I know that we already wrote about food this quarter, but now think about food as a phenomenon. Some of you may not know this, but there was once a time when no Food Network existed: when people did not even obsess so much about the latest cool restaurant or food truck or new place near them that happened to be on Diners, Drive Ins, and Drives.
So what do you think of this food culture? Or what do you think about anything from this article about the rise of a food culture in Peru?
After reading the article The Rise of Food Culture in Peru, I found Peru’s newly found food culture to be absolutely compelling. It’s amazing to see how a country that struggled with food shortages due to terrorism make such an impressive recovery. I’m not surprised that once these terrorist groups disappeared that the country’s food potential was rediscovered. Due to the actions of some restaurant owners and chefs, such as building relationships with local farmers, Peru began its growing cultural revolution. Several years later, Peru found wealth in all of products it could produce, such as a wide variety of potatoes, due to its assortment of climates found all around country. it also helps that Peru has an almost entirely organic farming structure. This was all possible with minimum irrigation due to the agricultural contribution the Incas had left behind. It’s amazing how contrasting farms are there than they are here in the United States where large factory farms have become the standard. Peru stumbled onto something that we could learn a little about, and that is community engagement. High-end restaurants there focus on positively influencing their communities through providing employment, setting up nutrition clinics, offering free cooking classes, and other fun stuff. These types of restaurants in the US mainly exist as havens for the rich, so maybe it’s time we become informed on the topic. All in all, I think having a food culture such as Peru’s is something we need here because while it may not be as cost efficient as our methods, the happiness it provides is definitely worth the cost.
ReplyDeleteTo start, the article was very interesting and very educational. It exposed the rich culture of Peru and the people’s rich tradition and passion to sell such a variety of different products. The landscape of Peru would be ideal for any farmer to grow food. It was specifically interesting to read that prior to the 1990s Peru was in a negative economic state that had not produced the food that the country provides today. After various young chefs were inspired and passionate to take up cooking and cook up a variety of dishes using different food ingredients, they ended up changing the culture of the country. It is always inspiring to hear stories of passionate young individuals making a change to their country. Because of their passion, they were able to change the dynamics of food in their country for all citizens.
ReplyDeleteWhile reading the article, I got reminded of how powerful and influential social media is to businesses. Peru, as well as other countries, have had great exposure of their food by the masses of people that choose to capture and share plates to the public. Whether it be by Facebook, Instagram, etc., social media has either helped or hurt food industries. Small food places, i.e. mom-and-pop stores, have done either wonderfully or disastrous because of social media and its influence. With this article, there were a lot of positive notes that were highlighted on Peru’s rich food culture. My ending thoughts are if there were any negative or controversial issues that were brought to the fold at that time. Historically, during the 1990s, the world was coming out of the Cold War scare between the two superpowers and to think that smaller countries were booming in terms of food and culture, are absolutely fascinating to think of.
After reading about the The Rise of Food Culture In Peru, I am amazed of how a country can turn around and become one of the nation's growing food industry. After suffering terrorism through the 1980's and 90's, Peru was able to overcome these challenges of feeling defeated. Peru had 85 individual climates that allowed them to grow about almost anything! New generation of chefs were coming in to build the food industry by opening up restaurants, building relationships with farmers, and rediscover the trade. This caused a growing cultural evolution. Farmers had the resources to grow new crops and experiment with new a variety of foods. Chefs took advantage of the opportunity to experiment and try new ingredients.
ReplyDeletePublic schools also benefited from this growing food epidemic. They were teaching a new generation of young people about their heritage of food in Peru, creating new lunch programs by trying new foods, and be able to learn how to feed themselves. I feel this is important for any nation, because every country should have the advantage to learn about their history and how they can grow nationally.
Many people traveled to Peru to try out the new restaurants that were filled with organic and authentic foods.
The quote I loved from this article was, "It surpasses just nourishment and becomes source of pride and a reason for the next generation to be better; in the land, the farmers, the artists and the chefs, every person operating together to create a vision of what the future can look like."
