Memory Food

The memory food that I’ve decided to bring to class is sour gummy worms. The reason why I have such a close tie to these sweet delicacies is because they were one of the first candies my parents allowed me to eat.  As a result, I use to eat them all the time as a little kid. I remember taking an entire bag of gummy worms to elementary school and sharing them with my best friends Quincy and Khalil. We loved to bring candy to school and share them with each other in secret. I would bring the gummy worms, Quincy would bring Skittles, and Khalil would usually bring Starburst. Instead of sharing them during lunchtime, we would sneak them in our pockets and share them during recess. Those were good times, but then two things changed. The first change came when both Quincy and Khalil moved away. Don’t get me wrong. Even after they moved to different states, I continued to eat gummy worms.

At this point, gummy worms were my candy of choice. I preferred them over any other candy and continued to eat them throughout my elementary career whenever I got the chance. However, that would change when I went to the Dentist to receive braces during my 3^rd grade year. Obviously with braces in my mouth, I wouldn’t be able to eat the same food items I did before. Unfortunately, one of these items was gummy worms. In short, I was devastated. What would I do without gummy worms?  I loved them so much, and, just like that, they were out of my life (for a little while anyways). I was fortunate to have them removed during middle school before they were placed back in during my freshman and sophomore years in high school. I definitely capitalized on the opportunity to eat gummy worms during that time span, and after getting them removed permanently, I’ve made sure to make up for lost time.

What’s interesting about my gummy worm “addiction” is that it may be more complex than simply quenching a craving for a food item I lost contact with for an extended period of time. It is possible that my connection to old friends causes me to continue the tradition of eating gummy worms. I bring this up because after elementary school I moved and attended three different middle schools each school year: Sego Middle in 6^th grade, Spirit Creek Middle in 7^th grade, and Davidson Fine Arts in 8^th grade. In each year of attendance, I met new friends and shared candy with them as well. Of course, I continued to provide the gummy worms. The only difference was that the candy was shared during gym class instead of recess. And because I attended three different schools, I displayed this pattern on three separate occasions.

There seemed to be a connection between migration and memory in their relations to my “candy circles” that I formed as a child. A similar notion is addressed in Sandra Soo-Jin Lee’s article “Dys-appearing Tongues and Bodily Memories: The Aging of First-Generation Resident Koreans in Japan.” In her article, Lee discusses how migrants are able to preserve ties to their places of origin through their preservation of experience and memories. She further asserts that these ties can be social, cultural, or psychological aspects that link these people to their pasts and assists them in shaping their present situations (198-199). Lee uses the Korean identity to demonstrate this concept, and, while I am not Korean, I can relate to her article from its angle of migration.

The consumption of gummy worms with friends became a tradition and a source of identity for me during my early years of elementary school that persisted during middle school and continued with vigor after my braces were removed. Clearly I still foster a sense of remembrance and fondness for my past experiences with candy consumption that I wish to spread with others that I include within my circle of friends.

Manuel's Bread Cafe

After Zumba classes on Saturdays, my friends and I typically gorge our ravenous appetites on fast foods such as pizza and other fast foods. I admit, it’s not the healthiest activity after a fitness class, but, in our defense, we do emphasize moderation. However, this week I was feeling more guilty than usual for my poor food choices and decided to eat at Manuel’s Bread Café.  Once my friends and I arrived at the restaurant, we were taken aback by the architecture of the building itself. It was simple in its design, yet it contained an almost mesmerizing quality to it. Once we entered the building, I immediately noticed the immaculate, organized, and calm quality that the interior presented. Again, there was nothing too fancy about the place, but the structure and cleanliness of the restaurant coupled with the hospital, kind nature of the employees left an impression on me I don’t typically feel within other restaurants. One of my friends advised that we should all order salads. I reluctantly agreed, but my reluctance didn’t last long because I had to admit that the salad selections did appear quite appetizing.

