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AnonymousI do not know what the plans for the evenings are, but after reading these articles it might be fun to visit various good/inexpensive restaurants around the area. Might be fun to break into smaller groups, led by someone with knowledge, and investigate and report back.
AnonymousI agree, Chinatown, Koreatown and Little Tokyo are just a short tram ride away. It would be fun to go and explore.
AnonymousThere is a show on television that I watch every week with my son and daughter-in-law called "Deadliest Catch" which focuses on the New England fish trade and where we learn about the factors that contribute to the quality of the fish, and the price garnered for the product. These fishing boats are in competition to get the right "type" of tuna, and livelihood of whole communities revolve around the catch. The whole issue of the correct rice as a compliment is must also be included in a discussion about cuisine, winter rice/spring rice (color, texture, translucent (pearl -like), and taste).
In America, acceptance of sushi points to class/cultural differences.
AnonymousObesity in America is not just the result of a preponderance of food; it is often caused by people eating the wrong kind of food - all one has to do in Los Angeles is visit the public housing compounds and notice the lack of supermarkets, and healthy food choices. Some scientists have formulated that one of the reasons for the increase in illness and other maladies facing ethnic communities is that they have gone far afield from the foods that they should eat based upon their genetic makeup. For example, the number of people who are allergic to wheat and diary products.
The presence of garlic in kimchee has certain ramifications within the middle school culture, where students labeled Korean students "kimchee breath" and would not sit with them or interact with them in any way. Some students gave up this cultural tie (kimchee) in an effort to blend in and become assimilated. As a teacher, I had to help students bridge this cultural divide. I remember going home on a crowded bus and noticing people standing in the aisle and finally realizing that no one was sitting next to me, nor behind me, because I had just had bibimbab at lunch and so gave off the smell of garlic.
During one unit, I had students try to create some form of a Japanese lunch (bento box) after having reading Sadako and the Thousand Cranes. This proved an amusing time. The student from Bangladesh's "sushi" was filled with chili powder, the student from El Salvador used canned tuna, and so it went. Most of what was created was inedible. But it proved a rich cultural exchange.
Obesity is a class issue as well as a cultural issue, and so I was a little put off by this article.
AnonymousSushi:
Sorry, the show is actually called "Wicked Tuna"; "Deadliest Catch" is about catching crab in Alaska. ( my bad)
AnonymousIn On the Globalization of Chinese Food, Roberts points out that "one might well question whether any Chinese food prepared outside of China is 'authentic' - but the question soon loses its clarity when it is recognized that Chinese food, like the food of any other culture, varies according to its region of origin...Chinese food in the West has been adapted to suit the circumstances under which it has been received." It's like believing Italian food in America is authentic. As anyone who has visited Italy and had pizza there, it is nothing like American pizza. This was especially evident when the waiter poured olive oil all over our pizza in Naples.
This perhaps is interesting in the San Gabriel Valley with a diverse East Asian population. I like to have my students analyze their "Asian-ness" growing up in this area, and food is such an interesting reflection in our area. Food from all cultures seem to represent the Asians in the SGV, and perhaps the Fung Brothers (Asian YouTube celebrities) show this uniqueness of East Asian foods adopted by all in the area. The 626 video is hilarious to myself and my students since it's all local restaurants, and it pokes fun at how Asians love boba/tea, eating late, and where restaurants focus on the "taste, not service," reiterating Roberts' idea of the "rudeness of the Chinese waiter has become something of a cliche." Even dissecting the popular menu of Noodle World that basically serves up dishes from all East Asian countries shows this amalgamation of East Asia. Where else can I get Vietnamese, Thai, or Chinese food all in one place?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3n3HQ9uge0g
Rlyne brought up the idea of going out to try different foods. Try a food crawl where an expert walks you around to different restaurants in the SGV.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/26/spicy-chinese-san-gabriel-valley_n_5023964.html?&ir=Los+Angeles&ncid=tweetlnkushpmg00000065
http://www.curatedgnomes.com/
Also fun but crowded are 626 Night Markets in Orange County, Downtown LA, and Arcadia (upcoming August 15 - 17)
(From the Website) The original and largest Asian-themed night market in the U.S., 626 Night Market features 200+ food, merchandise, crafts, arts, games, music, and entertainment attractions in an epic event that appeals to all ages. 626 Night Market aims to unite and empower the community by serving as a platform for showcasing local entrepreneurs, businesses, artists, and talent. Be excited. Be very excited.
http://www.626nightmarket.com/events.php
I like food. Can you tell?
edited by jlee on 7/29/2014
AnonymousNot really used to starting a food blog... But here we go
Trying to keep with the theme of the week and would love to hear from others who are staying on campus.
