Ashley McKenzie

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Professor Jan Rieman

UWRT 1103
November 16, 2014
Food: Uniting and Diversifying
Food can be considered one of the most unifying factors among cultures, while at the
same time being the portrayal of differences, in all aspects throughout the world. The basic
element conditions to produce food and the establishment of different procedures, such as
methods of preparing and partaking of food, are all additions to the nature of food that mold the
ways different people view it. My aim in this paper is to examine the various aspects of food and
how they compare and contrast in different cultures globally.
One of the most basic necessities in food production is having the climate and geographic
advantages needed to produce foods. There are only certain climates that can produces certain
foods and this is one of the main reasons for lack of some species of crops or animals in some
regions. Areas such as the desert lands in Egypt will not be able to support a great fish
population while the freezing temperatures in the Arctic cannot yield very many plant crops.
The specific weather conditions along with the soil content and makeup will always drastically
affect the food and its abundances at different tropic levels (Choice of Foods 223). Dairy
products are also examples of types of food not available in certain parts of the world. Humid
tropical regions are unable to effectively produce dairy because of its likelihood of growing
bacteria in that environment (Taboos 384). These unavoidable factors make a lot of decisions
involuntarily for civilizations as of which crops and animals they can and cannot produce. Going
back to the end of the Paleolithic times there was groups called hunter-gatherers. These groups

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are the ideal example of regional climate and conditions shaping livelihood and its ability to
survive. Because wild food sources were scarce and fluctuating, hunter-gatherer groups were
required to be small and nomadic with very low population densities. Also, food was usually
shared and hardly stored (The Effect 224). Hunter-gatherer groups are excellent
demonstrations of adapting food choices to fit in with what is supplied by the environment.
Another obvious separation in different foods is all in the steps before even taking a
bite. The preparation in making food and different forms of finalization are defining
characteristics. Beans are a very simple representation of this observation. In a Japanese society
one will find bean paste, a sweet ingredient in Japanese cakes. On the other hand, in Western
societies beans are normally found in a sweet or savory porridge dish. Spices also play a big part
in distinctive factors added to food. In Korea, garlic, chili, sesame and soy are indigenous to that
country. Some examples from Japanese spices are soy sauce, mirin and dashi, which are also
native to that region, explaining the lack of influence from most of those spices to America
(The Cultural Context 5). The touches of some of these ingredients as seen in the United
States are results of globalization growing through multiple countries as theyre spreading the
diverse tastes of food.
A more local exhibit of types of food differences in the U.S. is the known cultural
background of soul food. Soul food is the unestablished definition of a majority of African
Americans diet. Collard greens, grit cakes, and deep-fried meats are contained within that
definition as noticeable characteristics of African Americans diets in the South which varies
considerably from the North (Reclaiming 82-84). These global and local features of different

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foods are one of the main components setting apart cultures and defining them as who they are
along with at the same time giving all cultures something relatable and uniting.
The next step after the food has been prepared is the act of partaking, or consuming, the
final product. Different utensils used to reach food to ones mouth is a fine example of the
differences with cultures. Chopstick, forks and knives, spoons and fingers are all considered
appropriate methods in one state or another. In a book entitled Food Matters, one of the
authors, Lily Wong, describes how from her upbringing in a Chinese-American culture she had
learned the ways of eating from both Chinese and American influences. In her lifetime, she has
managed to collect these ideas and combine them in a very unique way to result in an unheard of
way of consuming what is considered traditional food. Her steps involve completely
disassembling the traditional Chinese dumpling and separating the contents from the skin using a
fork and knife. Next she individually eats the contents and skins apart with chopsticks all while
dipping each bite in ketchup. This representation shows her mix of Chinese and American
tendencies. At the same time as keeping true to her tradition and having the cultural norm,
Wong adds her own fashion and uniqueness of a clash of cultures by demonstrating the possible
merging effect these cultures can have on one another (Wong 40-43).
Finally, taboos are a major aspect of food in different regions. Taboo is a Polynesian
word for sacred or forbidden. These beliefs towards food can be the main drive behind
religious and emotional decisions made on types of food produced and consumed. There are
multiple religions whose beliefs include some that restrict or limit their food-intake. For
example, Jewish people keep away from pork along with Muslims who also avoid pork, blood
and non-ritually slaughtered animals, cadavers and alcohol because all of this food is considered

