Culinary Habits Research Articles

Eating in the city

This special issue introduction examines why and how food matters in Asian cities and foodscapes, thus providing a different lens from Western interpretations of urban space. As cities transform, the ways that people eat and procure food also change, along with the sociocultural meanings of food itself. The special issue brings together seven research papers that together draw attention to the everyday culinary habits, rituals, creativity, and sensory experiences that are collectively used to nurture shared senses of cultural identity and economic livelihoods. In so doing, the papers as a whole consider important issues to do with urban infrastructure, urban governance, diversity, conviviality, and cosmopolitanism.

Dysosmia-Associated Changes in Eating Behavior

Olfaction is a highly emotionally charged sense and contributes to our quality of life, which olfactory impairment or dysosmia thus strongly impacts. The aim of the present study was to examine how olfactory deficits alter eating behavior, which is a pillar of health and well-being. Patients with quantitative smell impairment and control participants were asked to perform a series of chemosensory tasks: odor identification and ratings of odor intensity, pleasantness, familiarity, irritation, and edibility. They also filled out a detailed food questionnaire. Results showed significant decrease in olfactory function in smell-impaired patients. Although no significant consequences of dysosmia were found for most aspects of food preferences and culinary habits, the patients were less attracted than controls by novel foods and tended to experience less pleasure when eating. They also used significantly more condiments such as sugar, mayonnaise, or sour cream to make their dishes tasty. Olfactory impairment has a clear effect on certain aspects of eating behavior. These findings highlight the compensatory mechanisms that go along with dysosmia. This also reflects the patients’ attempts to restore part of the lost flavor and its hedonic component through non-olfactory cues.

Checking the detail in retail: Occurrence of Cryptosporidium and Giardia on vegetables sold across different counters in Chandigarh, India

Fresh produce has been recognized as a vehicle of infection for protozoan parasites, particularly Cryptosporidium, and, to a lesser extent, Giardia. For both parasites, outbreaks associated with fresh produce have been documented. Although documented outbreaks tend to be from industrialized countries, contamination of fresh produce with these parasites is a global issue. In developing countries, infections with these parasites are often endemic in the community, and basic infrastructure and hygiene measures may be inadequate, thus the likelihood of contamination of fresh produce with these parasites may be higher. Realization of the importance of this transmission route comes against a backdrop of raw salads and more Western culinary habits gaining a foothold, and fresh produce being encouraged as part of the diet due to their associated health benefits. However, if consumption of uncooked fresh produce is going to increase its market sector in India, it is important that it is safe. In this study, various types of fresh produce obtained from three types of vendors in Chandigarh, a major city in Northern India, were analyzed for contamination with Cryptosporidium oocysts and Giardia cysts using a method that has been previously validated in inter-laboratory spiking experiments. A total of 284 samples of different fresh produce items were analyzed, obtained from the different retailers situated in different societal layers of the city. The overall prevalence of contamination of fresh produce with these parasites was just under 11%, with 6% of the vegetables contaminated with Cryptosporidium oocysts, and 5% with Giardia cysts. Contaminated vegetables included turnip, cabbage, carrot, chili, coriander, cucumber, radishes, and tomatoes. Molecular analyses identified contamination with Cryptosporidium parvum and Giardia duodenalis of Assemblage A and Assemblage D, indicating that contamination from animals may be of relevance. Although the prevalence of contamination is similar to those reported in previous studies, the levels of contamination on some items of fresh produce were relatively high. Although the different socioeconomic areas of Chandigarh from which the samples were obtained was not associated with likelihood of contamination, fresh produce from supermarkets had heavier contamination with Cryptosporidium oocysts than fresh produce purchased through other sales outlets. The results are discussed in relation to the fresh produce chain and sales models in Chandigarh, both in terms of where contamination may occur and the potential importance of fresh produce as a transmission vehicle.

