Gastronomy: the Art of Living - Coursework Example

Gastronomy: The Art of Living Introduction In simple terms, gastronomy can be described as the art and science of collecting, developing and distributing knowledge about food. According to Symons (1999) ‘the term gastronomy was first brought into use by Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin in his publication ‘La physiologie du goût (The Physiology of taste) in 1825.’ To this day the term has been used to describe the various aspects that are concerned with the production, preparation and consumption of food items. Scholars note that the term gastronomy has been defined in many ways as no distinct definition can be said to be universal (Harrington 2005). Nonetheless according to Symons (1999) the underlying denominator in these definitions is the notion that gastronomy encompasses all things that pertain to food and beverages particularly in relations to culture. Gastronomic studies to a broader perspective encompass the process of production, distribution and consumption of food which also includes storage and processing. In addition, it takes an account of the chemistry that goes into cooking of food, digestion and the physiological effects that such food has on the consumer. It follows that studies in gastronomy tell a lot about food choices in relation to customs and traditions. Gastronomy has been described as the art of life mainly because it touches on food which is one of the most important things required for survival (Symons 1999).This paper will critically examine gastronomy as the art of life. Significance of Gastronomy Symons (1999) notes that communities’ improvement in their eating and drinking patterns is largely influenced by gastronomic studies that focus on how communities evolve socially, economically, and politically through nutrition with a common aim of improving on the community’s health. The requirement for studying food as an art and science is informed by several factors. Firstly, gastronomy seeks to provide insight on proper nutrition and healthy eating habits. Due to poor diet choices and eating habits a considerable number of people have become susceptible to obesity and diseases such as diabetes. Therefore, the study of gastronomy is necessary as it helps in providing nutritional information regarding what is needed by the human body to remain healthy (Ivanovic, Mikinac &Perman 2011). Secondly, the production of quality food can directly be linked to the general growth, health and well-being of a society. Gastronomic studies provide insights on identifying and evaluating inadequacies and potential areas of improvements in food production thus ensuring sustainable and adequate provision of nutritional food (Symons, 1999). Another aspect that brings about the necessity of gastronomic studies is that it also helps people to appreciate the cultural identities of various societies. Bessiere (1998) observes that food is one way that cultural identity can be realised through the myriad of cuisine that different people in different locations around the world have to offer. The aesthetic value of gastronomy is twofold. First, an individual becomes what they consume (food) as one directly incorporates the qualities of the food they eat into their bodies. Secondly, gastronomy as the art and science of preparing and cooking food places and an individual in a social setting as eating habits to a great extent contribute to social order in societies (Bessiere,1998). Lastly, closely related to cultural identity is that studies in gastronomy have served to enhance the experiences of tourists about a certain culture or society. Through gastronomy tourists are made aware of the cuisine and make an informed choice in the destinations that they visit. Thus gastronomy informs on the long term and short term plans that can be made to facilitate the growth of the tourism industry (Guzman & Canizares 2011). Gastronomy as the Art of Living Literary evidence as to the art and science of gastronomy cannot accurately be traced to a particular point in time. However, scholars over the years have written material on healthy eating and drinking habits as a form of lifestyle which in essence is the central aim of studies in gastronomy (Symons, 1999). This therefore means that man’s interest in food is long standing and as such gastronomy studies can be said to be as old as the act of eating. Scholars in food science have found that food in many ways is a reflection of a people’s way of life. Bessiere (1998) explains the difference between cultures of urban dwellers and that of rural dwellers can be portrayed by their eating habits and particularly the type of food that the two sets of dwellers consume. Whereas rural dwellers are accustomed to producing their food locally from their farms urban dwellers have little or no contact with the farmer/producer of food. As a result modern city dwellers are accustomed to eating habits that are devoid of tradition and identity. Consequently, town people would seek to travel to the rural areas with an aim to partake in the consumption of some rural cuisine that has some form of traditional value attachment (Bessiere, 1998). Sadly,modern societies are increasingly getting out of touch with their traditional roots with regard to food preparation from their ancestral foundations. Bessiere (1998) observes that, the main reason as to why urban dwellers are increasingly becoming urban tourists who solely visit rural areas for their cuisine is due to the fact that they are