Are Comments of this Photo of Taiwanese Shaved Ice an Example of Culinary Racism?

By Guest Contributor Ernie, originally published at 8 Asians

This week, popular food blog Serious Eats put up a Flickr photo of a popular Taiwanese dessert hongdoubing, or shaved ice with condensed milk, red beans and flan. It was meant to be taken as food porn, but to a couple of the commenters it was anything but: “That looks terrible to me,” said one. “Looks like someone had a bad bowel movement … if that ever came out of my [ass], I’d head straight to the emergency room,” said another.

I didn’t grow up on sweet red beans and shaved ice, so the dessert looks a little intense to even me, but at what point does someone’s objections to food start getting offensive? Another commenter put it best: “There’s an interesting dichotomy in the comments. This stuff is delicious, but I kind of feel like I do when they use ‘weird and crazy’ Asian food on Fear Factor after reading [these] comments.” Balut, anyone?

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Comments

CDF wrote:

Folks should hear what others feel about our so-called Western cuisine to counter this mess…

Posted 24 Sep 2009 at 10:11 am ¶
CKR wrote:

I think it is probably a mixed bag. I think some people are just genuinely not feeling the way the food looks. Sometimes presentation is key. Others probably do have a bias against anything that doesn’t look like a hamburger and fries or something they are used to. I wouldn’t call it culinary racism though.

Posted 24 Sep 2009 at 11:03 am ¶
Roxie wrote:

Honestly, it would look weird & crazy to me not matter where it came from nor who…assembled it. Like CDF said, I’m quite sure a lot of Western food looks equally unappetizing.

The comments cited don’t seem particularly racist to me. They make no mention, veiled or explicit, as to the origin of the dish.

Posted 24 Sep 2009 at 11:11 am ¶
Logan wrote:

1: Currently living in Taiwan, the food is mostly sweet, as that would be. I imagine, having had red bean before, it would be quite good if you were into sweet stuff.

2: Comments by themselves aren’t racist, but they could be in context. I think that just thinking a food looks nasty or comments coming off of that could just be real comments with no real racist or prejudiced intent. I certainly hold the same animosity toward Haggis (which, for those of you who didn’t watch the Earthworm Jim cartoon, is the heart, liver, and lungs of a sheep boiled within its own stomach).

Now, most likely? Yeah, prejudiced against something which is foreign to them and the picture didn’t do many favors. But I don’t see being critical of how something looks, even with vitriol involved, as necessarily racist or prejudiced by itself.

Posted 24 Sep 2009 at 11:12 am ¶
t. allen-mercado wrote:

Food, names, clothing etc. I make a conscious effort to acknowledge and teach the ways things can be different, or even “intense” (good word choice) without being offensive. To say that someone’s food looks like waste is offensive and deliberately so. Food is deeply personal for some, it’s about history and culture and family.

Posted 24 Sep 2009 at 11:13 am ¶
Lola wrote:

people are snobbish towards foods from other cultures, I’ve had many of my non western peers tell me that American food is plain and that we don’t know how to cook

Posted 24 Sep 2009 at 11:15 am ¶
jen* wrote:

when the pic finally loaded I didn’t think it looked gross [the way I do about shrimp in -anything-], but just that it didn’t look like shave ice to me. thinking about the shave ice we had when I was a kid in Hawaii – they don’t look anything alike.

I’m not a huge fan of flan, though, so I’d probably pass on the dessert in favor of some form of death by chocolate…

Posted 24 Sep 2009 at 11:29 am ¶
chimara wrote:

I was a super picky eater as a kid, and my parents used to drill into me that there was nothing wrong with that… but that it was not okay to comment negatively on other people’s food choices. (Siblings and I were allowed to say “I don’t like it/I dont want any,” but not “eww, gross!”). This had to be repeated *a lot*, but ultimately it stuck even after we became more adventurous. These days I struggle with it more from a classist angle (I can be polite about, say tripe far more easily than about Mcdonalds) but I’m definitely conscious about sticking in my mind to ‘I don’t want any,’ rather than ‘only a dog would eat that!’

I wonder if people who are brought up being told to clean their plates, rather than ‘eat what you like but respect others’ preferences’ miss out on that kind of conditioning? Being anonymous on the internet rarely improves people’s manners, of course. I am not sure whether to call “that looks like shit” comments racist–at the point where they cross over to talking about the crazy people who eat the food, for sure. But even when it’s just the food, it seems likely that the foreign-ness of it makes people feel more free to say nasty things than they would about a bad photo of some more familiar food (though that might apply to something like Norwegian lutefisk, too). The fact that ‘crazy Asian food’ is already kind of a cultural meme, in the US might well be a factor, leading to ugly picture + Asian food = horrible food that probably tastes awful, instead of just ugly picture = ugly picture.

And that brings up another factor, which is that that really *isn’t* an appealing photo. I’ve never seen hongdoubing with flan, but I’ve seen much, much more appetizing photos of the component parts. The yellow background was really not a good idea! Not exactly successful food porn.

Posted 24 Sep 2009 at 11:49 am ¶
Sean wrote:

This reminds me of a time I was eating with some friends in a restaurant in Bahrain. All of us were enjoying new (to us) flavors such as hummus, chick peas, curries, etc. All except one guy. He kept whining and making comments such as “This doesn’t look/taste like the way they make it at McDonalds.” I kid you not.
We kept reminding him that he’s 7,000 miles away from what he’s used to, and to keep his mind open, but he was such a curmudgeon and used to his own little universe, that different cultural experiences were somehow “wrong”. It’s one thing if you’re a child with that mindset, but this guy was in his late 20’s!
Needless to say we went to a nice Indian place the next evening and left him at the hotel.

…and don’t knock those red beans! My gf totally hipped me to red bean and green tea ice cream. MMMMmmm… GOOD!

Posted 24 Sep 2009 at 11:49 am ¶
cinechica wrote:

Wow, this hit home for me, and especially what T.allen.mercado said. I know I’m not the only one who brought in something other than a pb&j sandwich as a child and got the “ewww” reaction. Now that I’m an adult, comments like that just enrage me, because it ends up coming out like a dig at someone’s culture. I feel like I’m being “Other-ized”. Frankly, I think some of the pictures on thisiswhyyourefat.com are more worthy of a “bowel movement” descriptor. Oh and p.s., pass me the balut.

Posted 24 Sep 2009 at 11:49 am ¶
insomniac wrote:

Reminds me of this
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/travelnews/4344890/Virgin-the-worlds-best-passenger-complaint-letter.html
that hit the news here this year… guy whingeing about the Indian meal on his flight, and not knowing “which is the dessert, and which the starter”. News coverage focussed on the letter as some kind of entertaining comeuppance to Virgin Atlantic for bad airline food, and nothing at all on the fact that the two items in the picture are recognisable dishes for anyone who eats Indian food. Hmm ethnocentric food criticism!

