The Little Things: The Culture of Food

Food is an important aspect of culture. My mealtime culture, from rural Vermont, USA, involves relatively fresh ingredients and a fairly short and easy prep and cook time. We ate our meals with family, or the people with whom we share a home. In my current awkward college-age adult phase, occasionally I eat with friends or sometimes (on holidays) I'll go home for dinner with the family. American culture obsesses over the obesity epidemic, while much of the world goes hungry. I read in an interesting chapter of Zoobiquity, by Dr. Barbara Natterson-Horowitz, that there is a possible connection between the constant availability of food and our obesity problem. It's not just the availability of food, it's the availability of cheap, highly processed, nutritionally out-of-balance food. I have noticed the progression from family oriented meals to "eat what you can when it's convenient" for my age group. That, in simple words, is unhealthy. It's important to shop for fresh ingredients and prepare the meal by hand. Beyond the experience of preparing a fresh and nutritionally balanced meal, the social experience of eating with friends and family is important, yet recently undervalued.

Here in Chile, the people make their meals with fresh ingredients from scratch. It is common to eat lunch or dinner with friends, even among college-age adults. It's not as easy to find ready-to-eat meals in the supermarket as it is in the United States. I have also noticed that it is a rarity to see an obese person here in Concepción. The people aren't thin either, they just look healthy. I can't help but feel the connection between the healthier meal rituals and the healthier appearance of the general population. In dedicating more time to cooking, eating healthier, and eating with friends, I feel that I have undergone a physical cleansing. Interestingly, I had really been trying to eat healthier when I was in the U.S. I had tried different 'diets' and none of them lasted more than a day. The switch from what I was eating in the U.S to what I am eating in Chile was so much easier than I expected. I don't generally feel the need to snack between meals, and I don't find myself craving vast amounts of sugar, as I had been in the U.S. That's not to say that I don't indulge in a sugary treat every now and then, but I don't have any unhealthy cravings.

Being in a new place, I have of course been trying new foods. But not just new ingredients, new recipes with familiar ingredients. For example, instead of purchasing bread, we decided to make our own. The recipe was really simple and making bread together was fun! Food photos and bread recipe link are below!

http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/basic-homemade-bread