Food Culture Research Articles

Histories of Australian retailing

ABSTRACT This special edition contributes to the growing scholarship on Australian retail history. It collates a range of work that represents and extends existing themes in Australian retail historiography with the aim of encouraging further work in the field. Topics covered include: Chinese storekeepers in remote regional communities, transnational flows of goods to these communities, colonial arcades and department stores, intercolonial rivalry and boosterism that incentivised the early development of large retail spaces, entrepreneurial business women, Australian milk bars, the influence of diasporic migration on food cultures and leisure activities, advertising in twentieth century department stores, urban planning, and post-war shopping centre development. This article provides an outline of these articles as well as an overview of Australian retail historiography.

Hearse Pies and Pastry Coffins: Material Cultures of Food, Preservation, and Death in the Early Modern British World

ABSTRACT With a long history as a vehicle for preserving perishable fillings against spoilage, pie was imagined as both a lavish banqueting centerpiece and an edible symbol of globalization in the seventeenth and eighteenth century British and early American worlds. Filled with expensive and difficult-to-obtain ingredients, and frequently sent over long distances in a culture of performative gift-exchange, pies were complex and multivalent objects. By examining the pie’s reputation as a means of preserving food alongside its widespread – but now largely forgotten – cultural association with death and dying, we suggest that for elite consumers, these pastry “coffins” could fulfill a similar function to memento mori: a reminder of the impermanence of organic matter and the inevitability of death and decomposition. Taking pie, an edible and ephemeral food, as a subject of material-cultural analysis, we can open unexpected avenues for understanding some of the emotions evoked by global consumption.

Street Food in Visual Media in Turkey: Food Mediatization in Tourism

Visual media has played a significant role in driving various transformations since its inception. The media has often portrayed gastronomy as a visual spectacle, showcasing allure, a reassuring image, and authenticity. Countries endeavor to enhance their gastronomy tourism by not only presenting their human and natural assets but also highlighting their distinct food and beverage cultures through visual media. This study aims to analyze the depiction of street food in Turkey in both national and international visual media and to explore the extent to which the promotion of street cuisine has been leveraged within the context of gastronomy tourism. The study seeks to contribute to future efforts aimed at making street food a compelling attraction in Turkey???s gastronomy tourism. For this study, an extensive literature review was conducted and semiotic analysis was applied to visual media components. National and international productions featuring street food in Turkey were analyzed across 10 distinct categories. ??stanbul emerged as the most prominently featured city in these productions. Furthermore, ??stanbul???s multicultural nature and its history of migration from various regions allow it to reflect the culinary cultures of different parts of Turkey. Based on the findings within the scope of this study, the emotions, thoughts, and messages evoked by visual media materials depicting street food in Turkey can be summarized as follows: a sense of camaraderie, social engagement, delightful gastronomic experiences, intriguing encounters, a feeling of familial warmth and authenticity, nostalgia, a sense of belonging, cross-cultural interaction, and visually striking presentations.

Backgrounds and challenges of food education policy in Taiwan: risk or chance in the reflexive food modernity?

In 2022, Taiwan enacted the Food and Agricultural Education Act, thus officially launching its food education policy. The objective of this article is to elucidate the social background to this Act and current challenges to promoting food education. The data were obtained from the relevant literature and interviews with 11 key actors, who represented academia, the government, public education and civil society. Although having much in common with the Japanese equivalent policy, Taiwan's food education contains some notable features. Food education began as a reaction to recent food safety scandals, growing food anxiety, the prevalence of eating out, the globalisation of food systems and increasing instability, all of which characterise reflexive food modernity. The Taiwanese policy aims to avoid the nutrition-centered, gendered and nationalistic tendencies of food education in countries such as Japan by stressing the interconnection of food system actors, social responsibility for family meals and an openness to diverse food cultures. However, achieving such objectives requires consciousness of the reflexive food modernity facing Taiwan and addressing operational issues, notably the strengthening of inter-ministerial collaboration and the integration of dialogue with diverse food education actors in defining educational content and professional qualifications.

