1. Diversity at the Table
Chapter 2

2. Objectives Explain how a culture is defined.
Give examples of food customs.
Describe how various influences shape a culture’s food customs.
Explain similarities among foods in different cultures.
Explain why some food customs carry on over time, yet some change.
Explain why American cuisine is a “melting pot.”
Objectives

3. Key Terms Cuisine Culture Custom Ethnic Fasting Fusion Cuisine
Staple Foods
Key Terms

4. Culture – a set of customs, traditions, and beliefs shared by a large group of people.
Cultures are linked to countries around the world.
Ethnic – used to describe culture
What is Culture

5. When talking about culture we often describe their food.
Cuisine – refers to a culture’s representative foods and the specific style for preparing them.
Custom – an established practice that is repeated over time.
Food and Culture

6. Influences on Cuisines and Customs
Geography
Economics
Foreign Contacts
Religious Beliefs
Technology
Influences on Cuisines and Customs

7. Geography Geographic location determined diet.
Individuals only ate what was grown locally (sometimes in their own back yard).
These plants and animals became staple foods – most widely produced and eaten foods in an area.
Geography

8. Economics Two distinct classes.
Small group of wealthy powerful aristocrats
Dined on fattened meat, fowl, fruits and vegetables
Had money to buy refined flour
Large number of “working poor”
Meals were meager and monotonous
Ate what they grew or hunted
Economics

9. Economics Due to economic hardships cooks became inventive!
Headcheese
Sausage
Chicken noodle soup
Meatloaf
As the middle class increased these dishes changed and merged with upper class dishes.
Boulliabaisse
Economics

10. Immigration promotes food borrowing
Immigration promotes food borrowing. People from one country bring their foods with them.
Bagels and cheesecake!!!
Exploration leads people to learn about foods from the region. Corn, peanuts, tomatoes, tea.
Foreign Contacts

11. Religious Beliefs Religion dictates what people eat in some cultures
Hindus don’t eat beef
People of the Jewish faith have to keep kosher
Some religions fast during certain times of the year.
Catholics
Muslims
Jewish
Religious Beliefs

12. Technology has impacted the way we prepare, handle, store food
Technology has impacted the way we prepare, handle, store food. It also has changed WHAT we eat.
Microwave
Stove
Train (refrigerated train car)
Refrigerators
Canning
Technology

13. Similarities in Global Cuisines
Preparation Methods
Learning to grind grains and make types of bread
Dumplings
Smoked meats
Social Meanings
Symbolic sign of hospitality
Has festivals with food being a part of the festivities
Similarities in Global Cuisines

14. Food Customs for Today Maintaining Food Customs Changing Food Customs
Handed down as a cultural pride. Part of their identity
Sense of cultural security
Enjoy them – Chocolate!! (How doesn’t?)
Changing Food Customs
More modern methods to process, transport and store foods
Trend with experimenting with foreign cuisines. Fusion cuisine – mixing the influences of different food traditions
Food Customs for Today

15. We are the “melting pot” America has adopted foods from many different countries.
Pretzels
Doughnuts
Coleslaw
Beef kababs
Food Customs in the U.S.