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, such as weather, 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 produce 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 involuntarily mold
civilizations as to which crops and animals they can and cannot produce. Going back to the end
of the Paleolithic times there were groups called hunter-gatherers. These groups

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are the ideal example of regional climate and conditions shaping livelihood and the ability of
different groups to survive. Because wild food sources were scarce and fluctuating, huntergatherer 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 within the steps taken to make the food
before even consuming a single bite. The preparation of 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 on most of those
spices to America (The Cultural Context 5). The effects of some of these ingredients as seen
in the United States are results of globalization growing through multiple countries as 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 (Terry 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 giving all cultures something relatable and uniting at the same time.
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. All while 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 based on types of food produced and consumed. There are
multiple religions whose beliefs include some that restrict or limit their food-intake. For

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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
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
related to 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 opposing views on their
consumption in unlike countries (Taboos 384). These examples are 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 vast 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 that the U.S. is currently in conflict which is called, 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 conversation starters along with great meals to enjoy.

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Sources
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.
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.
Katz, Solomon H., and William Woys Weaver. "The Cultural Context." Encyclopedia of Food
and Culture. Vol. 1. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2003. 5-6. Print. References and
examples of different tastes and usages of spices and food as they vary in different
countries.
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.
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.

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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.
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.