Nutritional, physicochemical, and sensory characterization of four common Northern European seaweed species intended for food

Seaweed is depicted as a future food in Western cultures, yet its introduction and expansion to new markets come with several challenges, including food neophobia and limited knowledge about its usability. To address these challenges, this study characterizes sensory perceptions, nutritional content, and physicochemical properties of four common northern European seaweed species, Saccharina latissima, Alaria esculenta, Palmaria palmata, and Ulva sp. These species are rich in minerals (25.8–36.8 %) and carbohydrates (29.6–54.6 %), especially dietary fibre (29.8–34.1 %), but have lower levels of dietary protein (6.7–11.4 %) and lipids (1.3–2.4 %). The amino acid profiles almost matched those of complete proteins, but with lower levels of histidine (Ulva sp. had also lower levels of lysine). All species were generally perceived to have high taste of saltiness, medium umami, low bitterness and sourness, and no sweetness. Overall, P. palmata stood out most from the other species with its red magenta colour, sea and shellfish odour, umami taste, and firm and chewy texture. Contrary, Ulva sp. was perceived as the saltiest species, with a lightness in colour and elements of yellow, an odour resembling lemon and fresh grass, and the least crispy, firm, and chewy texture. The two brown species, S. latissima and A. esculenta, were overall perceived as similar to each other. The mapping of seaweed's attributes in this study can be directly useful as knowledge for the improvement of future seaweed products and their availability in Western food cultures.

Clinical usefulness of phase angle as an indicator of muscle wasting and malnutrition in inpatients with cardiovascular diseases.

Background and Objectives: Extracellular water is increased in patients with edema, such as those with chronic heart failure, and it is difficult to assess skeletal muscle mass with the skeletal muscle mass index when extracellular water is high. We investigated the relationship between phase angle and physical function, nutritional indices, and sarcopenia in patients with cardiovascular diseases, including chronic heart failure. Methods and Study Design: In 590 patients with cardiovascular diseases (372 men), handgrip strength, gait speed, and anterior mid-thigh muscle thickness by ultrasound were measured, and the skeletal muscle mass index, phase angle, and the extracellular water: total body water ratio were measured with a bioelectrical impedance analyzer, and presence of sarcopenia was evaluated. Results: Phase angle, but not the skeletal muscle mass index, was correlated with serum albumin (r = 0.377, p < 0.001) and hemoglobin values in women. Multivariate regression analysis showed that at the extracellular water: total body water ratio below 0.4, both phase angle and skeletal muscle mass index were independent determinants of handgrip strength and log mid-thigh muscle thickness in men, after adjustment for age and presence of chronic heart failure. In contrast, for the ratio of 0.4 or greater, after adjustment for age and presence of chronic heart failure, phase angle was a stronger independent determinant of handgrip strength and log mid-thigh muscle thickness than the skeletal muscle mass index in men. Conclusions: Phase angle is a good marker of muscle wasting and malnutrition in patients with cardiovascular disease, including chronic heart failure.

분수계에 의한 음식문화권 연구

The purpose of this study is to investigate the formation and transformation of food culture in the region according to the watershed of Damyang-gun and Hwasun-gun, which are local governments of Jeollanam-do where the watershed of Yeongsan River and Seomjin River appears together. Since the natural environment in this area is similar, the difference in food consumption was not significantly different depending on the basin system because the ingredients produced were similar. The food that exerts the influence of the food culture area in this area is skate and spice jepi. Skate is widely consumed in the Yeongsan River basin system, and jepi is consumed in the Seomjin River water system. These two foods are expanding their consumption area based on the unique taste of the food itself. Skate was the representative food of the Yeongsan River basin system, but now it has established itself as a representative food of Jeollanam-do, and jepi is consumed only in the Seomjin River basin. In Damyang-gun and Hwasun-gun, the watershed influenced the setting of food culture, but now the food culture area by the watershed is undergoing many changes due to the development of transportation, migration of local residents, and socio-cultural changes.