Data-driven Methods for the Study of Food Perception, Preparation, Consumption, and Culture

The study of food consumption, in the broadest sense, intersects with a wide range of academic disciplines. The perception of food involves molecular biology, chemistry, soft-matter physics, neuroscience, psychology, physiology, and even machine learning. Our choices and preparation of food are of interest to anthropologists, social scientists, historians, philosophers, and linguists. The advent of information technology has enabled the accumulation and analysis of large amounts of food-related data, from the interactions of biomolecules and the chemical properties of aroma compounds to online recipes and food-related social media postings. In this perspective article, we outline several areas in which the availability and analysis of data can inform us about general principles that may underlie the perception of food and the diversity of culinary practice. One of these areas is the study of umami taste through a combination of chemical analysis and quantitative sensory evaluation for a wide range of fermented products. Another is the mapping of global culinary diversity by mining online recipes and the analysis of culinary habits recorded by individuals on social media. A third area is the study of the properties of flavour compounds, and the application of these insights in the context of high-end gastronomy. These examples illustrate that large-scale data analysis is already transforming our understanding of food perception and consumption, and that it is likely to fundamentally influence our food choices and habits in the future.

Bringing a Taste of Abroad to Australian Readers: <em>Australian Wines & Food Quarterly</em> 1956–1960

Bringing a Taste of Abroad to Australian Readers: <em>Australian Wines & Food Quarterly</em> 1956–1960

Teachers' self-perception of their dietary behavior and needs to teach healthy eating habits in the school.

Through focus groups, we explored 22 third- to fifth-grade teachers' perceptions about their eating habits, including barriers and facilitators to healthy eating. It also explored teachers' thoughts about how to teach students healthy eating habits. The information was transcribed and treated using the content analysis technique. Results were evaluated using the concept of majority and minority group and presented in a sequential way: teachers' perceptions about eating habits, barriers to healthy eating, teacher's culinary habits, abilities to teach students healthy eating habits through Information and Communication Technologies, and cooking activities. Teachers' eating habits were poor, with lack of time, money, and will to improve. They had culinary habits skills and the desire to instruct and guide their students in eating healthier food. They need a program with Information and Communication Technologies and cooking workshops to apply in the classroom.

Creating New Identities: Chinese American Women Professionals in Greater Baltimore

This qualitative paper explores the attitudes, values and social practices of a small group of first generation Chinese American professional women in the Greater Baltimore Region. The research focuses on ethnic self-ascription, marriage, dating and interethnic social relations. To explore boundary persistence and acculturation, informants answered an online survey. After this stage, several informants were interviewed in a semi-structured format. Qualitative analysis suggests that Chinese immigrants selectively acculturate through situational interaction with co-ethnic and out-group actors. Informants interact with non-co ethnics at work, and increasingly in non-work settings. Some date and marry outside of the ethnic label, though most marry within group. In areas such as culinary habits and parenting, cultural attitudes and practices deemed “Chinese” prevail, but values identified as Chinese can vary by individual. Within the Chinese ethnic category, informants tend to prefer interaction with Chinese from the same region in China. Yet, interethnic dating and marriage do not necessarily weaken ethnic identity persistence. The central point is that Chinese American ethnic expression varies by individual, and is framed within place specific multi-scalar structures of regional culture, economy and attitudes toward immigrants and race.

The Role of Cooking for Hospital Food Service in Cancer Care-Units: Nutrition Is a Supportive Care While Cooking Appears to Be a Prescription

Cancer cachexia and treatment-induced side effects can contribute to deterioration in nutritional status in patients declining the quality of life and survival rates. Culinary practices may provide new strategies to minimize the symptoms. NEODIA (learning to live with a cancer on a day-to-day basis) is an observational program whose objective is to better understand the occurrence of treatment-related side effects as well as culinary and dietary habits in cancer patients followed in the Cancer Unit of the Beauvais City Hospital, France. First study step in 2010 has investigated culinary solutions to improve the quality of life of the patient at home. The present part tries in particular to answer the question if the culinary advising is transposable to the offer of restoration proposed by institutions of care in oncology. We first conducted an investigation on the determinants of quality of life in patients currently treated in a hospital service involving 41 people. In a second step, we are collecting information on the food supply itself, using advising of some patient’s specially prepared to test meals as a translational research expertise. The results of our survey show that patient’s remarks constitute real guidelines to adapt the practices in culinary production and healthy catering management. Based on these results, the consistency of frozen prepared meals has been analyzed regarding their potential to regulate the under nutrition-inducing treatment-related side effects. Conducted by the patient’s panel of the translational research group the study highlights the benefits of agro-food products and margins of progress.

