August 24, 2014

  • Food Bigotry

    Consider the humble Gluten.

    Presently, in US vernacular, the proteinaceous amalgamation of gliadin, glutenin and starch. Glue-like and sticky (in fact derived in name for the latin for Glue), gluten presently has acquired a most odious reputation for being the offending antigen for sufferers of celiac sprue, and gluten free foods are sold at a high premium... even when the diner has no allergy to the stuff.

    Over in asia, however, gluten has been a part of diet in a purified form, particularly as a vegetarian meat/protein substitute. Indeed, it's a staple vegetarian food, along with tofus of various consistency. When one mentions gluten in asia, it's a very neutral substance, or perhaps even positive, when one things of foods like 烤麸。

    Which brings us to the strange variegations in societal attitudes towards foods near and far.

    I think few of us remember the days when the US feared the fruit so ubiquitous in Italian cooking, the Tomato. Indeed, tomato was considered an undesirable fruit during the early part of the US' history due to its similarity to deadly nightshade. And it took tomato sauce (Ketchup/Catsup - possibly derived from cantonese pronunciation of 茄汁, and gastronomically derived from various "fish sauces" used in the south pacific）and Italian cuisine to bring the tomato to its present glory.

    Or perhaps the lobster, originally considered a trash fish, and sold at bottom of the barrel prices in Boston during the mid 1700s. Few of us consider lobster so pedestrian now, eh?

    One more - let's consider beef ribs. Low grade meat if one were to consider steak. After all, there is no "rib cut." And barbecue ribs are sold at rather inexpensive prices relative to the mass of the meat sold. But in Kalbi, the price of a similar amount of meat is suddenly much higher. Go figure? You wouldn't blink an eye at 29 dollars for 2 short ribs in a Korean restaurant - but those prices would beggar reason in a southern barbeque joint.

    While the aphorism "One man's trash is another man's treasure" might be a bit trite at times, there's no question that the relative pricing and desirability accorded to foods (yes the connotations as well) differ across regions, cultures and nations, it's quite striking that a food hated/reviled in one context is quite innocent in another.

    Think peanuts in the hyper-allergic western world vs. southeast asia where its ubiquity would yield asphyxiation in far too many with hypersensitivity.

    I'll leave with one more dissonance in views on foods.

    Consider soy vs. milk.

    In the west, you put milk in a jar and drink it. In the east, you crush it and filter it and you yield soy milk. Culture both and you get cheese and tofu respectively. Traditionally, easterners didn't really know how to eat cheese - and its taken some time for the west to accept tofu; both of which are quite common and accepted in their traditional regions.

    And what bothers people most? I still think it's texture. Unfamiliar textures probably cause more anxiety than tastes...

    So, how much of a food bigot are you?

    (Allergies don't count...)