It tells us about the kinds of things that matter culturally, from the time spent preparing food, to the sharing of recipes, to the sharing of cook space and the cooking process, to the types of food that are eaten and how the food is grown.

Learning Goal: I’m working on a writing discussion question and need support to help me learn.
This weeks discussion prompt:
“Tell me what you eat and I’ll tell you who you are.”
–Brillat Savarin
In talking with a colleague, I asked “what do you think is the most important kind of art that will tell you the most about the experience of a people”? His answer was “food.” Food tells us about where people are from. It tells us about the kinds of things that matter culturally, from the time spent preparing food, to the sharing of recipes, to the sharing of cook space and the cooking process, to the types of food that are eaten and how the food is grown. From cuy (guinea pig) in Peru to rotted shark and Black Death in Iceland to mesquite flour in indigenous So. Cal. (ask me and I’ll share my recipe for Mesquite chocolate chip cookies. They’re sublime and lower glycemic index), culinary arts are arts. Think about the culture/ethnicity you most identify with. What is a quinessential food from that culture/ethnicity? And what makes it so important?