Influence of odor function and color symbolism in odor–color associations: A French–Lebanese–Taiwanese cross-cultural study

The olfactory and visual sensory systems appear to share robust and consistent associations. It is well known that culture specific experiences with odors may influence different aspects of odor perception such as intensity, pleasantness or edibility. Differences in terms of odor–color association might therefore be culturally specific. In order to determine the role of culture in odor–color associations, the responses of 155 French, 96 Lebanese and 110 Taiwanese subjects to the same 16 odorants were compared. The results highlight the role of culture and culinary habits on edibility ratings and color associations of some odors. Both perceptual and semantic factors seem to play a role in the odor–color associations in each country. Odor–color associations could indeed be affected by the function of odors in different countries. Culture-induced experiences influence the perception of odors familiarity, which will affect the prevalence of either perceptive (intensity, irritancy and hedonics) or semantic (nameability, familiarity) processing of these associations. Further studies should be conducted in order to understand the mechanisms underlying these cross-modal correspondences and the influence of cultural background and experience on them.

Culinary choices: A sociopsychological perspective based on the concept of Distance to the Object

Culinary choices are a dynamic process that involves many considerations, including individual, contextual, cultural, and social factors. This study provides a better understanding of how culinary socialization along with food neophobia, culinary decisions and culinary habits, underlie culinary choices, measured by the concept of Distance to the Object (DO). This concept is useful in exploring the role of some psychosocial factors: knowledge (real and perceived), involvement (importance, personal identification, perceived ability), and level of practices (behaviors) associated with the social object under study, here, cooking. In this study, the DO concept measures the relationships of an individual with culinary choices. A sample of 420 participants was asked to answer an online questionnaire. The results showed that individuals close to cooking, (e.g., those who use more time-consuming cooking methods, eat more home-cooked meals) (a) had a specific background of culinary socialization (e.g., they started cooking at a younger age, read and used cookbooks), (b) were less food neophobic, (c) used different criteria for culinary choices (e.g., family tradition, originality, taste), and (d) had different culinary habits (e.g., shopping for meals). Their culinary choices took their values into account, regardless of the conditions required to achieve them (complicated dishes, time-consuming methods). The underlying logic in these choices came through in their everyday meals but also in the meals they cooked for guests. DO seems to be a good instrument for predicting food decisions in the area of culinary practices and cooking.

The silent coast: Zooarchaeological evidence to the development trajectory of a second millennium palace at Tel Kabri

The second millennium BC palaces along the coast of the southern Levant served as political and ideological centers of small, seaside polities. The seeming lack of literate administration and the evidence for non-intensive subsistence practices suggest, however, that a different political economic infrastructure lay at the foundation of these south Levantine peers to the palaces in Knossos and Mari. An analysis of the faunal remains from the Middle Bronze Age palace at Tel Kabri shows persistence of low-intensity traditional economy as the palace underwent a phase of territorial and cultural growth. Changes in butchery practices and culinary habits at that time resonate elite emulation of their peers across the sea, in resemblance to other fields of material culture. Our conclusion is that a palatial culture, complete with eastern Mediterranean elite trappings, could be grafted in the southern Levant to a stock of traditional and non-specialized economy with no literate administration.

Seroprevalence in blood donors reveals widespread, multi-source exposure to hepatitis E virus, southern France, October 2011

The apparent seroprevalence of hepatitis E Virus (HEV)varies greatly among developed countries depending on the geographical area and the sensitivity of immunoassays. We used a validated assay to determine the prevalence of HEV IgG and IgM antibodies among 3,353 blood donors living in southern France,who gave blood during the two first weeks of October 2011 and participated in the study. Demographic and epidemiological information was collected using aspecific questionnaire. We also screened 591 samples for HEV RNA. Overall IgG seroprevalence was 39.1%and varied from 20% to 71.3% depending on the geographical area (p < 0.001) while IgM seroprevalence was 3.31%. Anti-HEV IgG was significantly correlated with increasing age (p < 0.001), eating uncooked pork liver sausages (p < 0.001), offal (p = 0.003), or mussels(p = 0.02). Anti-HEV IgM was associated with being male (p = 0.01) and eating uncooked pork liver sausages(p = 0.02). HEV RNA was detected in one of the 99 anti-HEV IgM-positive samples, but in none of the 492 anti-HEV IgM-negative samples. HEV is hyperendemic in southern France. Dietary and culinary habits alone cannot explain the epidemiology of HEV in this region, indicating that other modes of contamination should be investigated.