Posted 24 Sep 2009 at 11:51 am ¶
Sobia wrote:

Oooohhh…thank you for bringing this up. I have always felt that such rude objections to food can get into racist territory.

When I was in grade 8, for French class we all had to do a presentation on a country. So being Pakistani, I did not want to do Pakistan (it’s too obvious) but since I didn’t want to do a whole lot of research decided to do India instead. My father made some burfi (fudge-like milk and sugar based sweet) for me to take to class as part of the presentation. Almost every person in that class took one bite of and threw it in the garbage. I was so angered and humiliated and one of my first thoughts was how racist that was. Since then I’ve always thought it was possible for such harsh objections to food to be racist. After all, they’re not just making a value judgment about the food, but also the people who would eat that food.

Posted 24 Sep 2009 at 11:51 am ¶
Thea Lim wrote:

I think I’m pretty much an extremist here – I think any comment about almost any food being disgusting is either culturally insensitive, or racist.

Because food is inherently cultural, and our definitions of “delicious” are also intensely cultural. A nasty comment about food is always a comment about the culture the food’s from – whatever the intention. (Unless you are commenting on some sort of unique creation…for example my sister’s pasta and soggy cheerio salad. It is very, uh, interesting.)

Totally subjective anecdote warning: I notice that my friends who are POC are much more careful about commenting on people’s food than my white friends. I have a lot of white friends who will say that food is weird or gross, which I always have a hard time with.

I have almost never heard any of my POC friends say that any food is weird or gross (even that pasta and cheerio salad). I’m not saying they’ll eat anything, I’m just saying that if they see something that appears unappetising to them, they keep their comments to themselves.

I think this comes from either a) having had similar experiences to cinechica or Sobia, where (usually at a young age) people tormented you about cultural foods, or b) having witnessed your friends go through this. Once you’ve been on the receiving end, you’re much more likely to be hypersensitive about not being a jerk about other people’s food – even when it seems like a totally culturally neutral situation.

And also….I grew up in Singapore where we have a lot of desserts similar to the one pictured. They are delicious and I’m sad that they’re not nearly as accessible on this side of the world!

Posted 24 Sep 2009 at 12:01 pm ¶
jen* wrote:

er…pasta and soggy cheerio salad? I’m still thinking about that.

But the longer I think, the more I think I’ve actually *had* something like that before…tho it wasn’t actually cheerios…

Posted 24 Sep 2009 at 12:20 pm ¶
MoonCat wrote:

I’m not sure if it’s racist or not to comment on the presentation of the food but as always, politeness is important and some of those comments were really rude. I agree that using “weird and crazy” food is pretty racist and lacking in cultural sensitivity.

I know that there is western food that looks pretty questionable. I grew up in Minnesota with Scandinavian grandparents who insisted on serving me lutefisk with mashed peas every year for Christmas. Personally, I think it looks and tastes slightly better than vomit but I would have never vocalized my feelings since my Grandpa worked so hard on making it for me. Sometimes you just have to eat and smile.

Posted 24 Sep 2009 at 12:24 pm ¶
bets wrote:

This convo reminds me of one of my 4-yr-old son’s favorite library books to get out: Yoko, by Rosemary Wells.
http://www.amazon.com/Yoko-Rosemary-Wells/dp/1423119835/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1253808956&sr=8-1#

In it, a school-aged girl (er, cat) gets made fun of at lunch time by bringing in sushi, while every single other kid has a sandwich. (”Don’t tell me that’s raw fish!” “Yuck-o-rama!”) It happens again at snack time (”Red bean ice cream is for weirdos!”) Her teacher tries to solve the problem by announcing an International Food Day, but even at International Food Day no one will try her sushi.

In the end, one boy (er, raccoon) is still hungry, tries the sushi, LOVES it, eats it all up and asks her to bring in more the next day, at which time they sit together for lunch and play “restaurant.”

My son loves all of Rosemary Wells’ books, so I am not sure what it is about this one in particular that he likes. But I am quite happy to read it to him, because he has just started kindergarten and can not hear this kind of message too many times.

My son is adopted from Korea, and loves Korean food (esp gimbap, which resembles sushi and may explain his love for this title!), so it is not too hard to imgaine this type of scenario happening to him in the future. Although he does not pack his lunch. But still, I wonder how he would respond if the kids started making fun of his or anyone else’s lunch…

Oh, and that dessert? looks so sweet it makes my teeth hurt! I’d definitely give it a try but nt without a cup of tea to wash it down.

Posted 24 Sep 2009 at 12:33 pm ¶
vcious wrote:

I’ve had shaved ice with red beans in South Korea and it was delicious and nowhere near as badly presented as in that photograph. It was decorated with fruit and though some fruit didn’t belong to my “dessert category” of fruit (like cherry tomatoes), it was good.

I’m with Thea on that no comment “X type food is gross” is necessarily racist in itself but I think conversations about food do reveal ridiculous prejudices that further reveal truths about prejudices about race/ethnicity. In Finland a lot of POC immigrants start up restaurants of a generic pizza/kebab variety simply because they don’t have luck finding work that fits their education. As a result some xenophobic/racist people will refer to these eateries using some ugly racial slurs. Enough to put me off my dinner, personally.

Posted 24 Sep 2009 at 12:39 pm ¶
Marcella White Campbell wrote:

@ Thea Lim : I definitely make a point of not calling unfamiliar food “gross,” and raising my children to avoid such “othering” terms. Food is such an integral part of culture that it’s impossible to dismiss a food representative of someone else’s background as “gross” or “inedible” without dismissing that person as “other.”

I remember in college one of my friends saw me eating pig’s feet (my family is from the South) and was completely and loudly grossed out. I felt so embarrassed that I didn’t eat them for years afterward. To her, it was just something gross; to me, it was food I had shared with my late grandmother in her kitchen, that connected me to generations of eaters. If the food was weird and gross, then I was weird and gross, too.

You don’t have to eat something you don’t want to, but you can be polite about it. Feeling justified in loudly dismissing “other” food out of hand is, frankly, racist.

Posted 24 Sep 2009 at 12:45 pm ¶
inkst wrote:

I gotta admit to a strong prejudice I have: I am seriously judgmental of super picky eaters (I keep my mouth shut, but can’t help thinking, just broaden your palate already!), and anyone who openly says “eww gross” to anything falls into that category in a bad way.

I completely agree that it is unacceptable to call anything that anyone eats gross or disgusting or whatever derogatory adjective you can think of. If you don’t like it, fine, don’t eat it!

And the potential link to racism is interesting. I think maybe more than racism, this kind of reaction is more a symptom of ethnocentrism, but that may just be splitting hairs.