Monday night ate at an Asian Noodle Bar just before you get to the CVS on Figueroa... Can not remember the name but you can not miss it and they have signs on Korean on the street. I thought. It would be real good because I did not see a single non Asian in the place and it was packed. Ordered the Udon noodles with Tempura Shrimp. A lot of noodles... But very tasty. Broad range of sushi and noodles and other stuff. Looked good and would like to go back and have sushi and salad.
Tuesday night ate at Trio Noodle House.... Just beyond the CVS and Vagabond Inn. Virtually empty... They do serve beer and wine. Wanted to do something different so I went in a Korean direction and ordered the Bul Koogi Beef over brown rice. Very tasty with lots of green onions and cabbage and ample amounts of tasty beef. Their orientation is Thai... But I have a lot of Thai in my area so I wanted to do something that matched up with what we are studying. Would recommend going back for their Thai.
Anybody for Chinese on Wednesday?
AnonymousIt's interesting that the author describes the rise of Sushi in American as being part of this educated and sophisticated culture in the late 70s. Forty years later, Sushi is widespread but it is still foreign to many people in the U.S. I have many low income students that have never tried Sushi and don't trust it because it's "raw". One thing we can do as teachers is introduce food to our students. I'm considering teaching my students about Japanese culture before we discuss them in class. We can do some of the readings and show some of the slides on Japanese history. We can introduce our students to Japanese culture by explaining their writing style, traditions and customs. If possible, we can even provide them with a small sample of sushi and show them that it is fantastic.
AnonymousThe China Highlights website mentioned in "Food in East Asia" introduces a pretty wide range of Chinese cuisines in different regions throughout the country. As a food lover, I find the website quite resourceful (especially with the picture, pronunciation and Chinese titles of the dishes). However, I don't totally agree with the five most unbelievable Chinese food mentioned under Major Chinese Food. Knowing how Chinese pride our "ability" to eat ALL kind of things, these five food items do not all appear "unbelievable" to me. For those of you who would like to try cooking Chinese food, I highly recommend the recipes offered on this website.
AnonymousThere's a Mexican restaurant in Palm Springs called Margarita's that took over a space that was formerly a Sushi place, Otani. Because Otani had such a magnificent sushi bar in the middle of the restaurant, the new owners chose to leave it there and continue to serve the sushi alongside the Mexican cuisine. Not only that, they retained the very talented sushi chef that had run the previous sushi bar. It's a grand success for all!
AnonymousFood is one of the most exciting ways to seduce students into new learning areas and environments. At the end of my year 11 sociology course I ask my student to prepare a dish from another country and give a brief presentation about the food and share it with the class. (New LAUSD laws do not allow food to be prepared at home now students buy food.) In groups of three they are required to select a dish from the country they have been allocated. I use the following questions to guide the students in their presentations. I will also add Jung’s ideas as well to develop the socio cultural investigation
You are to research the history of the dish and discuss its cultural importance. This will include answering the following questions
• How the dish is served and what other food normally accompanies the dish?
• What specific cooking implements are used to prepare the dish?
• What new ingredients have you discovered?
• Is this dish only cooked at a specific time of year?
• Does this dish have any cultural/historical significance, what is it?
• Who prepares the dish, and who eats the food. Is there a gender preference as to who prepares/eats the food?
• What is the history behind the dish?
• Does the food has moral implications?
Presentation and sharing of food samples
This information will be shared with the whole class in a short 5m question and answer session.
Students are prepare/provide the dish so the class can sample your fare.
It is important we all commit to participate in this project so everyone has the opportunity to taste and share their research. Those who don't contribute don't get to sample food until everyone who brought food has sampled.
edited by jahawdon on 7/30/2014
AnonymousFood is a great example to use when teaching the concept of ethnogenesis. What do we keep from our old culture, what do we adapt from the old to be more like the new and what is adopted from the new culture? This concept can be easily understood and demonstrated through food and its hybridity
AnonymousEnglish teachers who want to historicize their interest in East Asian food and culture might want to assign the famous William Hazlitt essay "A Dissertation on Roast Pig." It's all about how the Chinese invented cooking with fire. Of course it's pretty much completely made up, but it's a good read and makes an interesting historical contrast with more contemporary accounts of East Asian cuisine. It's also a good example of a certain kind of argument about innovation, which is that important new ideas and procedures are often the product of so-called "creative destruction."
AnonymousFood is by far one of the easiest ways to introduce students to different cultures and traditions. Working in the South Bay area of Los Angeles I have access to Japanese markets. One thing we did was a Japanese food day where the students were exposed to California style sushi as well as other Japanese snacks and encouraged to use chopsticks in eating the snacks. Many of the kids were surprised that all sushi didn’t include raw fish. The also learned the skill required too use chopsticks. I was very pleased with the connections the students made between food and geography, economics and cultural traditions
AnonymousHere's a great food blog created by a former student of mine. I use it to prime my 11th and 12th grade English students to write personal essays with recipes attached. We then put the essays together in our own class food blog. Here's the link:
http://girlfarmkitchen.com