Although technology has introduced a lot of benefits in terms of reducing labor and increasing yields in food production, one must question if this progression in technology continues to be beneficial for the people who use this technology ( the farmers) and those who actually consume the products of their labor.
I found the book ‘All Over Creation’ to be an enjoyable and at the same time, alarming read. I felt that it brought awareness to the issues of the dangers of biotechnology in a very entertaining way. While I was actually reading the book, I actually thought that some aspects of the story were fictional. These included the examples of biotechnology that were being described such as the seed plants that were designed to kill its own embryo so that farmers would have to continually buy seeds from the company. Although I took the message seriously, I didn’t realize that it was actually occurring.
While I was watching the documentary, ‘The Future of Food’, I actually came to the realization that the issues and stories were actually true. The ‘fictional’ company in the book was in actual existence. It was a scary thought. I was truly disturbed by the actions of the Monsanto company, how they abused their power for their own selfish gain by attacking those who are weak. They took advantage of the farmers, suing them for seemingly unimportant and petty things. The farmers could not possibly help the fact that some of the Monsanto seed ended up in their fields. I felt outraged that they are looking out for the financial future of the company, and not the long-term health of their customers and nation. It is disgusting.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Friday, April 25, 2008
Food and Memory: Meatballs.. but its not what you think.
When the word “meatball” is mentioned, the vision of a big plate of spaghetti with marinara sauce appears in most people’s heads. This plate of spaghetti would also have these chunky, sauce covered minced beef Italian meatballs placed here and there. This vision, however, does not come to me. It wasn’t ingrained into my memory when I was growing up in Indonesia.
The vision that does come into mind though, is of these dull grey, smooth spheres floating in a clear broth, with a light sprinkling of scallions on top. These are often served with noodles or rice on the side, and is a common dish in Southeast Asia. In Indonesia, they are called ‘bakso’ and were a significant part of my childhood prior to moving to Australia. The warm broth and tasty meatballs was always a source of comfort for me on rainy days. My grandma would always make them for me when I was sick, or my dad would always buy some from some road vendor on the way home from his office.
It had been years since I have really had them, until I rediscovered them recently at the local Pho (Vietnamese noodle) shop on the University Avenue. They were not exactly the same as the ones that I had in my childhood, but were very similar. We had frequented the eatery for the most part of the school year but I never ordered their noodles with the ‘meatball’, I would always go for the chicken or beef option.
However, one day I decided to be adventurous and ordered the “medium sized meatball noodles” and was pleasantly surprised by what was brought out from the kitchen. The meatballs were floating on top of the soup broth and noodles and were the exact same texture and colour that I remember from my childhood. They would not look particularly appetizing to those who did not grow up eating them, because the friends that I went with kind of wrinkled their noses at the sight of them. These meatballs were sliced up, reminiscent of the way my grandma used to feed them to me. The first bite I took brought back a flood of memories of my grandma chasing me around the house with a bowl and spoon because I was a fussy eater as a child. Memories of sitting around the dining table also came to mind with my family. Happy memories from my childhood.
Although the taste of the meatballs in my Pho was not particularly fantastic, the memories I associate with the consumption of these ‘bakso’ made the experience of eating them a hundred times more enjoyable than it would have been if I was trying them for the first time.
The vision that does come into mind though, is of these dull grey, smooth spheres floating in a clear broth, with a light sprinkling of scallions on top. These are often served with noodles or rice on the side, and is a common dish in Southeast Asia. In Indonesia, they are called ‘bakso’ and were a significant part of my childhood prior to moving to Australia. The warm broth and tasty meatballs was always a source of comfort for me on rainy days. My grandma would always make them for me when I was sick, or my dad would always buy some from some road vendor on the way home from his office.
It had been years since I have really had them, until I rediscovered them recently at the local Pho (Vietnamese noodle) shop on the University Avenue. They were not exactly the same as the ones that I had in my childhood, but were very similar. We had frequented the eatery for the most part of the school year but I never ordered their noodles with the ‘meatball’, I would always go for the chicken or beef option.
However, one day I decided to be adventurous and ordered the “medium sized meatball noodles” and was pleasantly surprised by what was brought out from the kitchen. The meatballs were floating on top of the soup broth and noodles and were the exact same texture and colour that I remember from my childhood. They would not look particularly appetizing to those who did not grow up eating them, because the friends that I went with kind of wrinkled their noses at the sight of them. These meatballs were sliced up, reminiscent of the way my grandma used to feed them to me. The first bite I took brought back a flood of memories of my grandma chasing me around the house with a bowl and spoon because I was a fussy eater as a child. Memories of sitting around the dining table also came to mind with my family. Happy memories from my childhood.