One noticeable characteristic of Manuel’s Bread Café is the significance of food awareness. This includes consumers being aware of where their food items come from and how they are produced and handled. This knowledge has a profound effect on an individual’s food choices. This concept is discussed in Julie Guthman’s article “Fast Food/Organic Food: Reflexive Tastes and the Making of ‘Yuppie Chow’”. Within the article, Guthman discusses the effects of the Slow Food Movement in relation to consumer food patterns. She asserts that consumers remain attentive and monitor how their food items are produced. This ultimately influences their preference toward foods they perceive to be healthy (46-47). A similar notion is seen in Manuel’s Bread Café.  Most of the dishes provided at the restaurant are direct yields from the Blue Clay Farm. The foods cultivated each year at the farm are carefully planted and regulated for optimal growth. Therefore, Manuel’s provides an assortment of foods that are both healthy and safe for consumption. This knowledge allows customers to realize that they are being provided with high quality healthy foods. With this in mind, it is safe to assume that Manuel’s primarily targets consumers interested in dining on fresh, organic food dishes. Any customer is welcome to dine at Manuel’s, but fast food connoisseurs may lose interest.

Not all foods are grown in such a natural manner such as the meals provided at Manuel’s. Some foods are modified with various agents in order to enhance food production. All of these modifications are done before the food appears on your plate, so many people are unaware that alterations have taken place. Jennifer Clapp, in her article “The Political Economy of Food Aid in an Era of Agricultural Biotechnology”, discusses how these modified foods affect global relations. Clapp states that certain African countries distrust the safety of genetically modified foods. These countries believe these foods will have adverse effects on both their citizens and their crops. Because of these reasons, they are willing to ignore U.S. donations even in times of severe famine (467-468). This demonstrates a level of uncertainty within the food community. As a consumer, you are unaware of the processes involved in producing your foods. The same is true on a global scale as well. Which foods are safe to consume, and how do we know that those foods are truly free of contamination? Manuel’s looks to remove this cloud of doubt. Manuel’s diligently regulates its food production to ensure rich quality of fresh organic foods. In a sense, the restaurant almost represents a haven for nutritious, safe foods.

At the end of the day, I enjoyed my visit to Manuel’s Bread and Café. It was very informative and the food was delicious. Even though I am not a “salad person”, I ordered the Tomato Caprese Salad. It was divine (for a salad) and I’ve included a link to preparing a Tomato Mozzarella Caprese Salad as well. Hope you enjoy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tR2-eHc_5qg

One Food Eating Myth

So here’s an interesting story. I recently received a booklet in the mail that advertised Pink merchandise. For those of you who are unaware of what Pink is, it’s a Victoria’s Secrets clothes brand for women. Initially I thought nothing of it (this wouldn’t be the first time my name was mistaken for belonging to a female), and decided to simply discard the booklet. However, something caught my attention. As I glanced through the pages, I noticed that all the women looked similar. They were all tall, thin, and white. The brand using tall, thin beautiful women as a marketing technique wasn’t surprising, but what was surprising was that there wasn’t a woman of color present. This isn’t to say that Victoria’s Secret doesn’t use women of different races within this brand (or any brand for that matter), but it does help perpetuate a common myth. This myth states that women not belonging to the White race do not experience body image complications.  

It’s no secret that society places an emphasis on the female body. Society constantly advertises and displays women with gorgeous looks and a thin frame. As a result, women become influenced by the expectations that society places on them, and feel that their body types aren’t good enough. This necessity to appear like the women in the Victoria’s Secrets ads (and many others) causes women, particularly White women, to develop eating disorders. But where do the women of different colors fit into this equation? This concept is addressed by Susan Boro in her article “Not Just ‘A White Girl’s Thing’: The Changing Face of Food and Body Image Problems”. Boro states that it is a common belief among people that eating disorders are only prevalent among White females, and that women of other races don’t exhibit a dislike of their body types. These women are proud of their body’s features and have a cultural permission to appear the way they do (46). Because it is assumed that women of different colors are comfortable with their bodies, they aren’t depicted as much as White women in body image advertisements. Therefore, White females are able to connect directly to the women in these ads and develop a desire to emulate the bodies they see. This, however, is not true. Eating disorders can be present within women regardless of their ethnicity or culture. Boro further asserts that eating disorders are predicated on new social expectations and the anxieties associated with attempting to obtain an ideal body (51). Women of different races are influenced by societal expectations just as much as White women. Simply because these women aren’t voicing their dissatisfactions with their bodies as much as their white counterparts, doesn’t mean that they don’t have issues with their body types.

