Anderson Class Notes Chapter 6, 8, 12
Chapter 6 * Feeding versus eating * Animals feed * Animals feed the same way every time * Humans eat * Eating requires: * Rituals * Rules * Variations * All humans don’t eat the same way and this contributes to their culture * Why would humans have made all these rules? * Safety * Separation-a hierarchy * Rules are comfortable * Geography * Religion * Tradition * Omnivores paradox: * An idea of theory of survival using the development of culture * We prefer to eat what we know * Has to do with food safety * We already know it wont kill us * We like to experiment * That’s why we have a variety of foods around the world * We had to experiment enough to make a variety of culture
Self Identity versus cultural identity * The idea of incorporating food into self * “I am what I eat” * Foods as being good and bad * We have a moral code within foods * Example: Puratanuism: if you get pleasure from food it is a sin * The one religion that this idea took hold in was Christianity * Self-identity and dining out * Restaurants cater to an atmosphere * Much more likely to have dinner with someone that you perceive as your equal, and you are much less likely to have dinner with someone that you do not perceive yourself as equals * Where are cuisines and cultures most fluid? * Along borders * Because there is interaction between the different population * Also could be along trade routes * Any center where you attract people from different cultures * For example a metropolitan area * How would you define cuisine: * One could give an extensive definition, listing all the dishes or types of dishes in a cuisine * One could give a simple rule of thumb that would predict most cases and bring some clarity without necessarily being perfect * Flavor principles * One of the ways you can define cuisine * Signature flavor * Flavor principles * Spices * Herbs * Prep method * Fat and oil * Condiments * Example: soy sauce in china * What kind of things are flavor profiles based on? * Location * Climate * Religion/belief * Religious dietary laws * Hot vs cold foods (traditional medicine) * Practicality * Availability * A safe version