Your Food Cultures
~Brillat-Savarin
What food cultures do you belong to? Most of you are part of the student food culture (pizza, burgers, burritos and beer) and you no doubt belong to some kind of regional food culture as well (e.g. midwestern meat & potatoes). Does your ethnic or religious identity connect you to particular foods or food rituals? Are you a foodie? A vegan? Post your response (at least 300 words) here. And feel free to otherwise introduce yourself to the rest of the class while you're at it.
Hi all, I'm Sarah, a journalism major from Dayton, Ohio.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I grew up and have lived my entire life near central Ohio, the food culture that I identify most with is southern. My father was raised in Tennessee and New Mexico, and passed his culture on to his three northern daughters through cooking. Where my dad comes from, breakfast and dinner are big meals and lunch is pretty much nonexistent. Meats are a priority, often salted (country ham) or fried (chicken, steak). Gravy goes with breakfast and with dinner, while biscuits sit beside the fried okra and white beans at every meal. Obviously it's not the most healthy way of life, and we rarely indulge in southern classics save for on holidays and the occasional weekend, but whenever I think of food that is unique to my family, I think southern — with hot sauce slathered on everything in sight.
Since leaving home, I have become part of the college food culture, also known as take-out, cereal and microwave meals. Ramen, Honey Nut Cheerios and Arbor Mist are staples for the college budget, but when I'm ready to splurge, Chinese take-out from the restaurant by my house is the way to go. Moving from a dorm, where the dining hall catered my every meal, to a house, where every trip to the grocery is a strain on my wallet, was quite the transition. Every meal I made in my new house required a phone call home to go through the recipe and ingredients list. With fire extinguisher close at hand, I learned to cook and began to develop my own food culture — one of steamed vegetables and pastas, soups and chicken, the seeming opposite of the southern food I associate with my childhood.
I now belong to two very different food cultures, and both influence the way I eat and the food choices I make every day. Although I'm more likely to make chicken kiev and broccoli (my favorite) when pressed for time in my college house, I will never turn down dad's country ham, biscuits and gravy when I head home for the weekend.
My name is Cory McCune, I am a senior Journalism major here. I have lived ten minutes outside of Athens basically my entire life, besides being born in Toledo, Ohio and spending my first two years of college at Ohio Valley University in Vienna, West Virginia.
ReplyDeleteI have never put much thought into my identity when it comes to food. When I was younger I was a picky eater, but my pickiness is decreasing as my age increases. Throughout high school and my first two years of college I was serious about athletics so I tried to watch how much snack/fast food I ate, but now I don’t pay nearly as much attention.
What I eat is basically decided by what is most convenient at the time. As a student with a part-time job I don’t have a strict eating schedule, I basically just eat when I can, mainly during a break in classes or a break at work. This normally does not leave much time to pick and choose what I eat, or even where I get my food. McDonalds is right across the road from where I work, so I normally eat there and order off the dollar menu. I know it not healthy, but it is what is convenient and cheapest.
That’s another thing about being a college student, the less money to feed me the better. Which is a big plus about living at home. I am able to get a good breakfast (pancakes, waffles, eggs, ect…) four or five mornings a week. Along those lines I am normally home for dinner, or at least can’t count on getting the leftovers if I work an evening shift.
For all of these reasons I would say that the label of student food culture would best describe my diet. I would like to try to eat healthier, but healthy food takes more time to prepare and more money. I would also like to have a better eating schedule, but my hectic, ever-changing weekly schedule makes that difficult.
My name is Katie Mefferd and if Brillat-Savarin can really tell me what I am based on what I eat, he might have his hands full. Three days a week I would be a mixture of beer, liquor, chocolate, buttered popcorn, Goodfella’s, Jimmy John’s and Souvlaki’s with the occasional glass of water and an apple. The other four days I would be a mix of turkey, whole grains, Greek yogurt, fruits, vegetables and caffeine.
ReplyDeleteThrough trial and tribulation I have undoubtedly become part of the college food culture and the health-nut food culture. The mix seemingly contradicts one another, but I love it. I have the benefit of feeling healthy, upbeat and in shape throughout the week, but feel no remorse for the junk food and alcohol I binge on over the weekend.
Okay, maybe that was a bit of a lie, the feeling no remorse part. I grew up in a house where I was a “latch-key” kid. After school my brother and I had free reign of the food and, as a result, I made poor decisions. The older I got, the more conscious I became of these decisions. I played sports year round and decided to start making healthier food choices to stay in better shape.