A Review on Efficacy of Dietary Approaches in The Management of Hypertension

Hypertension (HTN), commonly known as the 'Silent Killer,' presents a significant worldwide health concern, with a prevalence of 24% in men and 21% among women in India. As lifestyle and food culture evolve, the prevalence of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) is increasing, thereby impacting overall health. The primary objective of this study is to conduct a comprehensive review of existing literature with a view towards exploring the recent advancements in diet and nutritional approaches for individuals with HTN. This study aims to understand the importance of different diets such as the DASH diet, Mediterranean diet, potassium-rich diet, low salt diet and vegetarian diet which have been recommended globally owing to their varying ability to lower Blood Pressure (BP). Additionally, it emphasises the significance of protein in reducing BP, especially in India, where protein deficiency is highly prevalent. The study also investigates the role of simple and easily accessible functional foods that exhibit antihypertensive effects, with supporting evidence for their efficacy. The study's findings indicate that adopting a consistent diet regime, such as a balanced diet with sufficient high-quality protein (at least 0.83g/kg/day), along with generous portions of fruits, vegetables and reduced salt intake, has proven to be highly effective in managing BP. Complementing non-pharmacological interventions with lifestyle modifications, such as healthy eating, regular physical activity, weight management, abstaining from smoking, limiting alcohol consumption and implementing stress management techniques, can collectively contribute to preventing and controlling HTN, thus reducing the disease burden. An effective change in the daily diet consistent with current protein recommendations is helpful in BP control.

How Fast-Food Create an Impact on Youth Culture: In Dhanmondi

This study aimed at food without which no human being can live. Food has been a part of our life since the beginning of civilization. However, there have been changes in the taste of food from decade to decade. One of the significant changes that have occurred in the arena of food culture is due to Globalization. Furthermore, it has brought about immense changes in the intervention of fast-food restaurants everywhere in the world. Although, there are some of the factors have shaped the global food chains that emerged as a result of borderless communication and a free market economy. As a consequence, the food chains have given rise to the localization of global food culture. On the other hand, some local chains have emerged by the influence of global food networks. With time, the emergence of these restaurants has changed the pattern of consumption of the youth and the food habit of the whole people of all ages, particularly among youths. Nowadays, the consumption of traditional foods is being replaced by the mass concentration of these restaurants. This study employs a quantitative method that takes purposive sampling to select the population. Data were collected by using the online survey method. A total of 100 samples were collected from the people who consume foods in restaurants. The study results show that the young generation tends to be more influenced by the global food culture. Factors that contribute to their changing behavior patterns of consumption are the internet, social media, T.V., and peer groups. Most youths in Dhanmondi Area mainly tend to look for their favorite meal on different social media sites. The study concludes that how fast food has influenced the youth culture regarding the traditional food consumption by the youths focusing mainly in the Dhanmondi area.

The cause and effect of the nutrition transition in Nigeria: analysis of the value of indigenous knowledge and traditional foods in Enugu State, Igboland

The objective of this study is twofold: one, to analyze the presence of the nutrition transition in Nigeria through assessment of national food consumption trends, obesity, and noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) data over time, and two, to assess the role that indigenous knowledge and foodways can play in promoting healthy diets in the country through the case study of Enugu State, Igboland. A mixed-methods approach was utilized with quantitative data from the Nigerian Living Standards Survey and Demographic Health Survey to measure changes in obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and food consumption across Nigeria from 2003 to 2018 using Natural Language Processing and Trend Analysis. Primary qualitative data in Enugu State were collected through semi-structured interviews in 2021 with a random sampling technique undertaken to analyze the status of indigenous Igbo foods and traditions to curb the negative effects of the nutrition transition, as well as to document the motivations behind using or abandoning traditional foods in the present generation. The findings of the study depict the nutrition transition in Nigeria in multiple forms. The combined overweight and obese population in the country has experienced a 29% increase in the 15-years study period, while the NCDs hypertension and diabetes have experienced a combined 21% increase. Consumption patterns have shifted, though not always in the ways predicted from the literature, with statistically significant increases displayed in the consumption of Breads and Pastries, Starchy Roots and Tubers, Legumes, Plant and Animal Fats, Seafoods, Milk and Dairy Products, Beverages, Non-alcoholic Drinks, Vegetables, and Red Meats. The primary data analysis displayed that the traditional Igbo foodscape is defined by local, nutritious whole foods. The data depicted significant recent trends toward using ultra-processed seasoning cubes instead of local herbs as spices, with a huge shift from 0% frequency usage identified in the parents’ generation to a 35% frequency in the current generation. Eighty-three percent of the community surveyed stated that they believe that the diets of the younger generation are changing, with the majority stating that the change is for the worse. Participants from the community provided recommendations for curbing the nutrition transition and empowering indigenous foodways through policy, investment, and mindset change. Though consumption patterns are changing and Nigeria’s obesity and NCD rates are increasing, it is still far behind the rate of obesity in countries farther along in the nutrition transition such as its former colonizer Britain. Interviews conducted around Enugu State show how the indigenous food system is centered on fresh, healthy foods, primarily local tubers, legumes, vegetables, and spices. There is extensive knowledge and pride in the indigenous food system, even though there was a consensus that Igbo food culture is currently undergoing immense changes in part due to some of the younger generation’s new tastes in processed foods and convenience.