After reading the Rice of food culture in Peru article, it was interesting to know that the Shining Path group was able to harm its people by taking control in the cruelest ways. The Peruvian government was able to harm its people by controlling the food supply and frighten its people with power. Fortunately, Peru was able to overcome the power of the Shining Path group, and become one of the greatest countries known for their gastronomic foods and crafts. Furthermore, after many years of suppression, Peru was able to bring back its heritage and its traditional ways. All the people from Peru worked hard and are still working hard to keep their traditional values, and teach their younger generations about their traditional heritage. The phenomenon of food is interesting because it has provided us with a greater variety of foods to choose from. Unfortunately, the phenomenon also brings a sad reality; because people try popular restaurants to fit the social norm. Due to these actions, traditional and small restaurants that are attempting to compete with major corporate restaurants tend to get forgotten; because they don’t have the means to sponsor commercials about their restaurants. The reality is that the food culture will change and will continue to change as new generations come, because our culture is fascinated to what is popular and what others have. For example, people go to Starbucks to get a coffee, instead of buying a small package of ground coffee and making it at home. With this in mind, people will continue to go to Starbucks because is a popular place to get a coffee, because people want to do or have what other’s in society have.
ReplyDeleteI find it amazing that Peru has such a large variety of organic food items. Lately, the United States has become obsessed with anything labeled organic. For Peru, this organic kind of food is old news. I’m in awe that small farmers hold so much respect in Peru. As the article stated, it is quite the opposite in the United States. It’s upsetting knowing that the United States tends to put more importance on processed or cheap food while Peru is making a name for itself in food culture. I think they are setting a great example of what the United States should strive to become again. I think we have become more focused on ways to save money or make the most money from buying cheaper products from other countries that we have lost sight of how much pride we can take in locally grown and produced items. While it has become slightly more popular now, I believe it should become even more popular. Why not take after Peru and put more faith and importance in our small town farmer rather than our giant factories that practically run themselves? I would love to visit Peru to try all of their delicacies. I have grown quite tired of the burger and fries that seems to be the everyday norm here. I like to try and make more exotic dishes, and Peru seems able to do that with all of it’s different kinds of locally grown food. They are lucky to have so many different climates so they have the chance to grow such a large variety. It’s also amazing that they can become this way after seeing so much horror. We should strive towards this as well.
ReplyDeleteIt's fascinating isn’t it, this food craze? I love it? I hate it? I don't know, its kind of the way you fall in and out of love with something depending on when you have time for it. Many years ago, I wanted to be a chef, or thought I did. So of course, if asked what channel Direct TV is the DYI and Food Network I would know it is 230 & 231-at least where we were. I think I preferred those shows to regular television.
ReplyDeleteNow, when it all launched into full on cult status, I have no idea. I have a brother and sister-in-law that enjoy hitting the food truck fairs, wherever they may be. I don't have time for it, not with school. Nowadays, you have macaroni and beer events on campus during the weekends. Food and wine events spark up everywhere. If it were my getaway and/or pastime, I suppose, I would go and enjoy it as well.
Food, tells us a lots about cultures and how they evolved. Simply, time traveling through the diet. Isn't it nice to taste combinations of flavors and wonder how they came up with them? Food, is the look back into history, into changing cultures. Its magical to taste a dish and dissect the path it took in creation. It seems, now, we are in a food movement, while other countries are in a grown your own movement. Maybe that's what Peru is fortunate enough to have, a push towards celebrating food and its link to history, to farmers markets, to street vendors, and to family. I'd like to think it is.
The food culture that has taken over our nation is something that is so easy and fun to get caught up in. Food is everything and often results in us thinking about it all the time, even as I am writing this post I am thinking about what I want to get for lunch! Sadly though, I think this has caused many problems in todays society. Children are being raised in a way that values food so much that they learn to fixate on it, eat too much, or pick delicious choices instead of healthy ones. And how could we expect them to do otherwise when every other commercial on TV seems to be about food? Don't get me wrong, I love food as much as the next person; however, it makes me sad to see young children drinking sugary Starbucks drinks and eating cake pops just because they can. Also, this food culture I believe has sadly replaced the family meals that were so present in the past. Now days families must make a conscious effort to plan their day around coming home and having a home cooked meal instead of everyone grabbing their own thing between work, school, and practices. I am hoping that as our society continues to grow and change that food can be something celebrated but not obsessed over and that family meals can be valued once again before fast-food or convenience.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading this week’s article, The Rise of Food Culture in Peru, it was pretty amazing to learn about how the culture in Peru thrived from being in a state of terrorism for so long. This article mentions that Peru dealt with terrorism starting in the 1980s into the 1990’s. Fortunately, things began to change in 1994. Prior to this, Shining Path controlled the food supply because they felt that this would help control the country overall. It was sad to read that people at this time had a very small amount of fruit, seafood, fresh produce and other items. It was interesting to learn about the change that later occurred. At one point Peru only had one type of potato and now their country has approximately 4000 different potatoes. Besides the fact that the Shinning Path began loosing power, I think one thing that really helped out Peru was that its landscape has 85 different climates. This is great as it allows for different crops, vegetables, fruits, etc to grow. Another aspect that I think is important in keeping such a diverse food culture in Peru is that the chefs like to work very close with farmers in order to keep them in the loop of what is popular. I really liked that the article mentioned that “farmers are the backbone of this country.” A lot of the time farmers are unappreciated and not given the credit they deserve. After all, farming is not an easy job. It is great to learn that in Peru the food culture is very important and overall it helps their economy.