Around came college and with it came dining halls, alcohol, fast-food and a lack of my mom’s cooking. My nutrition habits quickly took a turn for the worst. I stepped into a place of over-indulgence, easy-access and huge portions. In a sense, I feel like that is the food culture of America. The majority of Americans make the occasional unhealthy choice, have easy access to unhealthy foods and eat larger portions than are necessary. I joined the crowd and lost my healthy habits.
Now out of the dorms, I have the chance to prepare my own meals like my mom did. I do my best to eat healthy and actually enjoy skimming cookbooks, watching The Food Network and learning about what will make my body and brain function best. Despite this, I still partake in the weekend festivities uptown with my roommates and nom on some good junk food. The balance is odd, but for me it works, at least for right now.
I am a junior studying Journalism and I come from Lima in Northwest Ohio. I have been a part of many food cultures from the influences of my family, my peers and major lifestyle changes. I'll always strive to be a part of the "health-nut" food culture, but everyone needs to indulge now and then.
Hi everyone! My name is Sara Andrews and I am currently a freshman here at Ohio University. My major as of now is psychology, but last quarter I figured out that that field was not for me. Next October I plan on applying to Scripps and major in either public relations or journalism. I am from Amherst, Ohio, which is a small town about thirty minutes west of Cleveland.
ReplyDeleteRegarding the blog topic, I would say that my food culture is definitely ethnic. I am Italian, Hungarian, Slovak, and Polish. All of these different cultures revolve around food. Holidays, birthdays, graduation parties, you name the food, it’s most likely there. I grew up making homemade meatballs and pasta with my Great Grandma. Some kind of pasta was served for dinner at least 2 times a week. My family makes frequent trips to Little Italy in Cleveland just for food. Our usual stops are Guarino’s or Mama Santa’s for dinner then we walk down the street for some canoli from Corbo’s Bakery. I have found myself in the dining halls eating pasta whenever it is served regardless of what else they have.
Now that I am transitioning from living at home to college life, I have noticed that the everyday staples are Special K, Smart Ones, and Pizza Rolls. On my floor we celebrate Wacky Wednesday at Hungry Howie’s as if it were an actual holiday. I save coupons for every restaurant religiously, feeling accomplished when I get a deal on anything. Yes, I do have a meal plan, but that just get’s boring sometimes. But from eating meals at the dining halls to grabbing the slice of Good Fella’s that you just have to have at two in the morning add up. As this year started, I dreaded hearing the words “freshman 15”. Those word’s were like someone running their fingernails down a chalkboard for me. I watched some of my friends gain that extra ten, fifteen, even twenty pounds and it scared me. Yes, they were probably being cost effective, but is it worth the price to be that unhealthy? I have learned to balance whatever I eat, by working out once a day, but it also helps that I live on the fourth floor.. It seems that when I lived at home, food was just food, but now you would just die for a home cooked meal any day.
I never really noticed that there was such thing as a food culture, but now sitting back and really analyzing myself, I can see it. I see that I stick to my roots, but try to stick to what’s best for my wallet, just like every other college student.
My name is Tyler Schindewolf. I grew up in the city of Akron, Ohio and was raised in one of Akron’s western suburbs in a town called Copley. I am a junior and communications major with a focus in writing. In addition, I have always enjoyed expressing myself on paper and look forward to taking full advantage of the newly offered writing certificate at Ohio University. Currently, I spend most of time as a student and managing, Blimp City Records & Entertainment, a small music production company that I recently started up with a few friends. We are a hip-hop/rap collective and will be down at the Union on the 31st of this month, if any of you want to come check us out.
ReplyDeleteGrowing up, I ate a wide variety of foods that, I now know, mainly belong to the Midwest regional food culture. For as far back as I can remember, my favorite meal was always steak and a baked potato or mashed potatoes, which is a staple in midwestern food culture. However, I believe that it is hard to group the foods that I eat into just one culture, because the foods that I eat on a regular basis are consist of foods that are common among various different regional food cultures. For instance, I am a main proponent of spicy dishes found in the southwestern regional food cultures. Moreover, two of my favorite fruits, pomegranates and pineapples, which I eat on a regular basis when I am back home at my parent’s house, are more commonly found in costal regions where the climate is warm year-round, as opposed to Northeast Ohio, where conditions do not even permit such fruits to grow. I feel that my diet, although heavily influenced by my regional culture, is well rounded and contains a large variety of foods common in other regional food cultures.
