How Food Plays An Important Role In Constructing An Individual's Persona

In What Americans Can Learn From Other Foods, an article written by Amy S. Choi, the author right from the get go puts the consumption of food on a spiritual level, by stating how “Food feeds the soul.” That quotes allows the author to explain how food feeds her soul, especially Korean cuisines. Choi then references a TED Talk, which explains how one's own food preferences reflect their walk of life. The articles then proceeds to break down in six categories of how food plays an important role in constructing an individual's persona.

The first category is Identity. Here Choi disparages the whole “Melting Pot” view of American cuisine as nothing more than a myth, as categorizing cuisines in Monolithic terms, tends to localize food rather globalize it. Choi then explains how American food is a reflection of its wealth, as its foods don't possess a rich backstory of agricultural struggle and hardships, unlike India, Italy, or Japan. With all this being said, America did create a cuisine all on its own. Meat culture in America is very important, from the boneless chicken breast to the 16 ounce steak. The second category is Survival. Here Choi, explains how food can take you to a course in history. The way cultures prepare and consume their food can be the product of ancestral means of survival. Choi uses Chinese food in America as an example. The author calls it Darwinian, as Chinese cooks throughout history in the states have found ways to finesse the American people, via the invention of Chop Suey and Fortune Cookies. They did it to earn a living, and because of that, there is now a generational gap between those who go to the market and cook with the ingredients they purchased. And those who prefer take out.

Next we have dive into Food as a symbol of Status. Nowadays in Shanghai, the youth has benefited greatly due to the exploding restaurant culture there. Similar to the “Melting Pot” in America, Shanghai has embraced foods from all over the world within its walls. Now, there's a sense of V.I.P status when you go out and purchase a cuisine from western culture, or from other parts of Asia. Sharing food, both directly or indirectly, is also a big part of the food consumption experience. Choi also shed light on something interesting. In places like China, eating food isn't about taste, rather it's about the texture. Temperature also matters, either its hot or cold, no in between.

Next is pleasure. Contrary to China, in France pleasure is above everything else. Time and pleasure. The time it takes to prepare a meal is part of the performance. The article also explains how French culture is dependent on this myth that France is pastoral nation. When in fact, factories mass produce French staples like croissants, and French citizens purchase their food from convenience stores. In Italy however, it seems take our hasn't been fully accepted. Home style cooking is still a major part of Italian culture. In Italy, contrary to China, food is about love, not statuts.

Now comes community. Here Choi uses Arab cultures as way to showcase how food can unite people into a close knit community. With festivals being held, private events, as public ones too such as Mosques and other community organizations, Aran cuisines brings people together. Finally, the article explains how food is humanity. All this time, the article has shown how food can provide an insight as to how far people have travel from their roots into modern cuisines.

Now, the author ponders a contradiction, maybe it's about restrain rather progress, what food truly represents. To understand this, the author explains that by eating we are manifesting how we truly feel. To eat how we think. It reflects our connection to the world. To take a step further, the article provides insights from a professor from Indiana, whose research about food has brought him to the conclusion that food is more important than we think. He states that it's our first relationship. Our first social experiment. Our first connection to the world. Honestly, after reading this article I feel like I've been ungrateful to the significance that food has on culture. I've been to family cookouts, restaurants, and other establishments, and I’ve never really stopped and thought about how my culinary preferences shape who I am as an individual. I'm Salvadorian, and whenever I eat a pupusa or drink Horchata, I can't help but think back to my home country, play back old memories in my mind. I've been Americanized however, I enjoy going to fast food restaurants such as McDonalds. I enjoyed the way this article was written. It started off with short background story of the author. This helped me, the reader, understand why Choi would even write something about this. But now I know it’s because to her, food feeds the soul. I liked the references to the two TED talks, as it's not only gave her even more credibility as someone who has done research about the topic, but the links also serve as additional information to the reader. I thought it was great, the way Choi broke down the different ways food has an impact on culture. And that's the thing, it wasn't just one culture that was brought up, there were many. Choi even sometimes, compared and contrasted one culture with another, in regards to food appreciation.

I have to say that I agree with the Choi, with the statement that Food feeds the soul. I’ve definitely heard somewhere else before. To me, that quote means that whenever you eat a cuisine, its contributes to the making of your entire persona. One could say, it's a small piece to a much larger puzzle. Food Preferences can provide insight as to what type of character a person is. Do they value social status? Do they think food is love? Are they part of a community? Questions like these can be answered, by just looking at someone's plate. Well perhaps it not that black and white, but culinary preferences can provide an insight into someone's character. I've noticed that food is constantly put on the same level as religion. Aside from the food feeds the soul quote, in the middle of the article, food and religion are used as examples as to how food contributes to the formation of identity.

Lastly I want to say, that when it comes to food, I thinks its significance to culture is underrated. Speaking for myself, I just eat and don't think about the history about what's on my plate. How it came to be. Who created it. Why was it created? What impact it has left? Next time I have breakfast, lunch, or dinner I'm definitely going to stop and ask myself those questions either before or after enjoying a delicious meal.