Food is not just a means of sustenance; it is a mirror reflecting the essence of a country, a people, a culture 🌏
The intricate relationship between food and culture goes beyond the mere act of nourishment; it is a profound connection that has shaped societies, traditions, and identities for centuries. When we immigrate we hold onto the things that remind us of home, family and things that make us feel like we belong- food. When we celebrate, commiserate, observe religion and ritual- we eat. When we welcome, farewell or enjoy company- we serve a meal. Food and culture are tied together in a fascinating interplay that we mostly live rather than put in to words but today, I thought I might give it a try.
Food has been a way to carry on culture, tradition and values throughout the ages. As I mentioned earlier, this becomes blindingly obvious when people move countries, and what they cling on to in order to maintain culture drives their focus towards what is put on their dinner tables and shared amongst friends. This is particularly relevant to me as both sides of my family migrated to Australia from Italy and India in the early to mid 20th century and a way for them to carry on their culture, language and traditions has been through food. Interestingly, for those in my family who don’t speak another language, they sure speak fluently in food! Food has also become a way for us to maintain another language between generations, even if it’s a few words comfortably nestled into an english sentence- it still rolls off the tongue.
To me, food also means family. As they say in Italian, "La famiglia e la cucina sono la stessa cosa" (Family and food are the same thing). Not only have we preserved language and culture with food but mealtimes are a time for family to sit down and spend time together- like it or not. Whether we talked monotonously about our day or asked mum “why does your chicken taste different to Nonna’s chicken?” we spoke to family, about family, with family. If we visited family at lunch or dinner time, everyone scooted up the table and extra plates were laid for the rest of us to join, and vice versa. No one would dare leave on an empty stomach or heaven forbid without tomorrow’s lunch in a plastic re-used container. Mealtimes are a protected period of time that allows everyone to put their distractions and priorities aside to focus on the people closest and most important to them. When your family are the ones who most often help shape our identity as we grow, the time spent together around food means we often attach the food and memories with our identity and then pass that on to the next generation.
I cannot tell you how many times I have bonded with people over familiarity with a cultural dish; a difference in how we prepare it or how it’s surely the same dish but we call it different things.. Right?! I only eat it at Christmas but you eat it all year round?? My housemate is of Albanian descent and we quickly bonded over our love for Russian Salad (which we each translated to English before we agreed it was the same thing). Hers is made with chicken, mine has no meat. Hers uses plain mayonnaise, mine uses anchovy mayonnaise. I tell you what though, we would equally lose an arm for a final serve of our beloved Russian Salads. Food serves as a social bond that helps us to feel like we can connect, like we are understood and can help us to find common ground. It might merely be a convenient talking point or you might just share your favourite salad and decide you’re family. Food often transcends language and fosters connections in a way that cannot be done with words be it simply a kind gesture, a business transaction or the forging of friendships 💞
Typically, the varieties of spices, fruit and vegetables carry both a their unique notes of flavour as well as the culture but have you ever wondered why those flavours, spices or herbs represent that culture? Usually, it comes from a rich history of trade, migration and environmental patterns that we just don’t know about! It’s generally not just one culture either, there’s usually regional dishes, cuisines and recipes that differ across a country and reflect their unique little pocket of the world. In fact, sometimes it transcends borders and is expresses a region that spans across multiple countries. One of my FAVOURITE examples is baklava. Whether you prefer yours with walnuts, cashews or pistachios, or you like it a little dry and crispy or absolutely drippinggggg with syrup, you can find different variations of this luscious dessert across Macedonia, Greece, Lebanon, Turkey, Egypt.. The list really does go on for that one. It’s a great demonstration of food and culture reflecting the resources and environment.
Having done a fair amount of travel myself, I know that if I want to really get to know a foreign place, I dive straight into the history and culture of their food. As I mentioned earlier, food represents the climate and the habitat that are contribute to a culture. Often though, they can also be explained by significant historical events or periods of history that occurred in that place. The spice trade, for example. Along the mediterranean you can find all kinds of spices and foods that seem to be similar yet so remarkably different to other areas of the country, or stranger still, neighbouring countries. Recently, I “found” myself (it was intentional, I assure you) travelling alone in Sicily and one of the ways I enjoyed learning about each city I visited as a solo tourist was exploring the history through it’s food culture. Sicily has an interesting history of occupation before it became a part of Italy including the Arabs- who are responsible for introducing cinnamon and aniseed (and some pretty confronting folklore), and the Spanish- who gifted them capsicums and tomatoes. Over the many years though, regardless of who “occupied” Sicily, and to this day, these flavours are now readily available and considered a traditional part of the cuisine.
Who would’ve thought that food and culture were so intertwined? Well, a lot of people, I’m sure. Though it is just so hard to put it into words without missing some kind of wonderful, heartwarming and meaningful nuance that can only be expressed through smell, taste, sight and memory. Knowing that it doesn’t matter how old you are, what health condition you might have or where you might live, food connects us, educates us and brings us home for so many different reasons and in so many different ways. That’s why it’s important to keep that access wide open so that it continues to be shared and remains fulfilling through every stage of life ✨
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