Food is an important aspect of nearly every culture on this planet. When traveling to other countries, one first things people try is food from a local street vendor, or that highly recommended dish on a menu from a restaurant a country is famous for. Food allows you to experience the history of other cultures both past and present in addition to giving you clues about the geographical location, socio-economic status, and cultural norms of a certain region. Essentially, food is a living (and sometimes still breathing) textbook for our pallets that give us readily accessible and interesting information about a culture. Especially if the food is authentic *cue record scratch*…
But what does that casually tossed around word, “authentic” really mean? Is the Chinese food we know as “authentic” actual, genuine Chinese food? As we learned this semester it is only reminiscent of authentic cuisine in fact, and the food you get at your local Chinese restaurant is unique to American culture, so perhaps it is authentic Chinese American food? Okay that’s fair, but what about the Bronx-based Mexican restaurants owned by Mexican immigrants with meals on the menu prepared in the same way it is in their native land, but that same menu now has Chipotle burgers? Can the Mexican restaurant still say they serve “authentic” Mexican cuisine? What about the generational gap between the original immigrants who owned the store and the grandchildren who don’t really want to keep the business in the family? Family plays an important role in all cultures, especially with regards to food, and that is the focus on this portion of our website. Family plays a central role in food preparation, food history, culture, and family owned restaurants provide us with a unique and sadly rapidly increasingly rare glimpse into the intricate balance between the “old” food world and the “new” one.
Victoria, Isaac, Jeremy, Jonah
