Food and My National Identity

I found the Counihan reading to be quite an entertaining read this week. It was interesting to find out what food means to people in different cultures. I liked the fact that most of the Florentine people are so proud of the simplicity and humble beginnings of their food. One man even proclaimed his preference for the simple foods he would get at home over a renowned French duck dish that he was encouraged to try.

The reading made me think of how nice and quaint it was to have dishes that you identify with, and that are healthy for you. Some of these people ate the foods that they had only because they could not afford the expense of buying dairy products and sugar, yet even when they were in a better financial position they would still choose to eat the simpler foods.

I started to think about what foods that I could identity with, but nothing specific comes to mind, but a variety of things do. I was a little disappointed because there was nothing I felt that truly defined me. I did not feel particularly passionate about a specific dish. I was born Indonesian to an Indonesian dad and an ethnic Chinese Malaysian mother and I grew up for the most part in Australia, and also heavily influenced by American culture. But then I realized that the culmination of things does reflect who I am. I love Southeast Asian and Chinese cuisine. I will not turn down a burger and fries and I’m not afraid to try escargot. I think this makes me a citizen of the world.