This concept is also displayed in the popular sitcom Modern Family. The show focuses on a fictitious family, the Pritchetts, as the many members of the family navigate through life and all the obstacles that it presents. One character in particular is Gloria played by the actress Sofia Vergara. Gloria, the wife of Jay Pritchett, is a beautiful Columbian housewife. Throughout the show, characters are constantly addressing her natural stunning looks and breathtaking figure. In a sense, Vergara’s character becomes a depiction of what Columbian women look like. This would imply that all Columbian women are gifted with thin bodies and large chests. Bodies such as these are accepted by society and held in high regard. Therefore, Columbian women show no displeasure with their body types. This concept is not true. Not all women have the genetics for a thin body. For the Columbian women that do, they may exhibit distaste for them. At different points within the show, Gloria comments on how people appreciate her more for her looks than for her personality as a loving housewife. This demonstrates that having a curvaceous body has its tradeoffs and isn’t always viewed as a positive attribute by women. We can look at this issue from the other angle as well. The show also makes note of the fact that Gloria is constantly going to the gym to tone her body. This demonstrates that even though Gloria isn’t a White woman, she is still influenced by societal expectations for females to display awe-inspiring body types.

Ultimately, the pressure to acquiesce to the standards of society is felt by women of different races and ethnicities. These standards include food and exercise management in order to flaunt toned, glamorous, appealing bodies for all of society to see. However, not all females are guilty of complying with such a standard, and it’ll be interesting to see if the narrative changes in the future. Until then, my mailbox will be open.

The Psychology of Food Choices

Food is a medium through which a person can effectively construct a collective identity among a group of people. This implies that people are able to connect with one another through their food choices. These food choices are influenced and shaped by a multitude of factors. One notable factor is the psychology of preference and observation.

It has come to my attention that social connectivity among a group of individuals is rooted in similarity of food items. Of course, I cannot speak for everyone. Therefore this observation is limited to my personal experiences and examinations of others in my immediate surroundings. For example, my favorite meals are spaghetti and lasagna, and many of my close friends hold these meals in high regard as well. This similar association is found among other groups of friends that share food preferences for certain items. The most notable I can think of being coffees and salads. Why is it that people seem to gravitate towards others that demonstrate similar tastes in foods? Are these cliques influenced by food choices, or is it the other way around? If so, are we conscious of such a dynamic influence?

These concepts are explored in Richard Sheperd’s book The Psychology of Food Choice which outlines how psychological factors influence a person’s food choices. Sheperds asserts that an individual’s food selection is constructed by the observation of consumption habits.  These habits are learned and, with time, develop into an individual’s preferences for certain food items (6). This suggests that different people make different food choices based on the habits of others. Once these food choice have been made, people are then able to integrate themselves within the appropriate social groups.

This concept of careful observation affecting food ways is further illustrated in Melissa Salazar’s article “Salad Days: A Visual Study of Children’s Food Culture”.  Through the years of 2004 and 2005, Salazar observed student reactions to the implementation of salad bar programs in many elementary schools in northern California (22). Salazar claims that food choices are dependent on individual tastes and by watching others. This concept was seen by individual student plates. Salazar noticed that the students, instead of producing ordinary salads, preferred to separate their food items into piles (27). This demonstrates the psychology of food choice as the students portrayed a preference for certain food items over others. In the process, it is possible that the construction of one student’s “salad” was influenced by the food choices exhibited by other students who were possibly influenced by others.

What’s interesting is that the process can be reversed. Instead of one person being influenced by a group of people, a group can be influenced by the food choices a single individual. When I was in elementary school, I brought lunch from home on most occasions. Included within my lunches were Doritos and Fruit-Roll-Ups. Up until that point, students rarely brought these food items to school. Once it became known that I possessed these items on a regular basis, I began to draw immediate attention. Obviously the brands themselves were a cause of commotion, but no one ever asked for any of my food. The students accepted me into their groups, and they too began consuming more Doritos and Fruit-Roll-Ups as well. Ultimately, through this process, I became incorporated within a group whose identity transformed because it was influenced by the food choices of a single individual.