ReplyDeleteI think the rise of food culture is a great thing. I love food and living in America provides a great diversity of cultures so we have more food to experience with. I personally love Salvadorian food, Asian food, Mexican food, and American Country food. I haven’t had the chance to taste Peruvian food but I have heard that this culture provides some dishes that are mouthwatering. I think that the rise of food in Peru is great, they have come a long ways and it’s amazing that they have a landscape with 85 different climates that allows them to grow almost anything. I learned a lot from reading this article I never knew that Peru had just under 4,000 variations of potatoes or how developed they were in culinary. It’s amazing what a difference Gaston Acurio made for his Peruvian culture. It’s people like him who love their culture and heritage that make a difference in the food industry and culture. People like him who immigrate to the United States and start their own restaurant bring about a new style of cooking and foods which is what makes the U.S. so diverse and greatly recognized for their rise in culinary culture. There may be many political issues that separate us but I think food is the one thing that brings the United States together and unites us a one, and to me that’s a beautiful thing.
ReplyDeleteI think food crazes come and go just as anything else. Especially in small towns like Bakersfield, people love when new things come to town. It will travel quickly through word of mouth and everyone will be obsessed with it for about a year or so, then it kind of dies down. Johnny Garlics for example, is still very popular and new however it isn’t as busy and popular as it used to be.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the article because Peru was lucky enough to have hard working individuals who were willing to make a difference in their country. It wasn’t some restaurant chain that was only worried about making money off of the community like most places today.
After reading this article, I came to realize how important food and its culture really is. Today we see food and fast foods like second nature, of course we couldn't go without it, but now the culture is being overlooked. In today's culture there is a fast food restaurant in almost every corner. I think the culture now is taken for granted and we don't see how others like Peru have struggled so much. I also think that now food is being replaced by many artificial "fake foods" and the beauty of farming is being very much overlooked. Yes people still farm but industries like McDonald and other fast food places are taking that part of the culture away. The article on Peru is just amazing because it shows how civilized the farmers and people of Peru were. They had to stay strong and keep fighting for there country and food culture. Even though food was being taken they still found a way around and now are known for all there amazing produce. Farmers are a big factor to food culture and it's important to recognize there hard work, especially those in Peru .
ReplyDeleteI find it so crazy that countries have shortage on food. I honestly don't know how people can burn others food. Peru is one of the most beautiful places and most culturally. The fact that food can make a difference is amazing. Chefs make food to bring joy to others and to express there culture. I personally love that this article gives credit to the farmers. Without farmers we wouldn't have our regular vegetables and fruits; some people take farmers for granted and don't appreciate everything they do. I come from a small town were farm picking is a norm. People who are farm pickers are one of the most hard working people I know. I appreciate and I'm so thankfully for all farmers all over the world; without farmers we wouldn't be able to cook our delicious dishes that express our culture.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the article, Rise of Food Culture in Peru, I thought it was interesting and had no idea of the struggles Peru has had to endure in the past. I had no idea Peru had struggle with terrorism throughout the 1980s and 1990s. I think it is disappointing to read how the Peruvians would have their crops burned, their cattle’s killed, and lived in consent fear. The Shining Path group was able to harm its people by taking control in the cruelest ways. The Peruvian government was able to harm its people by controlling the food supply and frighten its people with power. Throughout all the problems, Peru was able to overcome it and is now known for their impressive culinary scenes around the world. Due to their individual climate and different terrains, Peru can pretty much grow anything. I thought that was very unique; how many landscapes are capable of growing almost everything. I really like how many Chefs travel all over the country and visit the farms from where their food came from. It makes the whole experience more personally and I love knowing where my food came from. I like how Chefs visit those farms and buy the food for their upscale restaurants. I think it is such a great idea and the United States should take more ideas from Peru. Peru really does takes pride in their food culture and have such a positive influence in food. I didn't know the background or the food history of Peru; but it was nice to learn about it and I cannot wait to learn more.