The food culture of the Iron Age nomadic elite from the ‘Valley of the Kings’ in Tuva: radiocarbon dating, stable carbon and nitrogen analysis of the Chinge Tey barrows (Turan-Uyuk Basin, Russia)

Subsistence strategies of Eurasian pastoral populations have been broadly studied in the archaeological literature. The 'Valley of the Kings' in Tuva, Russia, has captivated archaeologists with its remarkable collection of large burial mounds, containing lavishly equipped tombs of nomadic kings, warlords, and aristocracy. These barrows bear witness to the ancestral connections between the deceased leaders, highlighting the alliances among prehistoric nomads in Central Asia. In this research, we present comprehensive radiocarbon dating and δ13C/δ15N isotopic data from the Chinge Tey barrows, which represent the burial sites of 12 high-ranking individuals. The chronological alignment of both Chinge Tey monuments with the Arzhan 1 and Arzhan 2 reference frames sheds light on their historical context. This study delves into intricate aspects of ecological adaptability, pastoral food practices, social hierarchies, and nomadic mortuary rituals. Analysis of carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes indicates potential connections between the barrows in the 'Valley of the Kings' and diverse nomadic cultures, suggesting that dietary habits among neighboring populations may have exhibited significant variation.

GASTRONOMIC DISCOURSE AS A COMPONENT OF NATIONAL LINGUOCULTURE

The article is devoted to the analysis of the understanding of gastronomic discourse in Russian and Chinese linguistic cultures. In this paper, national food and its taste are considered as an important part of culture and one of the means of identification in intercultural communication. The article presents an analysis of a survey of Russian and Chinese students, as a result of which the universal and specific in the food culture of the two peoples are highlighted.

Culinary tourism and contradictions of cultural sustainability: industrial agriculture food products as tradition in the American Midwest

ABSTRACT A culinary tourism project in the eastern Midwest of the United States illustrates contradictions between the cultural and ecological pillars of sustainability. Foods traditional to this area reflect industrial agricultural methods and technologies now recognized as threatening to the natural environment. Highlighting those foods through culinary tourism, then, celebrates forms and practices representing a food culture that is actively incompatible with the ecological, economic, and social pillars of sustainability. This article describes how folkloristic perspectives on culinary tourism were applied to first validate that food culture; then make it competitive as a tourism attraction. Those perspectives were also used to address conflicts with environmental sustainability posed by supporting cultural sustainability. This model of culinary tourism offers frameworks to recognize the complexity and dynamic nature of both food and tourism, suggesting strategies for resolutions consistent with a food cultures’ history, ethos, and aesthetic. That consistency is fundamental to the endurance of a sense of connection felt by community members and to the sustainability of that food culture.

Putting a price on healthy eating: public perceptions of the need for further food pricing policies in the UK.

Understand factors that influence food choice and explore public perceptions of the need for government policies to improve diets in the UK, particularly food pricing interventions. A qualitative study design was used with semi-structured interviews. The study was carried out in Greater Manchester, England. In all, 15 participants from a diverse range of backgrounds were recruited. Food price, lack of time, availability, and food knowledge and culture were key factors that led some study participants towards unhealthy food choices. The UK's individual, willpower-focused approach to tackling obesity was deemed ineffective and many participants supported further government intervention. Product reformulation was supported as a less intrusive and less regressive way of improving diets than taxation. There was also support for increasing cooking classes within schools. Whilst the government ambition to half childhood obesity by 2030 is welcome, population level interventions that enable healthier food choices are needed to achieve this goal. Rising global food prices may make reformulation a more practical policy option than further pricing interventions. Mandatory reformulation of convenience meal and snack products and strengthening education in schools may represent a publicly acceptable and effective package of interventions within a comprehensive strategy to tackle obesity.

