4 minute read
A recipe for controversy
FOOD, CULTURE, IDENTITY
Kiana George
Cultural appropriation — the adoption of customs, practices, or identity of a culture by members of another often more dominant culture — is everywhere. From Halloween costumes to music, language to hairstyles, roaring debate has arisen as ethnic minorities have expressed that cultural appropriation is harmful and exploitive. And when it comes to food, the hot topic is reaching a boiling point.
Sometimes it seems like the outrage is performative in an attempt to be provocative. Can’t we all just be foodie friends? However, both the Bay Area and the Carlmont community are filled with people from diverse ethnic backgrounds, so it’s important to understand sensitivities around food, culture, and identity.
Not to be confused with cultural appreciation, cultural appropriation of food is different from eating, cooking and enjoying food from other cultures. For example, I am mixed race, so I have nostalgic feelings for wonton soup. Just last week, my Chinese mother cooked Mexican queso birria tacos, Korean fried chicken, Thai khao soi, and African coconut chicken. We love to seek out recipes from cookbook authors and bloggers from different cultures, and when we travel, we make an effort to eat traditional foods prepared by local chefs. I believe this exploration of foods supports native chefs and enhances appreciation of their heritage.
However, when a more dominant culture profits from or gains more exposure than a less privileged group by adopting elements of their culture with little appreciation for that group’s history and experiences, it’s disrespectful and problematic.
Recently, Shake Shack shook up their menu, and suddenly, a greasy, calorie-inducing sandwich became the center of heated debate. The restaurant has over 275 locations across the globe, but the popular dynasty still got burned when it introduced a limited-time “Korean-themed” gochujang-glazed fried chicken sandwich topped with a kimchi slaw. Gochujang is a Korean ingredient made of chili paste, glutinous rice and fermented soybeans.
Shake Shack Culinary Director, Mark Rosati, said the sandwich is popular at their South Korean stores, so they wanted to introduce a version of it to their US market. Critics immediately accused Shake Shack of cultural appropriation, with several Asian writers coining it as a lazy interpretation of true Korean food.
“It feels like white people slapping together a bunch of things because they perceive it as Korean and then profiting off of those things,” Dash Kwiatkowski, a popular stand-up comedian, said.
Korean fried chicken is defined by the way it is double-fried, resulting in a shatteringly crisp exterior. However, Shake Shack is not preparing the chicken using this traditional method.
Critics deemed the “Korean-style” description offensive, saying the broad term did a disservice to authentic Korean flavors and cooking techniques.
Some might ask, “What’s the big deal? Even the Koreans in Korea liked it.” But for those in America who have minority immigrant backgrounds, food plays a role in preserving their identity. The controversy is usually not around who is allowed or not allowed to prepare dishes, but people get upset when it appears there isn’t respect for cultural traditions and practices.
Lack of cultural respect in relation to food is not only inappropriate, but it can also be hurtful. When I was a child, I once brought lotus seed mooncakes to my fifth-grade class for a presentation, and I still remember feeling stung and embarrassed when some of my white classmates dramatically spit out what we consider a
Chinese delicacy and compared it to “dog food.”
While this is a blurrier version of cultural appropriation mixed with racism, it is still a form of cultural appropriation because a dominant culture is marginalizing the cultural experience of a less dominant culture. It’s okay to say, “that’s not my preference” or to discreetly put aside something that tastes foul to you, but it’s offensive to act like Gordon Ramsey spewing disdain and then claim to love Chinese food at the end of the year party as you shovel an Americanized version of chow mein onto your plate.
Cultural appropriation checklist sensitivities related to food can be complex. Rather than immediately judging or canceling chefs or businesses, review these three checkpoints first:
1. Is the chef or business giving back to the community or communities that they are profiting from? Did they get people from that culture involved?
One point where I give Shake Shack a thumbs up is for partnering with Choi’s Kimchi, a small Korean-owned business in Portland, to make the kimchi on their “Korean-inspired” sandwich. This exposure from a global company helps elevate their business and brand awareness.
2. Is there respect for the culture’s people, cooking practices and authentic ingredients?
Rick Bayless is often criticized because he is a white chef who is touted as one of America’s best Mexican cooks. In fact, when the President of Mexico visited the White House, Bayless did the cooking. However, in his defense, Bayless is bilingual and has traveled extensively throughout many regions of Mexico to learn cooking techniques from various communities. He has also gathered one of the largest collections of Mexican cookbooks in the world from which he teaches his staff short lessons each day. Bayless exemplifies a chef that has done his research and continues to educate himself and others on the culture he is benefitting from.
3. Does the food or chef make curious eaters want to try other foods within that culture?
If a white chef can introduce a food in a culturally respectful way, it’s positive if it fuels an eater to further explore offerings from other diverse chefs and cultures.
If everyone can follow these three checkpoints, we can turn what would’ve been cultural appropriation into culture appreciation. By respecting one another’s cultures, we can all learn to connect and come together through the power of food.
illustrations by kiana george & Map by Amber Chia
