Comments on: In Your Words: the Importance of Authenticity in Food http://dcentric.wamu.org/2011/07/in-your-words-the-importance-of-authenticity-in-food/ Race, Class, The District. Mon, 16 Jul 2012 03:01:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Phyllis Schwarzenberg http://dcentric.wamu.org/2011/07/in-your-words-the-importance-of-authenticity-in-food/#comment-731 Phyllis Schwarzenberg Wed, 27 Jul 2011 01:34:00 +0000 http://dcentric.wamu.org/?p=9075#comment-731 What constitutes "authenticity", anyway? Surely no one believes that a white kid from New Zealand is incapable of making soul food just as good as any southerner? To believe otherwise is to suggest that cooking has some mystical elements that can't be passed to the uninitiated. Food traditions transcend culture, language, race; if you aren't going to eat at a Belgian restaurant because the chef is from Italy then you're an idiot. Part of what makes soul food so wonderful is that it's deeply ingrained in family traditions, and as such may vary notably from place to place. Just because this cornbread doesn't taste like my grandmamma's doesn't make it less authentic. Besides, some amount of diversity among simple recipes is what makes it more personal to us. And one of the most truly "authentic" parts of soul food is the boasting...trust me, you've never had my grandmamma's fried chicken, if you DID you would KNOW (and then your neighbor says, well, no, my uncle's fried chicken could make an army weep, and so on...) Perhaps "authentic" food successfully captures the flavors and textures we grew up eating? What constitutes “authenticity”, anyway? Surely no one believes that
a white kid from New Zealand is incapable of making soul food just as
good as any southerner? To believe otherwise is to suggest that cooking has some mystical elements that can’t be passed to the uninitiated. Food traditions transcend culture,
language, race; if you aren’t going to eat at a Belgian restaurant
because the chef is from Italy then you’re an idiot.

Part of what makes soul food so wonderful is that it’s deeply ingrained in family traditions, and as such may vary notably from place to place. Just because this cornbread doesn’t taste like my grandmamma’s doesn’t make it less authentic. Besides, some amount of diversity among simple recipes is what makes it more personal to us. And one of the most truly “authentic” parts of soul food is the boasting…trust me, you’ve never had my grandmamma’s fried chicken, if you DID you would KNOW (and then your neighbor says, well, no, my uncle’s fried chicken could make an army weep, and so on…)

Perhaps “authentic” food successfully captures the flavors and textures we grew up eating?

]]> By: NolaCola00 http://dcentric.wamu.org/2011/07/in-your-words-the-importance-of-authenticity-in-food/#comment-729 NolaCola00 Tue, 26 Jul 2011 20:23:00 +0000 http://dcentric.wamu.org/?p=9075#comment-729 Fusion food is fantastic; however, one should not claim to be something they aren't.  As I am on the constant search for good Creole food, which is often mislabeled as Cajun in this area.  (Cajun food is from Western LA.  The food they are often trying to duplicate, from Southeastern Louisiana, is primarily Creole.)  In it's inauthenticness, it is often not good, because I go in with certain expectations, only to be let down. Fusion food is fantastic; however, one should not claim to be something they aren’t.  As I am on the constant search for good Creole food, which is often mislabeled as Cajun in this area.  (Cajun food is from Western LA.  The food they are often trying to duplicate, from Southeastern Louisiana, is primarily Creole.)  In it’s inauthenticness, it is often not good, because I go in with certain expectations, only to be let down.

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