How Culture Affects Cuisine

It probably happened to you: You ate this incredible dessert in Turkey, you tried this fantastic dish in Spain, and you brought the recipe back home — just to feel the disappointment that what you cooked at home didn’t pass the taste test.

It’s likely that groceries have different qualities in different countries. In the case of the United States and Europe this has very little to do with soil or climate. 【小题1】 Consumers in the U.S. have other preferences in groceries than most Europeans. It comes down to culture.

Europeans often value quality more than quantity. Of course you will find out-of-season produce on the shelves of grocery stores as well. 【小题2】 Europeans especially are willing to give up short-term gain for a much greater long-term result.

Take, for example, Italians produce dry-cured ham (干腌火腿) only during the waning moon that follows the full moon and it is practiced to this day. According to old farmer’s lore, the meat could go bad, if it isn’t cured by the moon. 【小题3】

However, Americans believe in progress and the benefits of technology. It becomes clear why following tradition doesn’t have to be a strong value. Food for U.S. consumers is produced and shipped across the country. 【小题4】 The industrialization of food production results in new breeds of produce. The population growth calls for higher quantities. Farmers and growers are paid for the amount, not for the flavor.

【小题5】 European cultures are rather regional, and this means food traditions have remained undamaged in fairly small areas. Within these regions and communities people often shop locally from regional producers. And they shop more frequently than Americans. Europeans often go to the local market daily whereas millions of shoppers in the U.S. purchase one or two weeks’ supply of groceries in one single visit to the big box store.

All these consumer choices, based on cultural behaviors, have had a lasting impact on how our food is grown and what it tastes like.