Hi my name is Sarah Owen; I am an International student from Portsmouth England. I am a senior, I am a part of the Ohio varsity swimming and diving team. I have represented Great Britain in tri nations at the age of fifteen and I was an Olympic finalist in 2008. I tend to graduate in the spring with a degree in Sociology, what I really want to do when I graduate is become a swimming coach and give back to the sport what the sport has given me. However I do also want to do something else but I am not quite sure what I want to do as of yet.
ReplyDeleteI have never really thought about what my food really says about me. I don’t know if my break down will be completely correct. I think there are a lot of parts to what my food shows about me. I have the best of both world being international and having a different background to food, and also knowing what the food is in America and how it really does differ between the two countries.
My food culture is more Athletic than it is student I try to stay away from fast food so being a athlete it would consists of mainly pasta and really healthy food, meaning a lot of colours on the plate, as our nutritionist would say. When I am not in season with my swimming; I am defiantly a normal student when it comes to food, because I can never be bothered to cook anything and I never did like going to the dining halls to eat my meals. My regional food would Fish and chip (fries) with mushy peas this is a traditional British meal which I miss when I am at school here; I have yet to come across a place in the United States that makes food like back home. I am someone that will eat any type of food and I think I am a foodie because I really enjoy making my food and trying to make new and interesting meals.
My name is Jacquelyn Baker and I am a junior at OU who is going for a BFA in Acting and a Writing Certificate. I am from a very small town in North Eastern Ohio called Jefferson.
ReplyDeleteWhen I actually think about the question that has been presented, I guess I would have to say that I know that although I live in Northern Ohio, that I actually belong to a southern food culture as well as a student food culture. (If I have to be specific because honestly I love all sorts of food.) Pizza and burgers are easy enough to come by and are pretty cheap and since I am a college student I do not have a lot of time or money which places me in a student culture. (But, I refuse to eat fast food; with the exception of Taco Bell because I hate extremely greasy food and fast food does not even taste good in my opinion.)
However, when I am home with my family (who has southern roots from West Virginia and Virginia) or when I have enough time to cook, I like more southern type of cooking. I enjoy hearty helpings of southern food like thick gravy and potatoes, and chicken and dumplings to name a couple. It is really interesting to me how I have been introduced to such a southern feel for food when I live up in Northern America, so I also am well aware and enjoy food from this area as well. To be completely honest though, I eat all sorts of food. My father raised my sister and myself with having to try everything he made and that really has allowed me to being willing to try any food that I come across. Taking that into consideration, I am a person that overall just likes to eat food.
Hello, my name is Kirsten Hamilton. I am a senior here at OU and an Online Journalism Major within the Scripps School. I am from Columbus, Ohio and have lived there the majority of my life.
ReplyDeleteWhile I believe it to be undefinable by any specific name or lifestyle choice, my food culture is very open. I am open to trying anything once, or twice if I enjoy it, and love all types of food (besides shellfish, I'm allergic).
Growing up without any specific religious or personal food preferences in the family, family dinners consisted of everything from spaghetti night to rotisserie duck, and everything in between. We managed to explore all types of cuisines, which I must say was very enjoyable as a child.
One habit I continue to indulge in that I picked up from my family's eating style is my love for condiments. Ketchup, mayonnaise, ranch dressing, the list goes on and on.
While living at school I managed to find roommates that all have different eating styles that have made me very aware of my personal eating habits. With roommates that have a gluten allergy, one diabetic, and one who is lactose intolerant , we have all managed to sacrifice our diets from time to time when roomie dinners come around.
Through all of my life experiences I have managed to create a unique food culture specifically for me, and hope to come across more food cultures and lifestyles choices that show me different aspects of food.