ReplyDeleteA little more was brought to my attention after reading this article. I always considered food to be the center of life. More than just giving us the ability to survive, food brings families together, creative abilities through cuisine, and allows us to define our culture. Many cultures have different kind sweets, spices, and dishes (thankfully) that allows them to define their culture. That is what makes food more special. Along with that food has varies meanings behind them and sometimes with outside influences. Some follow sets of rules (religion), often very strict. There are also restrictions within cultures, there are some food that are accepted while others are not. For example, most of us in this country would cringe at the thought of eating bugs while other countries find that acceptable. Also, food brings character in settings of social relations that is why it is important to continue traditions between families. In family settings it brings a different kind of character than in bar for instance. I believe that the rise of food and food networks, is due to advanced technology. For one, without it, those who are unable to fly across country to country would not know of Chinese food, Latin, and other cuisines. Another reason for its expansion is due to diversity (United States). After reading the article, I see that food is highly important for survival, social relations, and influx on the economy. I really enjoyed reading this article.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading The Rise of Food Culture in Peru, I was exposed to new information and history that can contribute to the appreciation of Peru’s struggle. What I found most interesting about this article was that it serves as the perfect example of coming up from “rags to riches.” After struggling with terrorism in their earlier years, it is fascinating to see how big of a difference passion can make for an industry. The growth of chefs in the newer generations would contribute to the success of Peru. Not only did new restaurants provide exceptional food quality, but also provided employment and lunch programs for public schools. With the establishment of new restaurants and connections amongst farmers, Peru was destined to a future of prosperity and wealth.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading this article, it really inspired me to learn to appreciate culture and hard work. For instance, here in the United States we rely on processed foods enriched with hormones that aren’t always the best for us.
Not only does Peru take pride in the ways in which they produce their organic goods, but they also demonstrate their true dedication through art and ambiance. The article mentions “…since they were all at the bottom together during the 80’s, they should all be at the top together rising as a whole.” This quote has to be one of the most powerful sentences of this whole article. It is phrases and actions like these that make a nation united. Unfortunately, here in the United States, we are more about competition with one another to make ends meat. Instead, we should be working hard to bring each other up.
Overall, it is inspiring to see how culture and food can truly bring people together. To work hard with your neighbor, rather than work against your neighbor, is one of the best accomplishments one can make. Peru has inspired me to never give up. Even when roads are hard and you don’t succeed, you must always try again.
After reading this article, it shed a light on the the history of Peru that I did not know previously. I had no idea that Peru stuggled with terrorism throughout the 1980s and 90s. It was sad to hear that Peruvians had their crops burned to the ground and their cattle killed. Despite the Shining Path taking over and trying to control the food supply, the food industry in Peru began to expand. There is 85 different climates in Peru with help with the growth of different crops. I think that farming is very unappreciated and should be recognized more; like they said in the article, "Farmers are the backbone of this country" I'm glad that Peru realizes that and the food industry is helping their economy tremendously.
ReplyDeleteThis was a very interesting article, and I especially appreciated the part that discussed small farms in Peru versus large corporate farms in the United States. As stated in the article, “farmers are the backbone” of Peru. However, I see this as being true for countries in general. Without farmers and the agriculture industry, most people in this nation would lack sufficient food, clothing, and shelter. I participated in Future Farmers of America in high school, and one of our events included bringing elementary school students to our school farm so they could learn all about agriculture. It was amazing to find out that many of our nation’s youth believe that meat and vegetables come from the grocery store and McDonald’s, rather than farms and ranches. I do find it unfortunate that our agriculture industry is ran by large corporations, but we can all help the local farmers by buying local and organic foods.
ReplyDeleteIn terms of food culture, I find it a bit obsessive. Talk shows often include a cooking segment, and there are a couple channels dedicated solely to cooking. I have to admit, I’ve been guilty of subjecting to the food culture. I used to watch the show Cupcake Wars every morning before heading to school, and the Food Network channel was left on my television for a good part of the day. However, I now realize that it is perfectly fine to have cooking as a hobby, but it may not be totally healthy to be obsessed with food.