My Father broke with
the tradition…
By Markus Zuercher
Is there a connection between Genealogy and Food?
This was exactly the question I asked myself after this week’s ‘food’
lecture. And how the heck do I link a banana or a case of rum to my virtual Genealogy social network?
Patel’s (2007) quote of: ‘Old McDonald had
a farm…’ (p. 6) provided the answer and established my link. His general question
of where food comes from and what choices the farmer has in deciding what to
grow or what animals to keep (pp. 7,8) sparked my memory. I do remember visiting my
Grandmother at the old family-farmhouse.
Family Farmhouse (n.d.) from Author’s collection
So, I come from a family of (dairy) farmers and grew up in the famous
Emmental, Switzerland. Perhaps that’s why I love cheese so much!
In her lecture, Dr Kuttainen (2013) refers to taste and preference
to certain foods, as a culturally constructed inclination and as an expression
of our identity (pp. 3-7). If asked where I’m from, I do answer with a certain amount of pride:
“from the Emmental, you know where the cheese comes from” even though I see
myself as an Aussie.
Ah, yeah.., about the title of this blog; my father opted not to
continue the family tradition of farming; he moved away from the farm to an
urban area and became a carpenter…
Reference list
Kuttainen, V. (2013). BA1002: Our Space: Networks, narratives and the making of place, week 7
notes. [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from http://learnjcu.edu.au
Patel, R. (2007). Introduction. In Stuffed
and starved: Markets, power and the hidden battle for the world food system
(pp. 1-19). Melbourne, Australia: Black Ink.
Picture
credit
(n.d.).Family Farmhouse.
[Image] from: Author’s collection
Hey Markus, great blog on food! In answer to your original question, yes, I do believe there is a link between genealogy and food. There is quite a bit of research out there which discusses this question. For example, tests have been done where subjects are given a chemical, and for some it may have a certain taste, but for others it is completely tasteless. Also, some people with natural nutrient deficiencies due to their genetics would enjoy different foods to others as their bodies would crave these nutrients. Personally, I think that papaya smells like vomit and can’t stand it. Yet I know a lot of people who find it akin to mango and don’t notice this smell. Maybe this is also a result of genetics. That being said, tastes can also differ by result of our cultural or personal preferences (Atkins & Bowler, 2007, p. 273).
ReplyDeleteAtkins, P. & Bowler, I. (2001). The Origins of Taste, Food In Society: Economy, Culture, Geography, pp.272-295. London, England: Oxford University Press.