Just Eat Peas and Dance: Field Peas (Vigna unguiculata) and Food Security in the Ozark Highlands, U.S

Abstract Field peas (Vigna unguiculata L. [Walp]) are recognized as an important agricultural crop throughout Africa and Asia for myriad reasons, ranging from their remarkably high nutrient content to their adaptability to marginal lands. In the early twentieth century, agricultural research stations investigated and advocated V. unguiculata for sustainable farming in the United States of America (U.S.) but such interest has all but disappeared in commercial agronomy. U.S.-focused agronomists perceive field peas as relatively incompatible with contemporary non-integrated agricultural systems, climate, and fast-food culinary habits; however, the species remains integral to the traditional cuisine of the southern U.S. With almost 18 million U.S. households experiencing food insecurity in 2011, a marked increase over the last decade, fresh strategies and time-tested species deserve research attention. This paper explores the role of field peas in hunger mitigation in the recent past in the Ozark Highlands, a...

James Bond: International man of gastronomy?

Abstract This article is concerned with the representation of food and drink in Ian Fleming’s James Bond novels. In particular, it examines how the author uses Bond’s culinary knowledge and habits of consumption as an important constituent of his hero’s character. Similarly, the food choices of other characters, notably villains, are shown to be linked, by Fleming, to core aspects of their identity - principally their ethnicity. Bond’s impulse to observe and classify, very much in evidence in the novels’ food sequences, is examined in terms of the texts’ construction of Bond as a skilled identifier of signs.

Human infection by a “fish tapeworm”, Diphyllobothrium latum, in a non-endemic country

We document a case of locally acquired "broad- or fish-tapeworm" infection caused by Diphyllobothrium latum in a 27-year-old Spanish man, confirmed by molecular analysis (COI gene). The patient had naturally expelled a worm of 110 cm in length, but the physical examination did not yield any remarkable findings, and the patient did not suffer from any particular symptoms. Laboratory test results were normal except for a remarkable increase in the red blood cell count, and an evident decrease in the mean corpuscular volume and mean corpuscular hemoglobin. Vitamin B12 and folic acid values were in the normal range without signs of anemia. It was suggested that these anomalies in erythrocyte formation might not be related to the parasite, and analysis of the patient's anamnestic data revealed that the infection could only have been caused by the ingestion of imported fish, although no light could be shed on the specific source of infection. From a public health viewpoint, this human case of fish-borne zoonosis is exemplary, suggesting that not only is control of fish and fish product quality essential, but also increased awareness of the general population with regard to changes in culinary habits.

Pisma Orybazjusza jako źródło informacji o pożywieniu ludzi w późnym Cesarstwie Rzymskim

The article makes an attempt at the presentation of medical works written by Oribasius (ca. 325 – ca. 400 A.D.), well educated physician from Pergamon, and a close friend of Julian the Apostate. It discusses the content of the treatises, reasons for their compiling and circumstances accompanying the creation of three of his extant writings, notably Collectiones medicae, Synopsis ad Eustathium fi­lium, and Libri ad Eunapium. Moreover, the study presents available information about his lost medical work, whose title is now unknown. The authors focused on these parts of Oribasius’ works, which concern food and dietetic, i.e. five books of Collectiones medicae (from I to V), book IV of Synopsis ad Eustathium filium and a part of book I of Libri ad Eunapium. The above-mentioned books enlist the most important foods like cereals, cereal products (breads, cakes, groats, pancakes), vegetables, fruits, meats, fishes, and seafood, dairy products, soft and alcoholic drinks as well as enumerating some specific diets and groups of food divided ac­cording to their properties or influence on human body. An important part of the article is a succinct presentation of sources of Oriba­sius’ dietetic expertise, and moreover a brief discussion of the medic’s impact on medical systems in three different cultural circles, namely the Byzantine, Arab, and Latin. The authors’ research corroborates the already existing view that major dietetic parts of Collectiones medicae, Synopsis ad Eustathium filium and Libri ad Eunapium are based on writings of Galen (which he, however, reworked with a view of their simplification), but there are many fragments taken from other authorities, for instance Pedanius Dioscurides, Athenaeus from Attalia, Diocles of Carystus, Rufus of Ephesus to mention but a few. As for medical authors, who excerpted or translated Oribasius’ works, the most renowned are Aetius of Amida, Paul of Aegina, Alexander of Tralles, Hunayn ibn Ishāq, and the representatives of the medical school of Salerno. Finally, the authors claim, that Oribasius’ heritage is important especially for two reasons. First of all, it helped preserve a large amount of citations from an­cient works, which today are lost, and known only thanks to the physician’s pains­taking work. Secondly, it contains a cornucopia of information about food, which reflect culinary habits of Late Roman society, and specifically of the Late Roman food market.