There are numerous factors that affect a person’s food choices. Preferences, wealth, accessibility. All of these factors and more contribute in determining what foods are readily consumed over others. This culmination ultimately results in the formation of habits that are learned and observed in a continuous loop.

Richard Sheperd and Monique Raats. The Psychology of Food Choice. Massachusetts: National

          Science, 2006. Print.

 

My Year of Meats

What is the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about the American identity? Coca Cola beverages? The sport of baseball? Dare I mention apple pie? Allow me to dig a little deeper. The American identity is built on the premise of opportunity and individualistic expression. A multitude of customs and practices have blended into a diversified culture that allows the American tradition to differ from the cultures of other countries.

In Ruth L. Ozeki’s book, My Year of Meats, she showcases the differences that exist between both American and Japanese cultures and, in the process, reveals the true nature behind the American identity. Ozeki’s character Jane Takagi-Little, the director of My American Wife, attempts to link Japanese housewives to America through the concept of food preparation. The food item she and her producers emphasized greatly was beef. Jane’s vision was to produce a show that documented the personal lives of average American families in order to demonstrate the diverse and unique customs associated with America (9). However, Jane’s producers didn’t agree with her vision. They believed that it was imperative to showcase families that Japanese citizens could readily recognize and identify as being American. These families were expected to consist of white members belonging to the middle or upper classes of society. In addition to this, the families had to be attractive and free of blemishes (12). Families such as these were considered to define the prototypical American family, and only these families would be appealing to the Japanese audience.

This concept immediately caught my attention. It became quite clear that Japanese citizens envisioned American families as being structured, harmonious, and overall perfect. America families come in a plethora of shapes and sizes, and not all families look alike and live perfect lives. Therefore, any family depicted as such couldn’t possibly be authentic. This sense of perfection is also emphasized in Anne Allison’s article “Japanese Mothers and Obentos: The Lunch Box as Ideological State Apparatus”. In this article, Allison discusses the immense responsibility given to Japanese mothers during the preparation of the obento lunches for their children. The obento meals were expected to be perfectly constructed in both appearance and proportions (84). This is how the mothers showed their love. The Japanese mothers dedicated time to this task, and failure to effectively construct the obento meant failure as a mother. In a sense, the Japanese identity is becoming dependent on its connection to American practices. Is this priority for perfection caused by the desire of Japanese mothers to become more like idealized American mothers?

                It’s a mind game and an affair of illusions. Japanese housewives are willing to live their lives according to the American standard. The producers of My American Wife took advantage of this concept. By fabricating ideal American families cooking meals consisting of beef, Japanese citizens could become immersed in the façade and be tricked into believing they were participants of the American culture. However, it’s important to note that this was more of a marketing strategy to make Japanese households purchase more American beef. The end result remains the same; Japanese citizens receiving false ideas about the American culture.

Jane, however, didn’t agree with this premise. She believed that it was important to provide an accurate depiction of America to her viewing audience. One such documentary was that done on the Martinez family. Alberto Martinez was a debilitated farmworker who emigrated from Mexico with his wife Catalina.  Both Alberto and his wife worked tediously in order to support the family and were eventually able to purchase their own barn and acres of land (58). The Martinez family exemplifies the concept that has become known as the American dream. They moved away from their homes in Mexico in order to better their lives and provide their son Bobby with an opportunity to live a good life. In the process, they were able to widen the viewer’s understanding of what it truly means to be American. Jane also chose to film them preparing burritos instead of ordinary beef dishes. This helped to establish a sense of individualism and introduce a sense of rich diversity that characterizes America.

By depicting the American identity, Ozeki was able to highlight glaring differences exist among the cultures. Americans aren’t as strict as the Japanese with their meals. In fact, Ozeki mentions that Japanese housewives prefer to receive their foods from vending machines instead of interacting with people behind counters (87). Also, Americans place a heavier emphasis on guns ownership and protection. It is because of this custom, Ozeki asserts, that the American culture is viewed by the Japanese as one being rooted in violence (89). The Japanese culture places a huge emphasis on wives bearing children. This concept was illustrated throughout the novel as Joichi continuously hounded his wife Akiko about her inability to become pregnant.

Even though these cultural practices differ, it’s important for people to interact with other cultures in order to learn and further understand the customs associated with them.