I do not wish to hijack this thread at all, and I know it’s been mentioned in passing on other posts, but this seems to relate to the show Bizarre Foods (and now Bizarre World). I actually think that if you listen to what the host, Andrew Zimmern, says and watch what he does, he is very respectful of people’s culinary choices, and the few times he doesn’t like something, he actually apologizes for not having a taste for it (he also frequently tries stuff that even locals to wherever he’s at don’t usually eat). The way the show is produced and edited, however, there is a strong sense of othering and it is obvious the producers are trying to get lots of “eww gross” reactions out of the audience. I have a love/hate relationship with that show.

Posted 24 Sep 2009 at 1:00 pm ¶
Sean wrote:

@ Insomniac

I read that letter and started to wonder if it was written by the same guy we were in the restaurant with. However, our guy was a Yank, instead of a Brit.

I admit to doing a double take when I ordered Lasagna at a pub in England. I expected the familiar (to a South Bronx native) cake-like slab of layered tomato sauce, cheese, fats and carbohydrates. What she brought out was sort of a jiggly white custard in a bowl. I figured I’d try it anyway, but I found it a bit bland for my tastes.
Come desert time, my British colleague said ‘Here try this” and gave me a spoonful of what appeared to be bread pudding with raisins in it. It was sooooo tasty that I wanted to order one myself. I told the bartender that I wanted the same thing. She said “Right then, you want the ’spotted dick.’” Another double-take:

“Uh, um… yes please…. I’ll have…. um…. that.” lol

That’s my admitted, ignorant-response-to-cultural-cuisine story. Call it ‘An American Ignoramus In London.’ Guilty as charged! lol

Posted 24 Sep 2009 at 1:02 pm ¶
Medusa wrote:

I’m part of the “it’s racist to say other people’s cultural food is disgusting” group. It’s always annoyed me when people make statementsl ike ‘i don’t like indian/chinese/whatever the hell food.’

It’s like…you don’t like a SINGLE dish from any of those countries????

I was in the int’l club at my high school, and my mom prepared some sushi….and people wouldn’t even TOUCH IT because it had seaweed on it. Seriously. In INTERNATIONAL CLUB. And I’m assuming they eat lettuce. Seaweed is like ocean lettuce.

Posted 24 Sep 2009 at 1:13 pm ¶
Medusa wrote:

And insomniac- holy culinary idiocy!!!! (re: your link)

Posted 24 Sep 2009 at 1:15 pm ¶
SeattleSlim wrote:

Red beans in Panama, are usually eaten with rice or are in some dish that one would consider salty. The presentation is a bit disconcerting, but it still looks sweet and I’d try it. I love red beans!

Posted 24 Sep 2009 at 1:55 pm ¶
luckyfatima wrote:

Definately rejection of “weird” “unusual” “exotic” foods fits into racist rhetoric in many contexts. Many of our divisions between Us and Them are also drawn by what We eat versus what They eat.

Posted 24 Sep 2009 at 2:09 pm ¶
Eva wrote:

The picture doesn’t look too appetizing to me. And I thought that before I found out what it was. Then again I don’t like fried Oreos either.

Posted 24 Sep 2009 at 2:22 pm ¶
Mary wrote:

I think you can fairly criticize that particular photograph, but yeah, it’s very easy to cross the line into racist/classist territory.

Food is primal. For virtually any ethnic or racial group you can think of, there exists some slur related to food. And it’s really not about the food itself… I mean the potato is quite possibly the blandest food on earth, and it was still used against the Irish back in the day. Or there was an interesting series of posts on Ta-Nehisi Coates’ blog a few weeks ago about soul food/Southern food and the race and class overtones of how people differentiate the two.

@inkst:
I am seriously judgmental of super picky eaters (I keep my mouth shut, but can’t help thinking, just broaden your palate already!)

I respect that, but I’d also point out that food preferences can get into ableist territory as well. Different people’s bodies handle food differently. Don’t get me wrong, I completely acknowledge that for some people it truly is just ethnocentric food snobbery. And I don’t respect people who do the “ew, gross” thing either, regardless of reason… having said that, I also think it can be get rude to assume you (general “you”, not “you” inkst) know a stranger’s body/stomach better than they do.

Posted 24 Sep 2009 at 2:37 pm ¶
RJG wrote:

Jello salad, anyone?

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4EkYk-khcDw/SGNC506edYI/AAAAAAAAAPQ/o37tPtaowQo/s400/jello%2Bsalad-thumb.jpg

Posted 24 Sep 2009 at 2:40 pm ¶
prettypithy wrote:

I went to a Chinese buffet with a Caucasian friend–really it was pretty standard Chinese-American fare, nothing edgy. But she made the biggest fuss about the heads being left on the salt and pepper shrimp. Its one thing to discreetly remove the heads, another to make a huge fuss about how disgusssting it is and how could anyone eat this? It definitely changed my opinion of her, especially since she was well traveled and generally sophisticated. I guess she just didn’t care who she offended.

Posted 24 Sep 2009 at 2:44 pm ¶
Veronica wrote:

I do think it can sort of go any number of ways. There is definitely is a point where it’s just that people really need to get over their own personal tastes, but at the same time, assuming everything is appetizing or meant to appear appetizing is also making a cultural assumption. And frankly, there are points when our personal tastes mean we are just not going to find certain things appetizing. That doesn’t mean you have to go on and on about how horrible it is, and can still appreciate it objectively, but that doesn’t mean you have to like it. I took a class on cuisine and culture, and there were really only two instances where I just could not get over my repugnance to the food being discussed – and both were examples from European cuisine:

Lardo – an Italian dish that’s essentially cured pig fat. I really can’t take meat fat.

And a rural French tradition to serve a newlywed couple champagne and chocolate covered bananas in a chamber pot. You better believe that imagery is intentional.

I do think there is a point when it becomes culturally insensitive/racist. But we’re also not all going to be going around engaging in each other’s cuisine completely any time soon, and shouldn’t necessarily be expecting that.

Posted 24 Sep 2009 at 2:55 pm ¶
Yuko (emma_zero) wrote:

I find that some people just aren’t used to certain colors or shape of anything, food included. To me it’s an indication that they’re not well exposed to the wonderful world of diverse cultures from around the world.

With that said, yes, I think you can cross the line and I find the comments in question very offensive. I wonder how they would like it if someone described what they love to eat as something disgusting.

I would let this yet another case of ignorance and lack of consideration be a blatant show of closed-mindedness.