Although the taste of the meatballs in my Pho was not particularly fantastic, the memories I associate with the consumption of these ‘bakso’ made the experience of eating them a hundred times more enjoyable than it would have been if I was trying them for the first time.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Tingling of the Senses
Despite being left a little weirded out by the movie Tampopo yesterday, I came to a few realizations. It made me realize that food is tied in with so much of our lives. It made me think about what a huge role food has in my own life. Food can be instilled with the love of a mother. I found the scene where a dying mother performs her ‘duty’ by preparing a meal for her family. Despite her weakness, her love was so strong that she summoned up whatever strength she had to get up from her death bed to make some fried rice. Only when she had served the food was she able to collapse and die. That particular scene reminded me of my own mother and how she never failed to feed us on time. It seems to be her mission in life, to never let us go hungry.
The movie also reminded me that food can evoke so many sensations. It can tease all five of the senses. The sight and smell of food can make you salivate, the sound of food frying can bring back fond memories, the taste of food can be purely orgasmic. No one really thinks about the touch of food though, and the movie introduced that. Although the thought of a lover putting live shrimp on my belly seems to be a very foreign idea, I was able to see how sensual that moment was. I never really thought about food as being sensual, despite all the clichés about chocolate and strawberries and whipped cream. But thinking about it the taste of food, you do come to the conclusion that it really does activate all your senses.
Another scene I found rather unusual, but memorable was the sexual scene where the lovers pass an egg yolk between their mouths. It represented the act of making love so well. The fragility of the yolk symbolized the tenderness of the moment, how a little disturbance could ruin the mood of the scene, and the exchange from mouth of mouth indicates that love is reciprocal. At climax, the yolk breaks and oozes out of her open mouth. There was something very intriguing about that.
The movie also reminded me that food can evoke so many sensations. It can tease all five of the senses. The sight and smell of food can make you salivate, the sound of food frying can bring back fond memories, the taste of food can be purely orgasmic. No one really thinks about the touch of food though, and the movie introduced that. Although the thought of a lover putting live shrimp on my belly seems to be a very foreign idea, I was able to see how sensual that moment was. I never really thought about food as being sensual, despite all the clichés about chocolate and strawberries and whipped cream. But thinking about it the taste of food, you do come to the conclusion that it really does activate all your senses.
Another scene I found rather unusual, but memorable was the sexual scene where the lovers pass an egg yolk between their mouths. It represented the act of making love so well. The fragility of the yolk symbolized the tenderness of the moment, how a little disturbance could ruin the mood of the scene, and the exchange from mouth of mouth indicates that love is reciprocal. At climax, the yolk breaks and oozes out of her open mouth. There was something very intriguing about that.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Obento: The Ultimate Challenge
The practice of making ‘obento’ serves to show that food is never just food. Reading the article by Allison, and then attempting to apply some of the concepts mentioned was indeed, very challenging.
Prior to reading the article by Allison, I always thought that the practice of making a highly stylized Obento, and various other types of Japanese food preparation was purely for aesthetic reasons. I always wondered why people would go through such a painstaking process of decorating and carving their food intricately, only to have that food consumed within minutes.
I can recall my mother telling me a story about her experience of buying a cake from the roadside in Tokyo. She described how this piece of cake was placed on a bed of dry ice inside a box. This box was then gift-wrapped with paper and a bow. She was puzzled as to why the vendor had done this for a cake that was not even from a proper bakery. I remember agreeing that it seemed like a waste of time.
After reading the article, I can appreciate what that vendor had done. I’ve come to the understanding that the way Japanese people prepare their food is a reflection of their culture as a whole. They are meticulous, hard working people with a strong sense of community and togetherness. I found it particularly interesting that Allison referred to the practice as an ‘Ideological State Apparatus’, or a means in which the school system prepares both the mother and the child for living in Japanese society.
During class on Thursday, we all attempted to make our own little obento boxes. It found it a lot more challenging than I anticipated. Making the food look aesthetically pleasing within such a small space was difficult! However, I tried my best, and here is the result fo my efforts….
(photo inserted later)
I was fairly pleased with what I had done, particularly the onigiri that I had made. I also tried to be a little artistic with the little face I made with the egg and broccoli.
Prior to reading the article by Allison, I always thought that the practice of making a highly stylized Obento, and various other types of Japanese food preparation was purely for aesthetic reasons. I always wondered why people would go through such a painstaking process of decorating and carving their food intricately, only to have that food consumed within minutes.
I can recall my mother telling me a story about her experience of buying a cake from the roadside in Tokyo. She described how this piece of cake was placed on a bed of dry ice inside a box. This box was then gift-wrapped with paper and a bow. She was puzzled as to why the vendor had done this for a cake that was not even from a proper bakery. I remember agreeing that it seemed like a waste of time.
