfy hunger; it is a powerful tool for expressing cultural identity. Every culture has unique culinary traditions that reflect its history, geography, climate, religion, and ...
Why We Eat the Way We Do: A Call to Consider Food Culture in Public
1. Introduction. The way we engage with and consume food has changed dramatically in only a few decades with changes to food systems and environments that have exacerbated poor eating patterns and food choices [ 1 ]. The negative impact of these changes on physical and mental health and wellbeing at a population level is a global priority [ 2 ...
Free World Cuisines & Food Culture Essay Examples & Topics
98 samples. Food is one of the greatest pleasures humans have in life. It does more than just helping us sustain our bodies. It has the capacity to bring us back in time and across the borders. In this article, we will help you explore it in your essay about food and culture. Food culture is the practices, beliefs, attitudes around the ...
Six Brilliant Student Essays on the Power of Food to Spark Social
This American food symbolized a rite of passage, my Iraqi family's ticket to assimilation. Some argue that by adopting American customs like the apple pie, we lose our culture. I would argue that while American culture influences what my family eats and celebrates, it doesn't define our character.
14.3 Food and Cultural Identity
In her research on Japanese food and identity, cultural anthropologist, and Japanese scholar Emiko Ohnuki-Tierney (1993, 1995) explores the sociocultural construction of rice as a dominant metaphor for the Japanese people. Using evidence from official decrees, taxation documents, myths, rituals, woodblock prints, and poetry, Ohnuki-Tierney traces the long history of rice cultivation in Japan.
Food and Culture
December 22, 2021. 3 minutes. The icon indicates free access to the linked research on JSTOR. Our food is more than just what sustains us, it can also be something much different. Food can speak to class divisions, changing tastes, and regional differences. But it can also signal a deep connection to history, culture, and national pride.
What Americans can learn from other food cultures
Food in Italy is love, then nutrition, then history, then pleasure, he says. An Italian child's first experience with food is not buns or rice or eggs, but probably ice cream, notes Bolasco. Status and wealth play less of a role in food than say, in China. Food as community. In Arab cultures, community is key to the food culture.
The Role of Food in American Society
collection of essays, these decisions have shaped American society, culture and the environment in significant ways. Inspired by readings in food history, this collection of essays was produced in Spring 2010 by a group of students from the University of Kansas. Our collective work has come to focus on food's role
Food, culture, and identity in multicultural societies: Insights from
This study focused on understanding the influence of identity on food practices among individuals in multicultural societies. We conducted 18 focus group discussions (n = 130) among Indian, Chinese and Malay women in Singapore. Focus group transcripts were analysed using Thematic Analysis both inductively and deductively.
Food and Culture: Analysis of The Interrelation
Food and culture share an intimate and intricate relationship, weaving together the flavors, traditions, and stories that define societies across the globe. This essay embarks on a journey to explore the profound connection between food and culture, shedding light on how cuisine serves as a vibrant expression of cultural identity, a catalyst ...
Food and Culture Links
Food and Culture Links Essay. Although many people argue that culture, which is people's way of life, is the main determinant of people's diet, I believe that most instances do not always present this as the case because, based on my observation of people's dietary methods, I have found a differing relationship between people's culture ...
Food-and-culture.-Cultural-patterns-and-practices-related-to-food-in
As an everyday activity, sustaining our life, eating experiences reveal complex relationship between food and society, involving material and symbolic aspects of cultures, dietary order, but also ...
663 Food Topics to Write about & Food Essay Samples
663 Interesting Food Essay Topics, Examples, and Ideas. Updated: Feb 25th, 2024. 35 min. Food essays are an excellent way to demonstrate your awareness of current nutrition and health issues. Obesity is a significant concern that is present in many people throughout the world and can lead to a variety of deadly conditions. Obesity is often ...
Essay on Food And Culture
Food culture means the practices, attitudes, and beliefs as well as the networks and institutions surrounding the production, distribution, and consumption of food. It's the way people in different places understand the importance of food, which goes beyond survival. Food is a way to celebrate, come together, and create a sense of community.
FOOD: IDENTITY OF CULTURE AND RELIGION
the cultural and religious context. The term culture refers to the set of values, knowledge, language, rituals, habits, lifestyles, attitudes, beliefs, folklore, rules and customs that identify a ...
Food and Culture
Food and Culture: The Interconnection. As commonly stated that we are what we eat, this statement is very true to the fact that food and our culture are interconnected. People of different cultures consume a diverse variety of foodstuffs, and this is because most of the foods are indigenous and were introduced to us by our families who acquired ...
Food And Culture Essay
When people think about a certain culture, they initially think of the food associated with it. Food is a part of a culture's identity, and because of that, it is a part of the individual's identity as well. For example, the US is associated with hamburgers, Italy with pasta, and Mexico with tacos. This cultural association to the food we ...
What is America's Food Culture?
June 15, 2015 by Nina Dewees. The question, "What is America's food culture," produces many responses and almost always uncertainty. As Pollan mentions, America is a melting pot of many different cultures, each one bringing their own culinary traditions. New York City, where I grew up, is the epitome of this culinary melting pot.
The Essence of Japanese Cuisine
This volume brings together the two interests of Japan and food, examining both from a number of perspectives. The book reflects on the social and cultural side of Japanese food, and at the same time reflects also on the ways in which Japanese culture has been affected by food, a basic human institution. Providing the reader with the historical ...
Food and Culture, Essay Example
For example, more fast food commercials are aired at night than during the day (Harris & 1997). People who watch at least three hours of television a day are exposed to more than 10,000 food advertisements per year. Ninety-five percent of these commercials are for fast food, sodas, cereal, and candy (Harris & 1997). Social Life.
Graduate Berkeley Hotel near University of California Berkeley
Meetings & Events. Graduate Berkeley, just across from Cal's campus and vibrant Telegraph Avenue, is the ideal spot for your next gathering. Our meeting spaces and dining room, inspired by Berkeley history, add local flair to any event, while our expert events and catering teams ensure every detail is perfect.