Posted 24 Sep 2009 at 3:00 pm ¶
submom wrote:

Wow. One of my favorite food in childhood! Born and bred in Taiwan, thank you very much. Somehow I didn’t take offense at the comments since we say the same thing about “Western” food as well: you eat beans what? SALTY? How disgusting is that? (It’s true: “red beans”, kidney beans, etc. are considered to be sweets, so the concept of chili is kind of, eh, unnatural…) Unless the comments go on to mention “Asian food is so weird” or “They will eat just about anything those people”, then I think it is fair game to have such a visceral reaction to something you are not familiar with. BUT I do consider it rude to make negative comments when you are by the food and someone is actually eating it, no matter where you are in the world. In the fight against stereotypes, racial overtone, and racist undertone, we need to pick our battles, sort of like dealing with your teenage children.

Posted 24 Sep 2009 at 3:03 pm ¶
JC wrote:

The dish is delicious, even to the “white” palate. All the haters just need to try it and find out – this isn’t sticky tofu here. That’s a standard flan putting on top of red bean shaved ice with condensed milk. The way it’s presented is odd – usually the putting is placed near the bottom or buried within the shaved ice. At any rate – this is nothing to hate on.

I don’t think the haters are racist – they are just ignorant. Perhaps the posters should put up a photo of the world-famous Taiwanese mango shaved ice, with delicious pieces of best mango in the world piled onto a mountain of shaved ice. That is a dish to die for.

Taiwan is one of the best place to live for foodies. They have dishes from all over the world and all over China – often improved over the original. Endless number of great places to eat. When I move to Taiwan one day I’ll start a food blog in English too – but with a local slant. The world needs to know Taiwanese food through the eyes of non-expats.

Posted 24 Sep 2009 at 3:03 pm ¶
Karen wrote:

Is it weird that when I saw it, I thought it looked yummy. like flan on top of a chocolate bean and melted icing mountain.

Posted 24 Sep 2009 at 3:19 pm ¶
gatamala wrote:

I agree with t-allen mercado.

Flavors, textures, temperature preferences will vary. There are some combinations that will always seem unappetizing. It is whether one will try and how one responds that counts. I will admit my feelings were somewhat hurt when a Mexican friend wouldn’t try my mom’s baked beans.

I actually love [well-made] creamed chip beef on toast (or biscuits). Grandpa had it in the army and it was known as “shit on a shingle”.

Condensed milk? Can’t beat that with a stick.

Posted 24 Sep 2009 at 3:24 pm ¶
K wrote:

@inkst – I often come off as a picky eater because I have a very, very weak stomach and bizarre food allergies, but I would rather let people think that than know about my digestive issues.

It’s easier for me to pick the most familiar and most bland thing on the menu than to try something new that might make me really, really sick. I try and stick with familiar restaurants for the same reason, since I already know what I can eat and don’t have to be the PITA asking the server a million questions and then just getting a salad.

Posted 24 Sep 2009 at 3:33 pm ¶
Queenb727 wrote:

I’m one of those picky eaters that inkst dislikes so much. I’m usually fine to just tell some one I’d rather not try something. Ifind I’m more successful if I state that I don’t eat X food. I think people should stick to that. I will get rude if people keep harassing me to “broaden my palate”. It gets on my last nerve. But I only get rude when this is the fifth time I’ve told you I won’t try something. And at that point I’ll feel so put on the spot I won’t care if you’re offended.

I don’t think anyone has the right to be rude right off of the bat. But if someone tries a food in good faith and find it unappetizing (or is badgered to eat something they’ve already declined several times) I don’t see why saying that is rude or racist.

Posted 24 Sep 2009 at 3:38 pm ¶
Nate wrote:

I think that, regardless of how polite/rude it may sound, open criticism of unfamiliar food usually comes from a sense of privilege or entitlement–that is, I’m used to having things MY way, and I get to say something about every situation that isn’t precisely what I pictured or expected or am used to.

Like Mary commented (#26) earlier, not all pickiness is pure snobbery. But when someone loudly and publicly proclaims their disgust over the appearance of some food they’ve never eaten, as if everyone around them just NEEDS to know what they think about it… well, it’s hard not to see how that’s not tied into privilege.

It’s one thing to try a food and not like it; it’s another to act as if your not liking it is vitally important information for everyone to know. And it’s another to proclaim that distaste without even making an attempt to try the food itself.

Posted 24 Sep 2009 at 4:15 pm ¶
lovepeaceohana wrote:

This reminds me of those notes on Passive-Aggressive Notes that get posted to microwaves and refrigerators in shared office spaces regarding “stinky” food, which is usually a euphemism for ethnic food. I don’t think that not liking a particular dish or cuisine is necessarily offensive, but comments about the “craziness” or “weirdness” of other culture’s culinary habits definitely tend in that direction. “Extreme Cuisine with Jeff Corwin” or whoever it is bothers me for the same reason.

That said – the picture is making me hungry, and I am totally ordering one of those next time I see one.

Posted 24 Sep 2009 at 4:17 pm ¶
Poppy wrote:

I am a very picky eater, I admit, but if faced with something that looks unappetising to me (such as that desert), I will ask what it is, and if it doesn’t contain anything I don’t like I will at least try it.

For me, I don’t believe that just thinking something looks ick is racist – mashed potato, rice pudding, salami and tripe all make me want to hurl, and my grandparents and parents happily eat those. Being prejudiced against something that is from another culture purely because it is from another culture obviously is racist. When I think about all the delicious food from different countries I would miss out on purely because of the aesthetic factor…

Posted 24 Sep 2009 at 4:49 pm ¶
another constellation wrote:

@RJG: I was just coming to post this: http://contexts.org/socimages/2009/09/20/jell-o-for-salads/ and http://contexts.org/socimages/2009/08/05/seven-up-in-milk-mmmmmm-wholesome/

Sociological Images often does a good job of pointing out that our ideas of good food are strongly culturally-based. It makes a lot of sense: while in utero or consuming breast milk, you eat what mom eats. You therefore become accustomed to certain flavors even before you are introduced to solid foods.

I think calling food gross is culturally insensitive at best and it always makes me uncomfortable. Food is such a clear reflection of culture (some Kosher authorities argue that shellfish wasn’t allowed because by the time you get a clam to the middle of the desert, it is going to make you sick, while Japan is surrounded by water and fresh fish is therefore important to Japanese cuisine) and so many holidays and cultural observances have their own foods associated with them (Rosh Hashanah has apples and honey, Halloween has “Halloween candy” in the US, Thanksgiving in the US means turkey, Lent means not eating meat…) that when you insult a food, it’s very difficult not to insult the culture that produced it.

Posted 24 Sep 2009 at 4:53 pm ¶
Montclair Mommy wrote:

@Thea Lim after reading what you wrote, I have to agree…and admit that I’m guilty of being an ethnocentric eater (meaning I eat a lot of “American” food and “Westernized” versions of ethnic cuisine) .

