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.