Hello class, this is Hailey speaking. Speaking on my idea's that would link me to my "food culture." So I take this opportunity for the first time to reflect upon my eating habits in a manner that would identify me as an absolute midwesterner. Wings and burgers all the way. We're talking all the way from birth to my 19 year long existence I've been chowing down on your typical American foods. It's a lonely, boring stretch of states that I call home, that being the land of meat and potatoes, though geographically speaking we'll refer to it as the Midwest. I find that the food is generally reflective upon the land mass: boring and flat. I only say this because I think and realize that my entire diet thus far has been lacking zest and I’ve been starved of culture, yet full of hamburger and fry. The holiday being Thanksgiving, the only real ethnic identity I can say I possess, illustrates me as a total turkey-loving, apple pie eating “foodie.” But no, I’m not what you call a “foodie” in technical terms, maybe not even close to it. For I am the master of sandwiches, the connoisseur of compiled deli meats and other various condiments. I am a firm believer in the sandwich and what it stands for: simplicity. It’s quick and easy and if put together well, perfectly delicious and perfectly fine for my simple taste. I know food can be something spectacular, it can be something to really drool over but I don’t find myself taking the time for my salvation glands to kick in. I’m a bit of a primitive eater, sadly. Yes, my eating habits lean more towards the unsophisticated side, and when it comes down to hunger there is nothing wrong with a turkey club. There being nothing wrong with that either considering I’m a budgeting college student who can appreciate noodles soaked in chicken flavored salt water. Though don’t get me wrong, my simple taste is derived from mere laziness. Place a plate of fine cuisine on my table and I’ll enjoy it to it’s upmost warrant. I now bank on gaining more food credits in my later years, and when I say bank I mean it, one needs money to enjoy the finer foods in life.
ReplyDeleteFitting in Through Food
ReplyDeleteMy name is Jimmy Roller, I was born in Ohio but I have moved many times. I have moved ten times and lived in six different states. I my experience, one of the easiest ways to connect with an area you have just moved to, is through food. A walk around a local grocery store can reveal more about a region or city then any chamber of commerce. Regional food can give insight into the history, culture and core values of particular region.
My family recently just moved back to Youngstown Ohio. I walked through the grocery store, and I noticed an entire aisle devoted to olive oil. I had never seen so much olive oil. I looked at all the different types of oil from virgin toe extra virgin, clear bottles to dark bottles and Greek to Italian olives. I finally turned to an old Italian lady standing behind me and asked the difference between the different types of oil. This woman went on to explain what I assume was Einstein’s theory of relativity. Even thought many words coming out of this women's mouth passed over my head. I did however realize how rich Youngstown Ohio is in Italian culture.
Before Moving to Youngstown I lived just outside Kansas City Missouri. In Kansas City instead of having an entire aisle devoted to olive oil, there was an entire aisle devoted to bar-b-que sauce. I learned in school that Kansas City was the central hub of the beef industry in the nineteenth century. It makes sense that the city built by beef is in love with the most red meat oriented style of cooking in the world.
I also lived in Mississippi, bayou country. The bayou is most famous for Cajun food. Crawfish and Catfish are the most common meats used both very cheap. Once my parents were having work done on their house. One of the workers asked if he could catch the crawfish in the creek on our property. My family had no problem with this so we of course allowed him to fish our creek. After he was done he told us how embarrassing it was to ask if he could fish our creek, because when he was young crawfish was "poor food," and it was shameful to admit that you ate crawfish. That stigma has mostly disappeared from the Deep South, but Cajun dishes do serve a reminder of how difficult life once was in the south.
I would not have taking the time to understand food cultures of the different regions I have lived; It would have been even more difficult trying to fit in as the new kid. Food is an easy way to connect with others because it is such an essential part of our lives. Eating is something everyone does, yet we all do it very differently.
Hello everyone Im Paul Del Gesso. Im a video production major whose also going for his writing certificate. My food cultures consist of two main areas. Here at school I adhere strictly to dinning hall food and whatever I can fit into my microwave, save for the occasional Big Mama’s. Rationing cash mostly leads to unhealthy and processed foods. This is not to say that I don’t eat healthy at home though. Hailing from South Jersey, where Philadelphia is only blocks away, I heavily dine on cheese steaks or a hoagie from Wawa. Regionally, my area is also heavily flooded with fine Italian and seafood restaurants. Mostly all of Philadelphia's restaurants are supplied by fresh Jersey produce, which i admit cannot sound appealing to anyone who strictly thinks of Jersey in its new connotative sense. Despite reputation i find everything, the fine and fresh meats of the italian market to deep fried Oreos on the boardwalk, homey and delicious.
ReplyDeleteFinancial restrictions and desire for instant gratification keep an unhealthy dose of fast food in my diet. I can easily end up at Taco Bell, Mcdonalds, and Chick Fila all in the same week. All of these foods are obviously not unique to my area, but one day Ill learn to stop ordering "hoagies" every time im at Jimmy John's here.