Although I try to keep it to myself around his family, I have confessed to my husband that the smell of his family’s cuisine (West African)…does not agree with me. I know it hurt his feelings, but I didn’t want to lie to him. Because I encounter him every day pretending to like it would really make me feel like I was being dishonest and having to hide my real feelings. I’m not sure what to do about that. I have always been a very picky eater–its one of my biggest faults– and my husband has really been a big factor in the expansion of my palate. I’m really embarrassed about it but I just am not an adventurous eater. Luckily my husband has experience with picky eaters, as my FIL is also very picky and does not like to eat non-West African cuisine (with an exception for McDonald’s breakfast, certain steaks and the occasional piece of salmon). In fact, he really will only eat food cooked by his wife or sisters. He thinks all other food is too bland–and I can see why he’d say that. My husband too has admitted to me that he needs to put cayenne on dishes my parents make like pot pie, mac and cheese, chicken and dumplings and gnocchis. I totally understand this.

So although I agree that nasty and negative comments about food can be construed as racist, being particular about what you eat is just a personality trait–even if its not necessarily a very charming one.

Posted 24 Sep 2009 at 5:29 pm ¶
SeattleSlim wrote:

Yeah man the condensed milk on shave ice is what makes my mouth water! In Panama, we have something that’s pretty much half of this. It’s called “raspa’o” and it’s shaved ice with a syrup of your choice and condensed milk. BOMB!

Posted 24 Sep 2009 at 5:39 pm ¶
Fiqah wrote:

You know, at first glance, I thought this was flan on top of coffee beans or chocolate chips with icing. It didn’t look bad to me at all. And as someone who grew up loving my mother’s delicious bean pies, I have no particular aversion to beans in sweet dishes. I will say that a lot of prejudice towards “foreign” food often has vaguely xenophobic and/or racist undertones – “ethnic” food is still a term I hear delivered with downcast mouths and upturned noses. Hmmm. It’s a hard one to call.

I do have to agree with jen* about shrimp. As a cook and beach-raised gal, I love seafood, but shelling, deveining and preparing straight-from-the-water fish, lobster, crab, shrimp and conch is sickeningly illuminating. (A friend of mine calls shrimp “the cockroach of the sea.” Nauseatingly apt term…)

Posted 24 Sep 2009 at 6:22 pm ¶
Erika wrote:

Whatever, that shit looks DELICIOUS.
And my relatives in Japan would probably flog me for saying that. Hahaha. Despite my flan/purin love, my fav shaved ice is ujikintoki (http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3548/3686439525_e7db936390.jpg)

Posted 24 Sep 2009 at 6:24 pm ¶
passingby wrote:

My mouth watered when I saw that photo! It looks absolutely delicious to me. Hmm.

@chimara: Aww, haha! I’m Nordic and I say no to lutefisk. It’s one of those things I just can’t eat, no matter how impolite it is to decline. Respect to you.

Posted 24 Sep 2009 at 6:49 pm ¶
InJM wrote:

Flan and shaved ice don’t seem like they should go together. Red beans work fine there’s something about the milky flan and the lighter flavor of the shaved that don’t seem to work, at least not for me. I’ll stick with my strawberry or cantaloupe flavoring.

Personal preferences aside though, food comments can be racist I think. It depends on where the train of thought or conversation goes from there.

Posted 24 Sep 2009 at 7:51 pm ¶
refresh_daemon wrote:

Looking at that picture makes my mouth water, my teeth ache and my stomach ask me what the hell I’m thinking all at the same time.

Personally, I think that any negative qualitative comment about a type of food can potentially be an example of culinary racism. But I also think that so much goes into food aversion that it’s difficult to determine if such a comment were an example without an explicit comment about its cultural origin to begin with. For example, I generally have no problem with American cuisine, however, I have an extremely strong dislike of mayonnaise, horseradish, mustards and creamy or vinegary salad dressings. I’m sensitive enough to not call these things “disgusting” in front of polite company, but it doesn’t stop those items from raising disgust in me. These items are often used in various American cuisines, but it’s not the cuisine that I have a problem with.

Likewise, this means that I can’t stand wasabi (related to horseradish, or if cheaply made, made of horseradish), but it hardly means that I dislike Japanese cuisine or am making a statement about Japanese cuisine, which, outside of dishes that include a lot of wasabi, vinegar and sweet mayonnaise, I tend to enjoy greatly.

A statement of dislike or disgust can originate from either disliking some element of a dish because of its taste/smell or because it’s foreign. If it’s the former, it’s a matter of taste. If it’s the latter, I believe that culinary racism is happening. But if we’re trying to dissect a single statement that merely says “That’s disgusting!” to find out if such racism is present, I think we’re chasing a lost cause. I don’t think motivation can be discerned from an individual example of such a statement, although, in bulk, we all should know that there is a high probability that at least some of those statements are coming from a place of culinary racism.

Posted 24 Sep 2009 at 8:21 pm ¶
pilot wrote:

The picture seriously made my mouth water. But then again, I love sweet red beans.

I think comments about food can definitely be enthnocentric, if not racist. Once my brother brought some Korean food into his workplace and the day after (no joke!) they made the rule, No Strong Smelling Food. Which was b/s because the pizza that his coworker ate everyday was pretty strong smelling, but for some reason that didn’t matter.

Posted 24 Sep 2009 at 8:31 pm ¶
BSK wrote:

I think there is a lot of, “It depends…” in answering the question in the title of the post. First, was the dessert identified by where it came from? If you just plop that down, I don’t know that I’d A) identify it as a dessert and B) even if I did, I don’t know that I’d be able to identify where it came from. I might call it “foreign” but only in the sense that it’s foreign to me, much the way that In-and-Out is foreign to me (I live on the East Coast). At the same time, Thealim makes a great point about what is implied by such intense comments: namely, that the expression of utter disgust at a dish implies that anyone who might enjoy it *MUST* have something wrong with him/her. Yikes! I teach my Pre-K students, “Don’t yuck my yum.” If there is something they don’t like (or more likely, think they won’t like), they can say, “That’s not for me.” That puts the emphasis back on them the individual and not on the food itself. There are many cuisines that I simply don’t find appealing, either because of taste, texture, or appearance. There are also many foods I’ve never tried and that I am very reluctant to try. However, I acknowledge that this is because of my own failures and not that of the food. I think that is what we must identify. That food is not flawed. If I grew up in Taiwan, I’d probably enjoy it. I am, because I have an ethnocentric taste for food (as we all do) that I struggle to get past.

Food tastes are relative.

Posted 24 Sep 2009 at 8:40 pm ¶
Jen wrote:

I often think it’s a class thing as well – I had the “ew, gross” instinct knocked out of me as a small child by my grandma, who’d grown up in a massive family in the slums of Glasgow in the early part of last century. Suggestions that haggis was “disgusting” were met with a lecture about not wanting to waste anything.

Also, Asian ice deserts are awesome, although my heart belongs to es kacang and es cendol. Oh god sugar russsssh.

