My tastes and preferences in food have definitely been shaped by my own family and culture as well as different cultural experiences. Both of my parents are Italian-American so I grew up eating many delicious Italian recipes. However, both of my parents are third generation so I think that a lot of the culture was lost and in turn there were a lot of standard American dishes served in addition to the traditional Italian ones.
As a child, standard American food was the norm for meals. For me, this includes recipes that would be typical throughout many parts of the country, fast-food, or restaurant chains located across the country. These foods were inexpensive and convenient although not the healthiest. Aside from some random occasions, the Italian dishes were reserved for holidays and special events. These feasts would usually be a mixture of Italian and American foods. For example, during Thanksgiving, manicotti would be next to the turkey and pumpkin pie would be served with gelato. As a child I just remember feeling like I was going to starve on these occasions because my family would be cooking all day long because most dishes were made from scratch. Afterwards, I would always be full because of the huge portions that were served.
Even though I loved a lot of the food my family made, there was some that I just could not bring myself to eat. This was more so because I was a picky eater when I was younger rather than not eating it because of cultural or religious reasons described in the video A World of Food, but rather just because I did not like the taste. At the same time, growing up in the Seattle/Tacoma area, I was exposed to a lot of different foods because of my friends as well as restaurants in the area. There are many Asian foods that I enjoy such as pho, dim sum, and sushi. I like to frequent the restaurants in the International District to satisfy my cravings for these foods. I have also tried various African foods through friends. I have had Ethiopian and Moroccan dishes. I thought that these dishes were good, but I definitely think that it is an acquired taste. Also, my best friend is Filipino so I have tried a lot of Filipino food that I really enjoy. During the A World of Food video, I thought that it was funny when one of the Filipino girls was talking about foods she eats that Americans would be disgusted by because she mentioned fish because they typically serve whole including with the fish heads. My friend’s parents tease me by asking “do you eat fish?” because they don’t think Americans would eat a fish with it’s head on. I think it is funny because I do not think that it is disgusting at all and I do not know of anyone that would be that picky. However, the lechon is a different story for me. It is the pig that is served whole. I am a visual eater so I already was not pleased by the way that it looked, but I tried it and I did not care for it either. I thought that the different categories of food eaters described at the beginning of the video was very interesting and I would agree with it. Personally, I think that I would be a level four. I eat meat but I would not eat certain cuts such as tripe and head cheese.
Overall, I am glad to have been able to experience a wide variety of foods just in the area that I grew up in. Hopefully I will travel more in the future to get the chance to try more great food the world has to offer. The first book recommendation sums up many diverse cuisines that have been brought to America by people of different cultures. The second exposes practices that fast food chains have been engaging in; similar to many other books and documentaries (Super Size Me; Food, Inc.) that have came out during the past decade. In my opinion, I think that many people have changed their food habit as a result of the light these sources shed on American fast food practices. At the same time because of food costs it is still difficult for many Americans to make healthier choices.
Denker, Joel. The World on a Plate : A Tour Through the History of America's Ethnic Cuisines. Boulder, Colo.: Westview Press, 2003. Print.
Schlosser, Eric. Fast Food Nation : The Dark Side of the All-American Meal. Boston, Mass.: Houghton Mifflin, 2001. Print.
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Being a girl who loves pasta and Itallian food, the idea of seeing those vast different foods at Thanksgiving made me laugh. Although I wasn't exposed to as much of a variety of foods as you were, I have had some of the same types of experiences. When I was very young I refused to try anything I didn't immediately recognize, or anything that looked strange to me. Once I hit Jr High, I began to try different foods, and many, such as when I went to a restaurant that gave you the whole lobster, I just couldn't eat while seeing the entire animal there on my plate, even if I did like the taste. My Mother and I also have the issues you mentioned about food cost and the inability to make healthier food choices, although we are trying. I agree with you as well, I'd put myself around a level four.
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