San Jose State University Food Culture Individual Paper

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Business Finance

Individual paper: Food Culture [1000 words minumum] – Please place word count at the top of the page.

Purpose: The objective of this assignment is to gain knowledge of both the local, daily food of people in a country that you have chosen and to also consider the kind of dishes you would include on a menu.

Your menus should serve both the “localized” and the “globalized” experience in a restaurant. So your writing should compare and contrast these dishes and explain why you feel they would work well in different experiences.

Research: You are requested to explore the food experience of your country through online searches, videos, grocery stores, and supermarkets.

Of course, you may also go to a restaurant. The restaurant experience is particularly helpful as you gain the greatest exposure to the culture the food originates from. (This is not required for the class, but only recommended).

Report: Write a 2-3 page report of your findings using APA formatting but does not require sources.

Introduction: Your writing must identify a specific country and you may even make it more specific by focusing on a city or region within the country. (i.e. Russia – Moscow) and the methods that you used to collect your information.

Body: After the introduction, your body must detail the collected information about your country’s cuisine. You should discuss the dishes you discovered including information about the ingredients and cooking style. You are free to give your opinion and feelings about the food and more importantly about the culture that it is interwoven into. Your writing experience should show your personal, cultural understanding gained from exploring the food, but you should also bring your hospitality management skills to the paper by including a discussion of how these dishes can serve different, diverse customers depending on the location and environment (localized or globalized).

Conclusion: You should finalize your paper by contrasting your findings with the food here in the United States. How is the food and experience different in your chosen country from the U.S.A?

  • Things to watch and compare: the customers—who are they? What do they buy? How do they buy? What products and variety do these stores carry, for example, meats (chicken, pork, beef, lamb, etc.), seafood, vegetables, fruits, spices, etc.? How do they prepare them? How was your experience? Did you notice any art work or music while enjoying/shopping for the food? What did you learn?
  • Submit the paper through Canvas.

SUGGESTED OUTLINE

Introduction – Give a general description of your country, the population, and the regional food common in that country. Discuss if the country likes distinct local flavors that might reflect the geographic region. For example, lots of seafood in countries with extensive coastal areas or the absence of pork in countries for religious practices. You can also discuss the international impact of migration on the local food. For example, here in San Jose, we see the popularity of Vietnamese and Mexican food. This paragraph should introduce us to the region and the factors that help us understand the cultural landscape better.

Body – Identify and discuss two dishes that a tourist visiting your selected country might like to try to experience the culture. You would want to describe the ingredients, the preparation, and the cost. You should also identify the importance of both of these dishes in helping us understand the culture of your country.

1) Daily, home, or street food that is common and would be sampled by a tourist to enjoy when visiting. For example, you might enjoy pizza and gelato in Italy if walking through Rome. You should describe the situation that we would most likely find this food if we visited the country – for example, pizza and gelato shops are found all over the streets of Italy.

2) A high-end dish that a tourist might order in a restaurant to highlight their cultural experience. In Rome, you might select a nice restaurant for dinner and choose carpaccio (beef dish) or stuffed Italian artichokes. Again you may want to identify a restaurant through google searches that would provide the guest with an exceptional meal and cultural experience as an example.

Conclusion– Focus on how the food and experience are different in your chosen country compared to the U.S.A/ California. Your final thoughts and reflections may be included to discuss these differences.