Determination of the Inclusion Levels of Street Foods in the Menus of Food and Beverage Businesses in Kadıkoy District of İstanbul

Turkey is a country that is highly preferred by tourists due to its geographical location, nature, historical beauties and food culture. Street foods can be affected by factors such as geographical location, mode of production, historical development, economic, cultural relations, belief and ethnic status. With the increasing popularity of street food in recent years, it is seen that street food has been added to the menus of cafes and restaurants. The main purpose of this study is to determine the inclusion levels of street foods in the menus of food and beverage businesses. The population of the study are employees of food and beverage businesses in Kadiköy. The level of street food in the menu is examined with a sample of a personnel (n=25) from a food and beverage businesses in Kadıköy. Semi structured interview technique among qualitative research techniques was used. Interviews were made with the authorities (chef, waiter, business manager and employer) of food and beverage businesses determined through purposive sampling method. The findings illustrate that there was intense preference of street foods in food and beverage businesses. It has been observed that some businesses use street foods as the main theme in restaurant design and menu planning. It is seen that street foods are preferred either as sides next to beverages or as appetizers before the main meal.

The “decline” of London’s curry houses invented tradition, authenticity, gastromythology

ABSTRACT Curry houses are among Britain’s most prominent historical, cultural, and gastronomic links with Asia. Recent developments in the context of Britain’s “declining” curry culture suggest that the industry’s challenges cannot be explained through watertight analyses of immigration controls, the allegedly latent racism of British society, its aggravation by the Brexit discourse, shrinkage of South Asian talent and the turn towards healthy and green consumer choices. There is an elusive force that I recognise as gastromythology – that negotiates between invented traditions and authenticity. In offering gastromythology as a new analytical index in studies of consumption and foodways, I suggest that mythologies – in the sense deployed by Roland Barthes – indispensably shape the mnemonic history of food cultures. Declining or saturating mythologies signal a break away from the cultural conditions that cradled the culinary tradition, in the first place, as is true of curry, especially when seen against a rapidly changing political backdrop.

Food matters and materialities: critical understandings of food cultures

Food matters and materialities: critical understandings of food cultures

Traditional types of pickles among the Gagauz

This article, based on the author’s field materials and ethnographic essays by V. A. Moshkov, discusses the features of the preparation of pickles among the Gagauz. The paper provides a description of some types of pickles, folk beliefs associated with their preparation; attention is paid to the spices and seasonings used; a comparative analysis is carried out with the food culture of the population of the Balkan Peninsula and neighboring peoples in Southern Bessarabia (Bulgarians, Moldavians / Romanians, Ukrainians, etc.). In the Gagauz food system, pickles called “turşu” are one of the important elements of the food culture that make up the daily diet in winter. The Gagauz made the following types of pickles: peppers stuffed with a mixture of grated carrots, cabbage and onions; salted tomatoes, to which chopped carrots, beets, apples were added; salted cabbage, cucumbers; salty watermelons. In general, the Gagauz have preserved the traditional methods of preparing pickles, but some changes are currently being observed. For example, for the past three decades, plastic containers have been used instead of wooden pickle barrels. In addition, the author believes that the frying of minced meat for peppers (carrots, cabbage and onions) appeared among the Gagauz under the influence of the Moldavian food traditions. “Turşu” is an integral part of the food code of the Gagauz and demonstrates the adaptive nature of the nutrition system of the people as a whole, in accordance with the natural, geographical and ecological conditions for the existence of the ethnic group.

A Study on the Differences Between Chinese and Western Food Culture and the Translation of Chinese Cuisine

A Study on the Differences Between Chinese and Western Food Culture and the Translation of Chinese Cuisine

Why are the cook chefs always male: Research on the cook chefs who works at hotel cuisines

The purpose of this study is to determine the reasons; “why are chefs always male” in the kitchens of hotels. Food cultures of countries, cooking techniques, eating styles are some of the subjects in the study area of gastronomy science. Chefs are one of the primary elements that contribute to the development of food culture. Cook chefs are at the center of the present study. The scientific discipline “Workforce in Working Life” continues to do research about Cook Chefs. In this study, the gender and reasons of chefs working in the kitchens of 4 and 5 star hotels serving in the field of tourism in the world were researched demographically. Four continents, five countries from each continent, two cities from each country and ten international 4 and 5 star chain hotels in each city were selected. In the first section of the study, it was observed that most of the chefs working in hotels were male. In the second section, the reasons why most of the chefs are male were examined scientifically. As a result, it was determined that the working conditions of chefs are difficult for women hence the high number of male chefs.