Fast Food Labor

        Whenever I enter a McDonald’s restaurant, I expect a systematic, scripted routine. I arrive with a particular order in mind and I am aware that the employee on duty is going to attempt to alter that order. The employee may attempt to persuade me to upgrade my drink size or hint that there is something I should add to my meal. When I decline, the crew members are going to assemble the pieces of my meal like a machine, deliver it to me, and merrily send me on my way. However, there is a much larger construct operating behind the scenes. Within this same system, female workers are succumbing to difficult conditions that threaten to strip their very identities away from them.

        The film Fast Food Women documented the labor conditions affecting the lives of Kentucky women occupying fast food jobs. The film further outlined the restrictions placed on women within the work force and how creativity is replaced by a desire for conformity. One restaurant from the film was Druthers Restaurant located in Whitesburg, Kentucky. Female Druthers employees were interviewed and described their workload as being incessant and chaotic. Due to the immense amounts of orders, employees rarely chatted and breaks were scarce. This fast paced service, coupled with compact space, lead to accidents like burns, sore feet, and overall exhaustion by the female workers. Similar experiences were shared by female McDonalds employee Zelphia Adams who worked twenty-five hours a week taking orders, cooking, sweeping, and performing other exhausting tasks that earned her under four dollars an hour. In addition to these conditions, the identities of the female workers were erased as their individuality was eliminated from the work system.

        Mike Kull, the senior executive vice president of Druthers Inc., claimed that the prosperity of any business is through establishing a system of rules and regulations. These rules must be obeyed by employees, and these same employees must exhibit content on following these procedures. This idea seems practical, but there is a notable consequence. If the system that Kull enforces is ideal, that would imply that creativity is shunned by Druthers executives. Why would managers prefer their employees to conform to a system that lacks individual expression? Barbara Garson, the author of The Electric Sweatshop, stated that employees are placed in an environment where they are forced to learn certain systematic skills. These repetitive skills become encoded within an employee’s mind and become a natural procedure that requires little thought. This, in a sense, transforms the employees from humans with free thought into machines with programmed orders.

        This concept was demonstrated by the female Pizza Hut employees such as Pam Banks, a former waitress, who were expected to remember certain protocol when greeting their customers. Essentially, these rules provide a structured and well-ordered unit of workers that are all capable of performing identical tasks. However, this eliminates distinctions among the workers and creates a distance between them and the company owners. In short, companies like Pizza Hut were distancing themselves from their female employees by transforming them into a uniform blend of replaceable parts. This transformation causes the company to devalue the female employees over time. If the employees aren’t valued by the company, that company has no incentive to provide them with either suitable working conditions or suitable pay. Also, the time and effort put into their jobs by these female workers is overlooked by the owners. The company focuses on production and, in a system of uniform workers, any of the interchangeable female workers can be replaced.

        The film also discussed how many of these female workers were forced to work in fast food facilities when their husbands loss their jobs at the coal mine. The livelihood of their families depended on the income produced by them. This creates a rift as the female workers become further distanced from their jobs and focus primarily on their duties within their homes. This concept of distancing is illustrated in Deborah Barndt’s article “On the Move for Food: Three Women Behind the Tomato’s Journey”. In her article, Barndt discusses the struggles demonstrated by three tomato pickers as they attempt to survive within their roles as female workers in a widespread economy. One story in particular is that of Irena. Irena worked four months of the year as a tomato picker on a farm in Ontario where she worked twelve hours a day for almost a full week. During her work, Irena moved away from her family in Mexico and lived in substandard housing conditions. Even though she received health care and pension payments, she only received minimum wage for her work and received no overtime or vacation pay (138).

         Bardnt comments on how Irena, as well as the other female workers in the article, are disconnected from their tomato work. Even though they spend most of their days picking tomatoes, these women experience no affectionate bond that links them to the tomatoes that arent delivered to their homes. Instead, their focus shifts to their domestic lives as they establish more personal attachments to foods that are produced and directly given to their families. This further distances the female workers from their jobs.

        It is important to note that this film was produced in 1992. In addition, not every employee was interviewed during this film. It cannot be assumed that all employees share similar experiences as these Kentucky workers. The same can be said for the tomato pickers discussed in Barndt’s article. What cannot be ignored however, is the fact that the value of female workers continues to be diminished in food systems that desire to eliminate their identities.

