Verbalize Yourself! discussion topic: FOOD, DRINK, AND IDENTITY
There are now more cuisines, ingredients, cooking shows and recipe books than ever before. Today it seems most of us know the difference between prosciutto and pancetta, sushi and sashimi, but how foods and drinks influence and communicate identities in social and domestic settings?
We are what we eat. Or are we? If you are what you eat, what food makes you? Join here our Communication & Languages Group on LinkedIn and let us know what you think.
We have prepared for you the following article to spice up our discussion and to give you more ideas and flavor of what to expect at our “debate in English” meetings. So, let’s start with the truly fantastic travel photo essay around the world in “What the world eats”:
What the world eats
Peter Menzel and Faith D’Aluisio traveled the world documenting that most basic of human behaviors — what we eat. Their project, “Hungry Planet,” depicts everything that an average family consumes in a given week–and what it costs — laid out in thought-provoking detail. Their results will be exhibited by The Nobel Peace Center to give viewers a peek into kitchens from Norway to Kuwait, and to raise awareness about how environments and cultures influence the cost and calories of the world’s dinners.
Germany
The Sturm Family of Hamburg. Food Expenditure for One Week: € 253.29 ($325.81 USD). Favorite foods: salads, shrimp, buttered vegetables, sweet rice with cinnamon and sugar, pasta.
Norway (family 1)
The Ottersland Dahl Family of Gjettum. Food expenditure for one week: 2211.97 Norwegian Kroner; $379.41 USD. Favorite foods: fresh baked bread with butter and sugar, pancakes, tomato soup with macaroni and cold milk, yoghurt
Norway (family 2)
The Glad Ostensen family in Gjerdrum. Food expenditure for one week: 4265.89 Norwegian Kroner or $731.71. Favorite foods: mutton in cabbage, lasagne, and chocolate.
Japan
The Ukita family of Kodaira City. Food expenditure for one week: 37,699 Yen or $317.25. Favorite foods: sashimi, fruit, cake, potato chips.
Italy
The Manzo family of Sicily. Food expenditure for one week: 214.36 Euros or $260.11. Favorite foods: fish, pasta with ragu, hot dogs, frozen fish sticks.
Chad
The Aboubakar family of Breidjing Camp. Food expenditure for one week: 685 CFA Francs or $1.23. Favorite foods: soup with fresh sheep meat.
Kuwait
The Al Haggan family of Kuwait City. Food expenditure for one week: 63.63 dinar or $221.45. Family recipe: Chicken biryani with basmati rice.
United States (family 1)
The Revis family of North Carolina. Food expenditure for one week: $341.98. Favorite foods: spaghetti, potatoes, sesame chicken.
United States (family 2)
The Caven family of California. Food expenditure for one week: $159.18. Favorite foods: beef stew, berry yogurt sundae, clam chowder, ice cream.
United States (family 3)
The Fernandezes of Texas – Food expenditure for one week: $242.48. Favorite Foods: Shrimp with Alfredo sauce, chicken mole, barbecue ribs, pizza.
Mexico
he Casales family of Cuernavaca. Food expenditure for one week: 1,862.78 Mexican Pesos or $189.09. Favorite foods: pizza, crab, pasta, chicken.
China
The Dong family of Beijing. Food expenditure for one week: 1,233.76 Yuan or $155.06. Favorite foods: fried shredded pork with sweet and sour sauce.
Poland
The Sobczynscy family of Konstancin-Jeziorna. Food expenditure for one week: 582.48 Zlotys or $151.27. Family recipe: Pig’s knuckles with carrots, celery and parsnips.
Egypt
The Ahmed family of Cairo. Food expenditure for one week: 387.85 Egyptian Pounds or $68.53. Family recipe: Okra and mutton.
Ecuador
The Ayme family of Tingo. Food expenditure for one week: $31.55. Family recipe: Potato soup with cabbage.
Mongolia
The Batsuuri family of Ulaanbaatar. Food expenditure for one week: 41,985.85 togrogs or $40.02. Family recipe: Mutton dumplings.
Great Britain
The Bainton family of Cllingbourne Ducis. Food expenditure for one week: 155.54 British Pounds or $253.15. Favorite foods: avocado, mayonnaise sandwich, prawn cocktail, chocolate fudge cake with cream.
Bhutan
The Namgay family of Shingkhey Village. Food expenditure for one week: 224.93 ngultrum or $5.03. Family recipe: Mushroom, cheese and pork.
Australia
The Browns of River View – Food expenditure for one week: 481.14 Australian dollars or US$376.45. Family Recipe: Marge Brown’s Quandong (an Australian peach) Pie, Yogurt.
Guatemala
The Mendozas of Todos Santos – Food expenditure for one week: 573 Quetzales or $75.70. Family Recipe: Turkey Stew and Susana Perez Matias’s Sheep Soup.
Luxembourg
The Kuttan-Kasses of Erpeldange – Food expenditure for one week: 347.64 Euros or $465.84. Favorite Foods: Shrimp pizza, Chicken in wine sauce, Turkish kebabs.
Mali
The Natomos of Kouakourou – Food expenditure for one week: 17,670 francs or $26.39. Family Recipe: Natomo Family Rice Dish.
Canada
The Melansons of Iqaluit, Nunavut Territory – Food expenditure for one week: US$345. Favorite Foods: narwhal, polar bear, extra cheese stuffed crust pizza, watermelon.
France
The Le Moines of Montreuil – Food expenditure for one week: 315.17 euros or $419.95. Favorite Foods: Delphine Le Moine’s Apricot Tarts, pasta carbonara, Thai food.
Greenland
The Madsens of Cap Hope – Food expenditure for one week: 1,928.80 Danish krone or $277.12. Favorite Foods: polar bear, narwhal skin, seal stew.
Turkey
The Celiks of Istanbul – Food expenditure for one week: 198.48 New Turkish liras or $145.88. Favorite Foods: Melahat’s Puffed Pastries.
By viewing food (and drink) both as cultural practice and cultural expression, we may learn about such concepts as: cultural identity, values, practice, experience, language/meaning, and aesthetics.
We are what we eat. Or are we? If you are what you eat, what food makes you? Join here our Communication & Languages Group on LinkedIn and let us know what you think.
