Obento

Today in class we had our first hands on kitchen activity. Today’s project was making Japanese obento boxes. Once again I have limited cooking experience in this subject. However, I do have lots of experience eating bento. For 10 years, I have played squash. Right next door to where I play there’s a bento stand that I have become quite fond of over the years. I have been eating bento from that stand since I started playing. I get the same thing every time. The bento stand’s bento is nowhere near as elaborate as what we’ve studied in class. The stand’s bento is more of an Americanized version as you have your choice of chicken, beef or grilled vegetables on a kabob served over rice with the option of teriyaki or sweet chili sauce. I always order chicken with teriyaki on the rice but no chili sauce. Preparing the obento boxes in class was much more difficult than it looks. I tried to make a face in my box but it came out rather frightful looking.














I was fascinated to read about the meaning and symbolism behind the obento. I had no idea that the crude version I eat of this national meal was so important. I found the care and work that goes into those boxes so impressive. To make one of those for your children each day would require great care and detail not found in the typical American children’s lunch of sandwiches and other such foods. The obento boxes also serve as symbol of both what the child should rise to in his or her life and a mother’s love for her children. I also found it funny that the teacher of the students would critique the boxes of the children.

For me, bento also has tradition and meaning of its own. Not only did my mom buy bento from that stand when I was younger after my squash practices but I also have another food tradition involving bento. A friend and I buy bento at that stand and then take it up into Washington Park (a large park in Portland) and eat bento at the same table each time. Bento and obento boxes are a perfect example of how food can be so much more than just refueling your body.

Starving College Student

Like I said in my last entry, I’ve always been surrounded by good food. This first week of college has been quite difficult to find food that’s remotely similar in quality to what I eat at home. First off, living in Lander Hall we have one food stall in the food court open because the kitchen does not become fully operational until fall. So, the kitchen only offers two dishes per meal with “delightful” menus including macaroni and cheese, and green shrimp gumbo. The other issue with the food set up is the kitchen is only open for a short period of time for each meal. If you don’t show up between specific hours, you’re not eating there. The mini mart in the dorm has some decent things so you could make a halfway healthy breakfast but most food there prepackaged from some factory with little to no nutrition.

On Wednesday I decided I needed a reprieve from my high carb, low protein diet. Maria and I set out on a quest to find something that was neither prepackaged nor lacking in dietary quality. Wednesday was a fitting day for this outing as the two of us have been eating lunch together on Wednesdays since sophomore year of high school. It only made sense that we had to find good food for this three year tradition. Salvation came in the form of a bus ride to QFC grocery store. As we walked into the store, we walked past the stacks of shiny flawless fruit. The oranges in particular caught my eye as they were bright orange and lacked the bruising and green spots that were standard issue on the oranges in the dorm. After the fruit section we wandered over to the deli and ordered grilled sandwiches. I know I’ve only been in the dorms for only about four days now but the fresh bread, fresh vegetables, good cheese and meat was probably the best thing I’ve eaten since my arrival at college.

I always appreciated the food in my house, but I never thought about it at the level I do now. Food at home is open 24 hours a day, it’s fresh, and you can find a way to make a balanced healthy meal. Finding such things in college is quite a challenge.

Why Anthropolgy of Food?

Growing up I lived in a house that always had good food to eat. My mom had two passions that she loved to study; France and Cooking. She managed to combine both by becoming quite adept at preparing French cuisine having even spent a summer at a cooking school in Paris. She cooked many dishes from other cultures but French was always her favorite.

My personal cooking capabilities are nothing close to that of mom. I have a limited repertoire of foods I can prepare. Despite growing up around food I never really took the time to stop and look at the accuracy and chemistry that goes into food preparation. One of the dishes that I can prepare is Crepes. I was first introduced to them in the sixth grade during a family trip to France. My sister and I enjoyed them so much that my parents started making them at home. Over the years I learned how make both savory crepes (filled with meats, cheeses and vegetables) and dessert crepes (filled with chocolate, fruit and other sweet foods). Crepes require the upmost accuracy in both the batter and level of heat used. I had made them enough times at my own house to know where to set the burner and how to make my batter the same each time. I usually just made them with a friend or two but last spring I made them for a large group of around 40. We had a post-prom party at one of my friend’s houses and I had taken the responsibility of preparing dessert. I had an entire counter of fillings lined out and made I whatever people ordered. The only issue with being in a kitchen other than my own was I couldn’t get the temperature right on the stove. First it was too hot, then too cold and then uneven. My crepes suffered because of this. They came out normal looking except for the fact that they were crispy and they broke when you tried to fold them. Despite my own disappointment they were quite a hit at the party. My experience showed me two things. First, food is a science that requires accuracy to produce a desired result. Second, food is more than just something eaten. It can also be an accent to an event or occasion in the example of my prom cooking. The crepes themselves weren’t coming out right but everyone still liked them because of the occasion for which they were prepared.

My experience of being surrounded by food but not necessarily appreciating it, was part of what helped me to decide to take The Anthropology of Food. Eating is vastly important as we do it three times a day. I figured maybe I should learn more about food which is something we typically overlook.