A viagem de Ambauer pela Província do Rio Grande

Com base no manuscrito inédito A Província do Rio Grande do Sul – descripção e viagens, resultante de excursão realizada no final da década de 1850 pelo milanês Henrique Schutel Ambauer (1840-1899), faz-se uma análise de tópicos referentes a costumes, aos hábitos culinários hoje esquecidos, a vida rústica dos habitantes do interior, a natureza quase intocada, a influência decisiva dos fatores climáticos no cotidiano dos viajantes, a rusticidade dos caminhos terrestres, a importância dos rios nos deslocamentos de outrora e a hospitalidade dos gaúchos, que variava da mais calorosa acolhida, à frieza de um pouso ao relento

Innovative traditions in swiftly transforming foodscapes: An exploratory essay

The ability for innovation is society’s best asset in its existential need to respond to change. Change is increasingly manifesting itself in food production and supply chains, as well as in the dietary requirements of altering populations and life styles. On the one hand, food innovation is considered by many as a necessary response to major societal and economic challenges. It offers opportunities to improve the food’s shelf life, nutritional value, microbial and toxicological safety, convenience, environmental impact, etc. Others see it as a possibility to engage in gastronomic adventure. On the other hand, some people fear that it may erode habitual cooking and thus lead to loss of culinary heritage. Food behavior has evolved over centuries, but current hyper-paced food innovation may be overlooking gastronomic complexity. Driven by economic interest, food innovation has become, almost dogmatically, the core of industrial, academic, and governmental strategies in the area of food technology and research. Yet, leading chefs increasingly acknowledge alleged tradition as the basis for gastronomic merit by constructing culinary habits as collective, cumulative inventions and not by pursuing innovation for the mere sake of novelty. The present paper explores the role of food innovation in dynamic foodscapes, its technological role, and its relationship with what are imagined to be traditional values.

Impact Organic Products from Sheep's Milk on Human Health Compared to Conventional

Eating habits in Sibiu area are fairly stable, the population of the area is conservative on traditional culinary habits. This paper addresses aspects of the impact of organic sheep's milk on human health by comparison with conventional products. &#x0D; The study was conducted on the sheep's milk coming from farms in Sibiu Surroundings Valea Hârtibaciului, and on products derived from milk to processors in these areas that deal with promotion and marketing of cheese "Telemeaua din Marginimea Sibiului". &#x0D; Presented aspects of the concept of organic products both producers and consumers. Analysis were performed to determine antibiotic residues and products mentioned.

Culinary Practices in Nove Fužine

In the Slovenian capital of Ljubljana, the suburb of Nove Fužine hosts the highest proportion of first and second-generation immigrants from the other former Yugoslav socialist republics. While this makes it a privileged signifier of “Balkanness,” it is also a place around which many negative stereotypes are constructed. This paper describes a survey that was conducted to discern cultural differences between the biggest three ethnic groups in the neighborhood (Slovenians, Serbs and Bosniaks), taking their culinary habits and choices as an indicator of more general cultural references. The results show that while there are very few major differences between the ethnic communities in Nove Fužine, the social distance between them remains substantial. Indeed, forms of cultural exchange in this multi-ethnic suburb are almost completely absent, at least in as much as they can be inferred from eating habits. In several instances, immigrants from other former Yugoslav republics reported including various typically Slovenian dishes on their menus and vice versa, but this was for practical reasons rather than any cultural exchanges within their neighborhood.