[Ellen Davis]

So many of my students have not been exposed to other cultures, ideas, and foods. The idea of traveling to Asia has not crossed their minds in many cases, as some have not even been 10 miles away to the ocean. Many of my students eat fast food or junk food as the mainstays of their diets. The few students who have had the opportunity to travel to Japan have mentioned that they ate American food only, and frequented traditional American restaurants (McDonald's, KFC, Shake Shack, etc.) while visiting. 

An entry point into expanding their horizons would be examining various fast food restaurant menus from different countries, and comparing them. It would be interesting for students to compare, for example, McDonald's menus from several different Asian countries.

I appreciated learning about Ramen shops this week. As a teen, I aspired to have a sushi party for my Sweet 16, back in a time when sushi, nevermind ramen, could not easily be acquired in the area in which I lived. Today, my family goes out of their way to get quality ramen (vegetarian broth and gluten-free noodles for some in my family). While in Japan, my husband and I walked for over an hour in Kyoto to find the highly renowned ramen shop that serves vegan, gluten-free milk ramen. 

[Ellen Davis]

As much of the USA, and the world, were transitioning to packaged, processed, and prepared foods, parts of Asia were no different. As China, Japan, and Korea became cosmopolitan places, with immigrants and visitors from all over the world, the packaged, processed, and prepared foods followed. With colonization, came western companies' food colonization. From canned, condensed milk, white sugar, and ice cream to Spam, so many great-tasting-but-not-good-for-you foods spread throughout Asia.

While my current teaching duties do not involve teaching about imperialism or the colonization of Asia at this time, we do learn about adaptations in the American colonies in a new land, and the adaptation of political ideas, and about immigration to the U.S. I anticipate making some connections with the concept of adaptations and bringing in new ideas from immigrants and their foodways and how they adapt.

[Ellen Davis]

Hello Ping Pian! I am originally from nearby Buffalo, and spend a lot of my summers travelling in or near Rochester! Please say hi to western New York for me!

[Ellen Davis]

It is amazing to see the various commonalities in regards to food culture across Asian cuisines, and the food exchange that has happened across the world. From rice (so many different kinds) to noodles (can be made with so many kinds of flours) to proteins to various vegetables and fruits to tea, I love to see so many things pop up in different parts of the world.

The concept of "glocalization" is also intriguing. A social studies/history teacher, I am particularly interested in tracing history across cultures, and culture across history. In "Globalizing Asian Cuisines," James Farrer writes that food globalization has been happening since ancient times, sometimes at a slow pace, and in some eras, at a much more rapid pace. Japan is an interesting example. After being impressed with western military practices, Japan's leadership sought to change the military diet in order to create western-style soldiers. While I was familiar with Japan's western military interest, I was unaware of the interest in dietary changes. Aside from exploration and colonization, there are other reasons for glocalization, a concept I hadn't fully considered previously.

[Ellen Davis]

Hello Everyone! My name is Ellen Davis, I am originally from the Buffalo, NY area and lived for many years in Boston, MA. I am a 7th grade Civics teacher  in Broward County, FL and school coordinator for National History Day. I love to learn and travel and have adventures, and I LOVE food! I have been priveleged to travel to (and eat in) Japan and the Philippines. My children and I have also trained in Tae Kwon Do, and tried to incorporate Korean food into our lives as much as possible because of our training. It would be difficult to choose a favorite cuisine as my family and I truly enjoy cooking and eating so many different Asian cuisines. I hope to learn more about food history, and be able to give my students an entry point for independent research for NHD projects.

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