THE IMPACT OF CULTURE ON FOOD CHOICE

The Impact of Culture on food choice

The Impact of Culture on food choice

Introduction

When it comes to food and individual choice in different food products, it can be said that there are various determinants. Culture is one of these determining factors and has been acknowledged world wide as being one of the variables that can entice an individual to try out different foods. One of the important factors that lead to the kind of food that are found in different cultures is the abundance of it. Gastronomic traditions are also responsible for how culture is shaped and how it may take some getting used to on a global level. For example, Americans are quite at home with eating chicken or pork, as it is part of their dietary schedules everyday. However, if they are offered goat or grubs as part of their daily diet, like the Chinese or the French, they would retch at the very idea. In the same way, the Mediterranean are very fond of baked goods, thus try to add bread into their delicacies as well Harris, 1998).

Since Japan is known for its fish and rice and the good qualities of each, its delicacies are all based around the two. Japanese sushi plates are famous the world over and fans of Japanese food may be found in any part of the world.

Discussion

Traditionalists believe that food choices matter a lot in what kind of a cultural representation a country has compared to other countries. Pork is against religion in some cultures, thus in those countries, even requesting food with pork in it can become offensive. In-mouth perceptions that might include textures or taste and aroma of some foods may also determine the food choices of individuals. Indian food may only be enjoyed by certain individuals who enjoy spicy aromatic food, while it may cause indigestion in individuals who are only used to lighter foods. Italian food is another example of culture being the source of impact on food choice. Individuals who aim to eat light and remain vigilant of what they eat are more likely to go with starched foods such as pasta or Italian pizza and so on. Ever since globalization became a normal practice among organizations selling FMCG's, food products have seen such varieties as were never available before. This obviously impacts the way customers shop for food as well, since it is a lot easier to try out foods belonging to far-off lands, as well as fruits or other consumable products. An individual may spend a lot less time buying their favorite product or might spend hours collecting the ingredients needed to make an exotic platter. Both choices are now readily available and it may all depends on the individual themselves whether they are more health and diet conscious what products they buy.

Different trends in cooking are practiced throughout the world. For example, in the Mediterranean , bread is used as the main source of nutrition since that ...