After reading the article, I can appreciate what that vendor had done. I’ve come to the understanding that the way Japanese people prepare their food is a reflection of their culture as a whole. They are meticulous, hard working people with a strong sense of community and togetherness. I found it particularly interesting that Allison referred to the practice as an ‘Ideological State Apparatus’, or a means in which the school system prepares both the mother and the child for living in Japanese society.
During class on Thursday, we all attempted to make our own little obento boxes. It found it a lot more challenging than I anticipated. Making the food look aesthetically pleasing within such a small space was difficult! However, I tried my best, and here is the result fo my efforts….
(photo inserted later)
I was fairly pleased with what I had done, particularly the onigiri that I had made. I also tried to be a little artistic with the little face I made with the egg and broccoli.
Friday, April 11, 2008
Vegemite: A True Australian Icon
Vegemite is a real Australian icon. It is even mentioned in the song “ I live in a land down under”, which gives an indication of how culturally significant this spread is. People are often puzzled at the obsession that Australians have with this tar-like, dark brown salty substance that is made from fermented yeast. Americans I know that have tried it have likened the smell and taste to things like “rocket fuel” or “semen”.
What people fail to understand is that vegemite is something that you have to grow up with in order to like. You are pretty much guaranteed to hate it the first time you try it, but after several attempts it is something that you grow to love. I can’t pretend that my first taste of vegemite was a positive experience. I licked it off a teaspoon and it made me want to vomit.
Since my family only migrated to Australia when I was in my very early teens, I was never taught how to eat I vegemite “properly”, but I had a friend that was intent on making me love it as much as she did. I went on a roadtrip with her family, and the only breakfast spreads they had were butter and vegemite. For the first few days I would only have butter on my toast, until my friend insisted that I should also add a drop of vegemite to it. I was hesitant at first, but I decided to be brave. After taking that first bite, I was hooked! So that was the secret, having it with butter! I started adding more and more vegemite to my toast as the days progressed, and once I returned home, I asked my mother to buy me a jar of my own.
As the years went by, I have not gone more than a couple of days without having vegemite on toast for breakfast. I find it to be a source of comfort and constancy in my life. It has nursed me through flu’s and fevers, and in more recent years… hangovers. Something about the salt (and maybe the vitamin B they add to it) is completely addictive.
The way that I consume vegemite has also evolved. It not only appears on toast with butter, but sometimes I will smear a thick layer on bread, place mozzarella or cheddar cheese on top and place it under the grill. It is the ultimate comfort food on a cold morning. I have also become somewhat adventurous and would sometimes place some sliced tomatoes on top of the cheese.
My mother, who is a great cook has also come up with inventive ways to use vegemite in her dishes. She will often use it as a flavoring in her ‘congee’ or Chinese rice porridge or as a base for a sauce for some seafood dishes. So, although vegemite is very ‘Australian’ we’ve put an Asian twist on how we consume it. I like to see it as a representation of a multicultural Australia.
What people fail to understand is that vegemite is something that you have to grow up with in order to like. You are pretty much guaranteed to hate it the first time you try it, but after several attempts it is something that you grow to love. I can’t pretend that my first taste of vegemite was a positive experience. I licked it off a teaspoon and it made me want to vomit.
Since my family only migrated to Australia when I was in my very early teens, I was never taught how to eat I vegemite “properly”, but I had a friend that was intent on making me love it as much as she did. I went on a roadtrip with her family, and the only breakfast spreads they had were butter and vegemite. For the first few days I would only have butter on my toast, until my friend insisted that I should also add a drop of vegemite to it. I was hesitant at first, but I decided to be brave. After taking that first bite, I was hooked! So that was the secret, having it with butter! I started adding more and more vegemite to my toast as the days progressed, and once I returned home, I asked my mother to buy me a jar of my own.
As the years went by, I have not gone more than a couple of days without having vegemite on toast for breakfast. I find it to be a source of comfort and constancy in my life. It has nursed me through flu’s and fevers, and in more recent years… hangovers. Something about the salt (and maybe the vitamin B they add to it) is completely addictive.
The way that I consume vegemite has also evolved. It not only appears on toast with butter, but sometimes I will smear a thick layer on bread, place mozzarella or cheddar cheese on top and place it under the grill. It is the ultimate comfort food on a cold morning. I have also become somewhat adventurous and would sometimes place some sliced tomatoes on top of the cheese.
My mother, who is a great cook has also come up with inventive ways to use vegemite in her dishes. She will often use it as a flavoring in her ‘congee’ or Chinese rice porridge or as a base for a sauce for some seafood dishes. So, although vegemite is very ‘Australian’ we’ve put an Asian twist on how we consume it. I like to see it as a representation of a multicultural Australia.
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