Posted 24 Sep 2009 at 9:41 pm ¶
little mixed girl wrote:

I have to say, the picture does not have the best presentation.
But, since I’ve tasted similar desserts (patbingsu, anyone?), I’m sure that it tastes quite good.

One thing that I noticed with the comments here is that anyone who is a picky eater is being labeled as racist or unworldly or whatever.

I’ve long been a picky eater. There’s a whole bunch of stuff that I didn’t eat for a long time and still won’t eat. And that’s just within “American” food.

I always see food as a very personal choice. If I don’t want to try something, why should I be looked down upon? If everyone wants to eat mushrooms, and I HATE mushrooms, why should I be given the stink eye if I don’t like it?
It’s my choice!

I agree with the people that say exclaimations of “omg that’s sick!!!1″ are uncalled for. But, so what if someone doesn’t want to eat it.
I respect that people eat different things, and in return I ask that they respect my decision not to eat certain foods.

I dunno, it’s pretty low to call someone racist because they don’t like something.

Just the other day I was telling a group of older Japanese adults that apples with peanut butter is a popular snack item in the US. All of them made “ick” faces.
On another occasion, a Filipina presenter at a middle school that invited foreigners to talk about their countries made a Filipino dessert with coconut milk and rice on banana leafs.
I thought it tasted fine, but the students and teachers were like “….” and some of them even said “this tastes disgusting” and threw it away after taking a bite.

People are used to what is familiar to them, and trying a new thing is scary. Some people jump right in and don’t care what it is, some of us are more cautious.
Rather than belittle someone because they find something strange, introduce it to them in bits…or let them know what’s in it and prepare them for how it’s going to taste.

Posted 24 Sep 2009 at 10:42 pm ¶
ashlynn wrote:

I don’t think it’s racism in that you have the right to say, “Yeah, this doesn’t look appetizing. I’ll pass.” But once you get into the whole “OMG WHO WOULD EVER EAT THAT NASTY LOOKING ISH” it becomes borderline racism because now you’re equating anyone who eats it(the people of that respective culture) as nasty and willing to eat gross things b/c of their race.

For example, when I was in fourth grade, my class took a trip to a very nice China Buffet(where there was actual Chinese food). We all ate the general American fare. As we were leaving, a lovely Asian woman smiled at our class and gestured to the table behind us. “Sushi?” she offered. e, being a class clown, coughed “Nobody likes your sushi!” (or something to that effect, it was like 10 years ago) At first we all laughed, but seeing her face fall, I did feel genuinely guilty. It wasn’t until almost right now, really, that I realized that I implied that Japanese culture was nasty- which is pretty racist, if you want to go into it. So now I realize how important respect is amongst and between cultures, especially when creativity is involved.

Posted 25 Sep 2009 at 12:44 am ¶
Lai wrote:

Translation fail.

Hongdoubing means “red beans over shaved ice”. Flan (”pudding”) and sweetened condensed milk are optional.

Posted 25 Sep 2009 at 3:24 am ¶
Mary wrote:

@ K:

I often come off as a picky eater because I have a very, very weak stomach and bizarre food allergies, but I would rather let people think that than know about my digestive issues.

Yeah. I have an aunt who, as a result of a congenital medical situation, has a lot of foods her stomach just can’t deal with. Among them are cheese and tomatoes, so there’s a lot of Italian food that is simply out of the question for her.

Moreover, she doesn’t “look” disabled or ill, as people typically conceive of it. So her eating habits might just seem like a personal peculiarity, perhaps even snobbery or lack of courage. And being a VERY private person, who truly feels a sense of violation at the idea of putting her medical situation on display for other people to judge and examine, my aunt would rather be perceived that way.

Granted she is kind of an extreme case, but you really don’t always know what’s going on with another person’s body, and they aren’t obligated to tell you. If they choose not to eat something, I think “innocent until proven guilty” should apply – adding, of course, that a lot of the “eww, your nasty food” examples listed above would certainly prove the utterer guilty.

Posted 25 Sep 2009 at 8:32 am ¶
pololly wrote:

Hmmm.

So I think that it’s fine to call out ‘gross, ew’ comments as culinary racism, especially in children when the food is often presented as a proxy for an entire ethnic group. I don’t think people should say them.

BUT

I do think it’s ok that people *think* it. Because I think that obviously the lop sided way in which minority groups are presented and the constant othering means that food, like every cultural indicator, has to be treated with respect. But, honestly, even if people only like X taste or Y texture because they were bred to like it doesn’t invalidate the fact that they don’t like it. And unless there is some compelling reason that they *have* to like it, why is that something particularly terrible? Food is a really personal thing because tasting something is not really the same as wearing it, or seeing on the street or whatever. Eating can be highly emotional or just constrained by biology. When someone says that a coat ‘repulses’ them, I’d say that was an exaggeration. But when someone thinks that a piece of food ‘disgusts’ or ‘repulses’ them then that’s not really an OTT reaction. Because eating something of a texture you don’t like or a taste you don’t like can literally make you vomit.

The idea that you put a piece of food in your mouth and think of it as ‘different’ is ridiculous. The taste *repels* you. And this could be anything. I can’t eat the bits of fat on any meat. Even on bacon. It makes me feel ill. Same with soggy bread. I’m not a picky eater – a lot of people aren’t. And I’m not a ‘white bread only’ type. Love food from anywhere but if I don’t like something, then I don’t. The idea that anyone who doesn’t like a certain food item is somehow making a value judgment on people who eat that food is a bit ridiculous. Yes, if it’s vitriolic and hateful language but, I mean, my sister eats the fat on bacon as do most people I know – across all classes and races. There is no judgment, I just don’t like the taste.

I also think it’s probably a good idea to draw a distinction between ‘first taste/children’ type stuff and adults with fairly broad palates not enjoying something. Because, like I said, for children the food is usually a proxy for the race so it matters if they don’t like Korean food or think West African food is ‘gross’. But an adult is having a completely different conversation internally about the food on the plate. Personally I don’t really eat flan much (I’d rather just eat custard) but until this post I thought it was French because in the UK this is called Crème caramel.

Also @Medusa

I do think it is possible to say that you don’t like X type of food. I don’t think that liking a style of food means liking every single dish ever made in that culture, or no one would ever ‘like’ any style of food. I think it means that different food traditions have their own shared tastes, flavors or cooking styles and that you broadly do not enjoy that food. I can tell you that I love Nigerian food. But I cannot eat Indian food. I’ve tried because I love the taste. But it physically disagrees with me (a touch of IBS). Best friend in college was Indian and we both cooked our home styles a lot (me – West African, her – Indian). She cooked amazing meals, I’ve been to many Indian restaurants as well and it doesn’t matter if it’s ’spicy’ or not – I like to eat it but my body rejects it. Now here’s the difference – I would *never* give that as a reason for not eating Indian food because I think the idea that Indian food makes you sick or is ‘too spicy’ is a pretty racist assumption made by many people. So I can know pretty categorically that I don’t eat Indian food but I probably wouldn’t say that to just anyone.

