Food & Culture

      Food is a necessity of life and it is one of the major sources of energy humans need to survive. But, food is not only something used for consumption; it can do many other things such as helping define a culture and helping people express their feelings towards others. By preparing the food a certain way and having it taste a certain way, it can become associated with a certain culture. The food can be fried, barbequed, sautéed, steamed, etc. These different methods of cooking produce different flavors and textures to the food. For some people, the taste of food or the food itself is associated with certain events, memories or feelings. While for others, the taste and look of the food can leave the person feeling a certain way about the culture. In this blog, I will review and compare food from a variety of cultures in order to understand more about the culture around the food, the making of the food, and how people from each culture interact with the food.
      From my own experiences, I have found that foods from different cultures are similar in the way that they use basic food staples to make a mouth-watering dish. Within each culture, the preparation of the food is different thus resulting in an assortment of delicious foods. For example, when I eat Chinese and Filipino food, I notice that the chow mein and pancit are made out of the same type of noodle but taste differently. The different spices and vegetables that are put into the chow mein and pancit represent how cultures can influence how the food is cooked. As a food fanatic, I want to understand and share with others in what ways culture influences not only the food and its preparation by also the physical layout and design of the restaurant.
      My ultimate goal for this blog is to inform others about how foods can influence people as well as how/why different foods are prepared, eaten and used a certain way in different cultures. In my reviews I will aim to inform readers about my experience at each restaurant as well as the different types of food that was provided. When reviewing a restaurant, I will talk about my experience with things such as what the price range, the location, tastiness of the food, cleanliness, customer service, and ambiance of the eatery. By talking about those aspects of the restaurant, I will also explain how it contributes to the culture of the food. From there, I hope to integrate some cultural history about some of the food that I had eaten or seen at the restaurant. Lastly, I will give my final conclusion and thoughts about the food and whether or not the restaurant would be a good place to eat.