Students noshed on pretzel rolls and cups of leek and kale soup while panelists spoke about food as a form of communication.
They gathered for the final installment of the Social Soup lecture series on Tuesday. Panelists spoke about cultural differences in food.
“[In the U.S.] we like things fast. We like other people to make things for us and we actually like to be served,” said Rachel Jones, a professor of nutrition.
Even though Americans like their food fast, they don’t always get it that way.
“My students timed how long it takes to go through a fast food restaurant. It’s not that fast, it’s just that we’ve lost the whole feeling of giving food and receiving food that is prominent in other cultures,” Jones said.
She showed a map of the U.S. that displayed the most popular chain restaurants in every state. Arctic Circle represented Utah, much to the surprise of students in the audience, many of whom had never been to the restaurants shown.
Food and culture are intertwined. For example, funeral potatoes, a comfort food made of hashbrown potatoes, cheese, cream of mushroom soup and cornflakes is often given to a families who are mourning the death of a loved one. In Utah, funeral potatoes are a cultural norm, but outside of Utah, they are a foreign concept, Jones said.
In the world of social media, food they are eating or mention restaurants. Jones said posts like this are a type of identification, reiterating the phrase, “you are what you eat.”
“When I see the pictures [my friends post] it really defines what group they most associate with. It’s a defining element of communication,” she said.
Rabbi Benny Zippel, executive director of Chabad Lubavitch of Utah, discussed how food relates to Jewish culture. Rules in the Torah dictate how Jews eat. For example, the rules stipulate the separation of dairy and meat and a diet free of pork and its derivatives. Zippel proudly shared that he has never had a cheeseburger, as consuming one would break one of the religious rules.
“In the third book of the five books of the Torah, Leviticus, God wrote out a religious discipline that has to do only with eating,” Zippel said.
Teena Moleni a doctorate student in social work who is of Tongan descent, helped students understand how food is seen in the Tongan culture. She told a story about when her family was planning a wedding. As they discussed their plans, food was the most important aspect of the party, while the decorations, the wedding rings and the bride’s dress were hardly mentioned. The family wanted to make sure everyone not only had enough to eat, but also had enough to take home.
Jai Bashir, a senior in environmental studies and gender studies, liked the cultural aspect of the presentation.
“It was interesting to hear someone talk about their Tongan heritage and then learn more about the Jewish heritage, because though they’re so different, food is still a part of their communication,” Bashir said.
Jacob Lambros, a junior injazz performance, enjoyed sharing his favorite foods and traditions with other attendees.
“It was really entertaining. I really liked how they got the crowd involved … The whole discussion was really interesting,” Lambros said.
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