14 Culinary Arts
Culinary arts, in which culinary means “related to cooking”, are the cuisine arts of food preparation, cooking, and presentation of food, usually in the form of meals. People working in this field – especially in establishments such as restaurants – are commonly called “chefs” or “cooks”, although, at its most general, the terms “culinary artist” and “culinarian” are also used. Table manners (“the table arts”) are sometimes referred to as a culinary art.
Expert chefs are required to have knowledge of food science, nutrition and diet and are responsible for preparing meals that are as pleasing to the eye as they are to the palate. After restaurants, their primary places of work include delicatessens and relatively large institutions such as hotels and hospitals. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culinary_arts
So, why include culinary arts in an Introduction to Humanities course? If we look back at our essential questions, maybe we can find an answer. Who are we? What makes us human? Can we find culinary arts in this? The food we eat makes us human. It is a important to our culture.
Let’s take a look at Food around the World
Taste the Nation
The trailer for this amazing show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzN76UMkT_w
Padma Lakshmi’s New Food Show Is a Trojan Horse: Taste the Nation is breezy in tone, but it exposes the betrayals at the heart of “American” cuisine.
This is a show on Hulu, so it isn’t available to everyone. However, if there is a way to use this, it is a wonderful introduction to the culinary arts of America.
Listen to ‘Taste The Nation’: Padma Lakshmi Explores The American Palate on NPR
https://www.npr.org/2020/07/09/889351610/taste-the-nation-padma-lakshmi-explores-the-american-palate
Special Issue “Food, Culture, and Heritage. Identity Formation through Eating Customs”
Dr. Francesca Muccini
https://www.mdpi.com/journal/humanities/special_issues/eatingcustoms
How Food Shaped Humanity
By Lisa Bramen SMITHSONIANMAG.COM MARCH 26, 2010
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/how-food-shaped-humanity-83840262/
19 Amazing Culinary Traditions Around the World
https://wander-lush.org/food-culture-unesco/
The Role of Food in Human Culture
https://globalgastros.com/food-culture/role-of-food-in-human-culture
5 times food has changed the course of history
How food helped shape history
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2015/03/how-food-helped-shape-history/
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/foodfeatures/joy-of-food/
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/foodfeatures/communal-table/
Culinary Arts of Asia
Chang, K. C. “Food in Chinese Culture.” Asia Society Blog.
Cooper, E. “Chinese Table Manners: You Are How You Eat.” (PDF) Human Organization 45, no. 2 (1986): 179–84.
Ohnuki-Tierney, Emiko. “Rice As Self: Japanese Identities through Time.” Education about Asia 9, no. 3 (2004): 4–9.
Kushner, Barak. “Food History & National Myths.” Japan Society, January 14, 2008. [On Ramen in Japan]
Chung, Haekyung. “Introduction.” In Korean Cuisine: A Cultural Journey. Translated by Yoojin Lee. 2009.
Watson, James. “Prosperity Versus Pathology: A Social History of Obesity in China.” (PDF) Harvard Asia Pacific Review, 2000.
北海道グルメ動画【GouTube北海道】. “Edo Sushi Video.” August 19, 2013. YouTube.
The Culinary Institute of America. “Medicinal Food in Hong Kong.” Feburary 20, 2013. YouTube.
Arirang. “Globalizing Korean Food.” Feburary 7, 2014. YouTube.
Arirang Culture. “Tales of Hansik – Kimchee.” September 26, 2013. YouTube.
The Fishy Channel. “Tsukiji Fish Market.” November 4, 2014. YouTube.
A History of Kimchi