I think that food is one of the many aspects that characterize who we are in this time and day. It is something we use to describe our nationality, our culture, and ourselves. Maybe it’s just me, but I tend to associate people with their food. Since I am Vietnamese, people often associate me with eggrolls, pho (beef noodle soup), rice, and various other dishes. I really don’t mind that people make this association because this food is a part of me. While I grew up on hamburgers and fries at times, I spent most of my solid food consuming years gorging on various authentic Vietnamese foods. Thanksgiving consisted of turkey, rice, a type of Asian salad, and various Vietnamese desserts. My mom’s cooking style fully embraces the term Asian-American. While the American foods were added more as a way to satisfy my sister and I’s cravings, they were still a part our diet. Almost every other night consisted of rice and some sort of meat and now that I am in college, I desperately miss this sort of menu. While I was happy with the American foods the first couple of days here, this feeling did not last long at all.
Food brings with it memories and emotions. When you think back to the many meals you have had, you simply don’t remember the food; you remember the situations you were experiencing when you were eating the food. I remember going to the cheesecake factory and gorging on various slices of cheesecake for my birthday. I also remember going to Vietnam and experiencing the street vendors and exotic fruits. I think that Anthony Bourdain’s book A Cook’s Tour really relates to the reader because he describes more than just the food, he describes his emotions and memories. This allows many to connect with his book because they too have their own memories with food. The only flaw that might exist is the fact that these are indeed his memories, and not the readers. Either way, I think that Anthony Bourdain has the right idea about how to describe food.