Posted 25 Sep 2009 at 9:00 am ¶
Thea Lim wrote:

Wow, what an interesting convo. Esp the part about eating and disabilities, I didn’t think of it that way…

Just to clarify, when I earlier said that I thought all negative reactions to food could be racist, I was talking about loud, spoken reactions. Like YUCK THAT LOOKS LIKE POO. (which is essentially what some commenters on Serious Eats said) I don’t think it’s racist to dislike certain foods. That would be silly. I think it’s problematic to loudly declaim foods. It is rude, and it also implies to everyone around that it somehow matters whether or not you think something looks disgusting.

Posted 25 Sep 2009 at 9:15 am ¶
bdsista wrote:

It looks delicious to me! But I have found that society seems to be increasingly rude and the comments people post in various places like YouTube and other public areas are not only racist, but profane, and IMO deliberately mean and ignorant and insulting to whatever is presented. I personally feel that people who moderate comments boards should delete postings and comments that are nothing but profanity and non substantive. In other words if you don’t like it, then say why, maybe the comments section needs to have a question people have to answer.

I personally cannot stand Natoh which is a fermented bean which to me smells like flatulence, but my ex-husbands uncle loves it! His wife does not and we had a good conversation about his food preferences being primarily udon and natoh. But I would never say that natoh smells like A** or something rude like that. I did try it, didn’t like it, but I really feel people need to be more polite and raise their children to be that way.

Posted 25 Sep 2009 at 9:16 am ¶
Brooke wrote:

@lovepeaceohana in #36 – oh man, that reminds me of the one time I brought Indian food to work to heat up for lunch, and someone immediately left one of those passive aggressive notes asking everyone to PLEASE consider peoples’ sense of smell when using the microwave. This, despite the fact that someone had been in the habit of burning popcorn in that microwave twice a week for ages, and the smell of that would linger for at least an hour and make me sick to my stomach each time.

Or when in my high rise apartment building, the management left a note about how we needed to use our fans over the stove when cooking because people were complaining about smells. My boyfriend-at-the-time who was all meat-and-potatoes good ol’ American boy said he assumed the letter was targeting me (even though it was given to all residents) because I cooked “weird shit.” As in, the non-American cuisine stuff he always refused to eat.

Yes, this stuff borders on racism for sure.

Posted 25 Sep 2009 at 9:23 am ¶
Brooke wrote:

Also, I was going to say before I forgot and hit ’submit’, there’s definitely a difference between deciding you don’t prefer something or don’t feel adventurous enough to try it, which is attributing the issue to your personal preferences, and deciding that the food itself is just “weird shit,” which attributes the issue to the food and the people who eat it.

Posted 25 Sep 2009 at 9:29 am ¶
Ras wrote:

Ditto so much on the issue of disability/difference and food. Some people who are neurologically weird (i.e. Asperger’s, autism, sensory differences) are inclined to be picky eaters. For me personally, the color and presentation of food matters a great deal. I don’t think I would try the food pictured here because the texture looks unappealing–I have the same issue with many “European” foods with similar texture–and I just can’t stand the look or taste of beans. And when it comes to desert, I’m generally not interested if it’s not chocolate. Sure, a lot of my food preferences are culturally contingent and based a lot on what I was given while growing up–though I also dislike many “American” foods. But some people just aren’t inclined to be adventurous eaters. Doesn’t mean people ought to be rude about it, however. I felt quite self-conscious in school when my mom packed Sephardic Jewish food for me and everyone commented on how weird it was.

Mod Note Consider refraining from describing people with disabilities as “weird.”

Posted 25 Sep 2009 at 12:28 pm ¶
Reiter wrote:

Cool topic. I for one love sushi (having spent a few years in Japan) but a few of my friends don’t care for it at all and will vocalize their opinion about this quite strongly. One friend is super pro-Italian and will constantly tout the superiority of Italian cuisine, so I guess in this regard, we’re constantly advertising for our own, heh.

When I was in the Middle East, I made sure to try some local dishes and they were delicious, particularly the Lebanese cuisine being my favorite. Some things did put me off like this dish served by being rolled in and tea leaves (you eat it whole) as it was like eating a tea leaf cigar, but for the most part the food over there was great and I at least could say I tried it.

I do remember eating out with friends and coworkers in Japan once at a Filipino place and someone ordered this dessert made with milk, fruit, granola bits, and corn. Yea, the corn made us scratch our heads (but then it seems they put corn on everything over there, like pizza and salads). It was sweet, didn’t taste bad at all, but it was a textural thing where it was a lot mealier/grainier than one would normally expect in a dessert. Another guy ordered fish expecting it to be a fillet but little whole fish were brought out instead to his confusion. Both who ordered the “weird” stuff were white, incidentally.

Yet another friend would joke that “balut was murder” in expressing his take on that particular dish (I never tried it personally).

I was raised in a Chinese-American household so things like chicken feet (I personally don’t care for it though) and whole fish (with heads still attached) were common fare. So I can see how many folks can be put off by the presentation alone, or insist on eating generic Western palate-friendly stuff like beef and broccoli (which isn’t real Chinese) like my white ex-gf (incidentally, she kept using the term “pot sticker” which I honestly had never heard before I met her, they were always dumplings or gyoza to me).

But yeah, offhanded remarks of being grossed out do kind of sting of when we were little kids being teased for “pawk flied lice” and eggroll this and chop suey that. Bullies will often target food and use that as a weapon against someone. It’s insensitive at best, and plain asshattery at the worst.

I’m also reminded about that story recently about the Buddhist temple that holds food drives for its members, but the surrounding neighborhood would complain about the “foul” smell of the food. Maybe the complaints are justified (as some just aren’t used to certain cooking smells like curry, for example), maybe they’re just being racist asshats looking for any excuse to complain, but I suspect it’s a mix of both.

Posted 25 Sep 2009 at 1:33 pm ¶
Joy wrote:

If this wasn’t posted on Racialicious and the title didn’t clearly say “Taiwanese Shaved Ice,” I wouldn’t have known, because to me this looks like a kind of desert I might see on the menu at a restaurant like Fridays. So . . . unless someone knows, or has reason to know this dish is Taiwanese, I think comments like “That looks terrible to me” or that it looks like a bad bowel movement are rude and immature, but not racist. People make similar rude comments about cooking all the time when the other person may be of the same race/class whatever. Of course when the origin of the dish is obvious, this argument goes out the window, but from the short article it’s not clear to me that the commenters knew this desert was Taiwanese.