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unclean. Hinduism is another religion staying away from certain foods. In that case, Hindus
do not eat beef because cows are considered sacred. In a different cultural aspect, some food is
rejected as unfit for consumption simply because of being exotic or unknown. This idea can be
tied into the thoughts of certain contradictory foods enjoyed in different countries versus
others. Insects are a great demonstration. In Europe and the United States it is hardly ever
considered acceptable to eat a bug, but in other places, such as Mexico, insects are packaged and
sold normally. Horses and dogs are other animals that have enormous differing views on their
consumption in unlike countries (Taboos 384). These examples are to mainly show the
differences food brings to the global table.
In conclusion, food is such a diverse topic that it has the ability to reach across the globe
to distinguish, along with unify, a great amount of cultures. Globalization is a process bringing
about the need for interaction amongst all countries. A great example of globalization is a
restaurant in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania whose purpose is to serve food solely based off of the
menu from the country which the U.S. is currently in conflict which is entitled, so appropriately,
Conflict Kitchen. The present focus is on Palestinian food, culture and politics (Conflict
Kitchen). This establishment is also the perfect representation of food defining cultures while
at the same time unifying them. Food is one of the few subjects in the world that everyone can
relate to and be interested in to provide subjects to converse about and great meals to enjoy.

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Sources
"Choice of Foods": Katz, Solomon H., and William Woys Weaver. "Choice of Foods."
Encyclopedia of Food and Culture. Vol. 2. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2003.
223-24. Print. Provides examples of how regional environments affect food choices.
"The Cultural Context": Katz, Solomon H., and William Woys Weaver. "The Cultural Context."
Encyclopedia of Food and Culture. Vol. 1. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2003. 56. Print. References and examples of different tastes and usages of spices and food as
they vary in different countries.
"Eating the Hyphen": Wong, Lily. "Eating the Hyphen." Food Matters: A Bedford Spotlight
Reader. By Holly Bauer. N.p.: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2014. 40-43. Print. Wong wrote
essay for class on food and society as undergraduate at Williams College. Has earned
bachelor's in history and Asian studies while continuing food writing. "Eating the
Hyphen" explains the mix of Chinese and American in Wong's life and how her eating
habits exemplify her identity.
"The Effect of Food on Culture": Katz, Solomon H., and William Woys Weaver. "The Effect of
Food on Culture." Encyclopedia of Food and Culture. Vol. 2. New York: Charles
Scribner's Sons, 2003. 224-25. Print. Describes the effect food and its availability had on
early hunter-gatherers.

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http://conflictkitchen.org/: Rubin, Jon, and Dawn Weleski. "Conflict Kitchen." Conflict Kitchen.
Block Club, 2014. Web. 6 Oct. 2014. This website is intended to inform customers of the
Conflict Kitchen of their mission to provide foods from across the globe, specifically
from regions in which the USA is currently in conflict with. Allows for people to become
more involved in knowing of current global issues by bringing people together with
exotic food.
"Reclaiming True Grits": Terry, Bryant. "Reclaiming True Grits." Food Matters: A Bedford
Spotlight Reader. By Holly Bauer. N.p.: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2014. 82-85. Print. Terry is
a chief, author, and food justice activist. Acknowledges that "soul food" is given the
blame for unhealthy African Americans but suggests the newer 'instant' ways of
preparing this soul food is what is truly responsible.
"Taboos": Katz, Solomon H., and William Woys Weaver. "Taboos." Encyclopedia of Food and
Culture. Vol. 3. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2003. 384-86. Print. Explains
reasons behind support and reject of certain foods in different regions and religions.