Can Culture Be Described Through Food?

“Culture is most commonly described in three senses:

• Excellence of taste in the fine arts and humanities.

• An integrated pattern of human knowledge, belief, and behavior that depends upon the capacity for symbolic thought and social learning.

• The set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices that characterizes an institution, organization or group.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture

Even though according to Wikipedia culture is defined as such, to me food is one of the main definitions for culture. Different ethnicities have various traditions, and food is a main part of it. Countries as a whole have their own food traditions and so does the many states within a country, and if broken down further so do tribes. Delicacies are a major part of our lives. Thus, in this paper my topic is “Do you think food defines culture? If so, how? What are the aspects?”

The meaning of food is an exploration of culture through food. What we consume, how we acquire it, who prepares it, who’s at the table, and who eats first is a form of communication that is rich with meaning. Indian food is a prominent part of our culture, its varied spice involved in one dish very well defines my culture. Indians prefer their food spicy, their food has five main spices used regularly for cooking; they are cumin, turmeric, coriander, mustard and red chili. Together, these spices embody the bold flavors, and unique textures that define traditional Indian curries. Best of all, some of them have been linked to health benefits. Researchers have suggested that cumin has been praised not only as an iron source, but also for its potential, like mustard seeds, to prevent cancer and aid in digestion. Coriander has been used in India for its anti-inflammatory properties and studied in the United States for its possible connection to cholesterol reduction; the spice already is considered a good source of dietary fiber, iron, and magnesium. Turmeric could play a role in slowing down the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. Red chili has been associated with everything from pain relief, reduced congestion, and stomach ulcer prevention to weight loss and increased cardiovascular health. Since, India’s main religion is Hinduism, they mostly eat vegetarian. Therefore the vegetarian food available in India for me is one of the best. My favorite vegetable is the colocasia leaves (in Hindi known as “patra”). The non-vegetarian is equally good, because Indian beef/meat is one of the tenderest meats there is.

Likewise, different foods define other cultures. When someone says they want Mexican, you know they want a quesadilla, or a burrito or nachos. One of the first things that may come to mind when you think of Mexican food is chilies. There are many types of chilies used such as the spicy jalapeno, the flavorful ancho, chipotle peppers