I think a lot of this can be chalked up to home training – as a child I wouldn’t have dreamed of saying something looked disgusting . . . until we got in the car.

Personally, this picture doesn’t look very appetizing to me and if I saw it on a menu I would take a pass, but might try a small spoonful if someone else ordered it.

Posted 25 Sep 2009 at 3:16 pm ¶
pm wrote:

I find this tricky. Its another one of those things where what gives it a charge is the political background rather than the comments themselves. There seem to be so many of these issues, where things that are harmless when said between people of equal power acquire another meaning entirely when there’s a power difference involved.

Its impossible to deny that Sobia’s experience (which made me feel really sad to read) involved racism. And yet I would imagine that few of those children consciously hated POC or foreigners. A little bit of alert teacher intervention could surely have gone a long way in changing attitudes in that sort of situation, no? Am I wrong? School is supposed to be about education after all, and shouldn’t educating palates be part of that?

However, British food is, in my opinion, rubbish, and I really don’t know that I’d be bothered by a foreigner saying it’s disgusting. Even most British people will admit that. Yes we now have top-class upmarket restaurants that are, I’m told, as good as anything in France, but that doesn’t filter down to the every-day food or what you find in cheaper places (or what I cook myself, come to that).

I remember when I had a French co-worker and going to the staff canteen and feeling embarrassed to see him staring disconsolately at the plate of unidentifiable gloop in front of him, that bore no resemble whatsoever to the ‘French’ dish it was supposed to be. He never said anything, but it was pretty obvious what he was thinking.

Food is just not one of our strong points. That’s why we eat so much Indian food instead.

@Jen

I would have said the ‘broadness’ of one’s palate is far more often a class issue the other way round. Wealthy people tend to have been exposed to, and educated about, a wider range of food when young. The expensively educated are taught to be adaptable (in our case, so they could go off and boss the natives about and run the Empire). Its the same reason why you get Eton-educated Brits playing tough-guy Americans on US TV programs like The Wire and House. Same reason why most anthroplogists come from posh backgrounds. The posh take pride in being cosmopolitan and sophisticated and being able to fit in in other cultures. Very often the proletarian fellow reacts by doing the precise opposite.

I think perhaps this is true across cultures? I knew an Indian couple where the social-climber wife always wanted to cook ambitious dishes but to her frustration her husband only ever wanted rice and dal (which I’m guessing would be the Indian equivalent of ‘meat and potatoes’??)

And its a gender thing also. I’ve known many working class males who would refuse on principle to eat anything green (’none of that salad muck’). I was always surprised they didn’t get scurvy.

Posted 25 Sep 2009 at 3:51 pm ¶
Resident Evil 5 wrote:

I think a lot of non-Asians who have never tried shaved ice most likely would make those type of “racial” comments. I’ve met quite a number of non-Asians who think Shaved ice originated from Hawaii, so I guess they are expecting a beautiful display of rainbow colors or something made popular by a Japanese/Hawaiin family.

The best thing to do is just inform them of all the variety of shaved ice found throughout Asia. Whether it’s Korea’s Pat Bing Soo or the Philippines Halo-Halo or Malaysia’s Chendol, or even Vietnam’s Che…there’s tons of wacky, appalling, but still very delicious types.

Like the saying goes, “Don’t Knock it before you try it”. There’s actually a cool show on the Travel called, “Bizarre Food”. A lot of surprisingly disgustingly looking food that is probably really tasty.

Anyways, the whole topic about “racism” comments about food probably related most to a previous post which is called Racial Microaggressions.

http://www.8asians.com/2009/09/14/racial-microaggressions/

Posted 25 Sep 2009 at 4:33 pm ¶
Reiter wrote:

I’ve watched Bizarre Foods (now Bizarre World) and generally like the show and its host Andrew Zimmern, though on occasion he’ll eat or say something that puts me off (claiming that a certain ethnic cuisine is “goofy” or whatnot). That and his personality does grate on you after a while, however well intentioned he might be. And it’s fairly obvious the show i’s edited in a way that tries to illicit gross out reactions from the audience; Zimmern may or may not be responsible for that.

On the other hand, I LOVES me some Anthony Bourdain and his show No Reservations. That guy just plain rules. He tries to be respectful to the local cuisines and customs but also doesn’t pull any punches when he calls out BS when he sees it. That and his constant cracks against vegetarians always seem to leave me smiling (sorry to any vegetarians who might be reading this). Anyway, I find Bourdain a much more interesting host and “genuine” connoisseur/critic of food than Zimmern (who eats wacky stuff just for the sake of being wacky and “othering” other culture’s food).

Posted 26 Sep 2009 at 1:27 am ¶
Tara K. wrote:

I think the word “racist” is being inappropriately used for “culturally prejudiced/biased” in many of the ideas of the comments.

Ex:
Medusa wrote:
I’m part of the “it’s racist to say other people’s cultural food is disgusting” group. It’s always annoyed me when people make statementsl ike ‘i don’t like indian/chinese/whatever the hell food.’

Okay, but what about when people react that way to the food of my family? We are Appalachian and eat mostly deer meat, wild fish, cornbread, and other regional foods. When people make comments about how disgusting that is, I know that it’s about class & culture, not race. I think that’s the basis for all of these criticisms.

Posted 26 Sep 2009 at 12:26 pm ¶
Jennifer wrote:

Food porn, indeed! Even before I read a word of the post, my mouth started to water. If wanting to dive headfirst into this dish is wrong, I don’t wanna be right.

Posted 26 Sep 2009 at 12:48 pm ¶
V wrote:

This reminds me of the time I said “ew, that looks gross” to some octopus that my family was eating at a Japanese restaurant. My father got angry at me and I think he would have slapped me if we weren’t in public. He said it was rude to make negative comments about food that other people were eating, because some people really enjoy this food.

Like many commenters here, I’ve been on the receiving food related to my culture. The most embarrassing incident was when I went out with my friends to a Chinese restaurant that my family frequently patronises. There were lots of “eww gross!”, “this looks weird”, “who could eat this?”, “this is weirdo food”, “you weird Asians”, and “how do people eat with these things? (chopsticks)”. I was so embarrassed that I didn’t manage to tell them that this is the sort of food my mother cooks, that I have cooked with my grandmother, that we have shared together on Chinese New Year and other events, that this is my comfort food, and that there are lots of good memories associated with this food.

Posted 27 Sep 2009 at 9:44 am ¶
V wrote:

P.S. WRT the photo in the OP- it looked tasty to me and I’d definitely eat it!

Posted 27 Sep 2009 at 9:45 am ¶
wendy wrote:

I remember once in high school during a canned food drive, another Chinese student in my class brought in several cans including a can of grass jelly, and one girl spotted it and spent 3 minutes taunting it until the teacher asked her to stop. :/

Posted 27 Sep 2009 at 5:08 pm ¶