Coffe Buzz

Coffee is a very popular drink that comes in a variety of assortments and is consumed by many people on a daily basis. It is a beverage of habit, and many people cannot start their day without having at least one cup of coffee. However, what consumers fail to realize is that each cup of coffee tells a story. These stories are grim, bleak, and speak of the oppressions faced by the people who tediously toil under the sun to produce the beans that give life to the coffee we drink with delight. The lives of these people are tied to the coffee market, and their livelihood is connected to the consumers who purchase coffee.
 

 

In the film Black Gold, the lives of Ethiopian coffee farmers were documented, and the hardships associated with their arduous labor was projected on the screen in detail. One story in particular was that of Burte Arba; a farmer located in Bule Hora, Ethiopia. Arba stated that his work is very time consuming. It takes four years for coffee trees to fully grow, but it takes an additional year for the beans to become suitable for use. Despite the strenuous work load and amount of coffee beans produced, Arba receives only a minimum amount of money. Due to this, he and many other farmers are unable to generate sufficient income to support their families. Burte Arba’s story illustrates to coffee consumers the actual longevity and effort associated with producing coffee beans for sell. It further demonstrates the subjectivity of Ethiopian farmers to the demands of the coffee market and how this mistreatment contributes to the poverty that many of these families face.
 

 

It is important to note that Ethiopia is one of the poorest countries in the world. Thus, Arba’s story and the lives of Ethiopian farmers are not definite representations of the lives of all farmers. The life of an exploited farmer living in Ethiopia may differ from that of a farmer living in another country. In fact, the lives of the Ethiopian farmers documented in the film may differ from other undocumented Ethiopian farmers. What is important to consider however, is that we, as consumers, tend to underappreciate the production process behind the products we enjoy and consume without hesitation. Consumers tend to overlook how the decisions they make, in reference to certain food items, can affect the lives of the people producing those food items. By choosing certain coffee brands over Ethiopian coffee, Ethiopian farmers like Burte Arba are forced to sell their coffee beans at lower, insufficient prices and live a life of destitution.

 

This concept of exploitation within the coffee market is further demonstrated in Daniel Reichman’s article “Justice at a Price: Regulation and Alienation in the Global Economy”. In this article, Reichman discusses the injustices associated with the production and selling of coffee, and further asserts that social connectivity is necessary for citizens to understand their roles in the global market (103). This is particularly true in the case of Taiwanese immigrant Tony Chan. Tony Chan, a former McDonalds employee, sells his coffee in the cargo area of the JFK airport in New York. Chan doesn’t grow the coffee beans himself. Instead he has a farm in La Quebrada, Honduras where the beans are grown and picked by workers and shipped to the United States (104). Chan’s workers however, felt that they were being under paid for their labor and decided to lash out against him. They resorted to stealing his crops, burning his home, and even attacking him with machete-like weapons (105).
 

 

In this instance, Chan was wrongfully accused by his workers of exploiting them for their work and benefitting at their expense. Ironically enough, Chan’s coffee sells weren’t providing him with a stable income either. He himself was, in a sense, being abused by the coffee market in the form of companies and major brands that were taking business away from him. Fundamentally, both parties were struggling to live a modest life and were at the mercy of the global market. Consumers don’t realize that they play a crucial role in the economic market at large. Reichman believes, in this instance, that people are able to recognize their positions within the global economy by using the production and consumption of coffee as a reference point (102). His article emphasizes the importance behind recognizing the status of all parties involved within the exchange of coffee. Both the lives of Chan and his workers are directly related to the success of the coffee trade, and we, the consumers, are linked to their lives by our consumption of their coffee. In this sense, the life of the coffee consumer becomes integrated with the lives of those who produce the coffee.

 

Coffee is more than just a beverage. What seems like a simple commodity for most is a crucial way of life for others. There is no need for consumer to change their coffee brands or daily coffee routines. Consumers simply need to recognize that time and effort produced the warm liquid swirling around in those Styrofoam cups. Appreciate every sip.

In reference to our trip to Buona Caffee Artisan Roasted Coffee: How often does the roaster receive new coffees?