overwhelmed by the nostalgia of foods eaten in their childhood and desire to go back for a taste. Worse still is the growing trend of industrialised food production in urban areas that denies residents of the cultural benefits of cuisine (Bessiere, 1998). Notwithstanding, Symons (1999) notes that gastronomy and cultural tourism are mutually beneficial in the sense that gastronomy is a medium of cultural transmission on one hand and gastronomy tourism is also a form of tourism on the other hand with its own distinct tourist attractions as well as benefits. In the ‘American International Journal of Contemporary Research’, Yurtseven and Karakas (2013) note that the Turkish island of Gokceada is a testimony of how gastronomy can serve to reflect and sustain cultural values that in turn bring about gastronomy tourism/tourists. However, for this to be achieved it is crucial that the cultural aspects of the locals and authentic aesthetics are represented in the cuisine to be regarded as a destination branded by its unique foods. The importance of tourism as brought out by Guzman and Canizares (2011) is such that gastronomy has several benefits as first as a tourist product, secondly as a marketing item for the physical surrounding (environment) as a destination for tourism, thirdly, as a source of finance for development of the tourism destination given the revenues earned from tourism and finally the creation of employment in the locality for various persons handling the food from production, processing and distribution beside other players in the tourism industry. Gastronomy as a way of life has a touch of cultural heritage that is passed on from a generation to the next in the manner in which food is produced and prepared among members of a particular social grouping (Bessiere, 1998). Heritage is as a result of the continuous interaction through socialisation of the modern with the traditional in conserving culture through gastronomy. This is achieved through actualising, adapting and re-inventing of traditional knowledge and skills to produce a new social meaning that generates cultural identity through the food produced or prepared (Bessiere 1998). According to Bessiere (1998) in essence ‘skills and culinary practices differentiate one area from another.’ Hence the cultural impact of cuisine contributes immensely to a people’s cultural identity as well as their way of life. Similarly, Harrington (2005) concurs that gastronomy is a form of cultural identity that among other factors is concerned with the general climatic conditions and geography of the physical location of a society. Thus it indirectly and or directly has an influence on the agricultural practices carried out. Moreover, gastronomy is a form of cultural identity from the mere fact that foods consumed by various societies are influenced either by their religious inclinations, beliefs and values systems among other factors such as diversity, tradition and innovation. Gastronomic identity according to Harrington (2005) is informed by a myriad of aspects that also include the different flavours and recipes attributable to various foods and drinks such as wine in particular. Therefore, the notion that gastronomy is a form of cultural identity cannot be overlooked as it is factual in the uniqueness of a society’s aesthetic values in the taste of foods and drinks they produce and prepare. Based on the findings of this section, it is evident that gastronomy is quite influential in the transmission of culture from one generation to the next. Gastronomy as a field of study refines our understanding of a culture’s characteristics, operations, connections and diversity (Ferguson 1998) . The Future of Gastronomy As mentioned earlier in the introduction section of this paper, gastronomy is both a science and an art that studies all aspects relating to food. It follows that gastronomy is increasingly intertwining with other disciplines such as physics and biology. According to Mouritsen & Risbo (2013) it has given rise to the development of the study of “Gastrophysics”, a completely new approach to the study of food. Gastrophysics promises to give insight to various advances in physical sciences that can lead to the improvement in the study of food in terms of quality, quantity and flavour with particular emphasis on effects on the consumer. Similarly, other developing fields of discipline such as biophysics would also serve to contribute to the better understanding of gastronomy. Yet another aspect of the expanding network with which gastronomy has widened its scope is in the development of studies in molecular gastronomy.Ivanovic et al (2011) note that molecular gastronomy is the scientific study of food during preparation. In essence, molecular gastronomy is a new aspect of impacting knowledge on food that is particularly centred on the mechanism of the phenomenological happenings during food preparation and consumption. Knowledge obtained from molecular gastronomy has a great impact in various disciplines that among others include science and technology. Henceforth, the future of gastronomy is such that more and more studies are expected to develop which would serve to better understand, explain and interpret gastronomical studies for the betterment of societies in different parts of the world (Ivanovic et al, 2011). Conclusion The importance of studies in gastronomy stretch from merely health benefits that consumers stand to gain and encompasses several aspects in the socio- spheres of a community’s wellbeing. Thus, gastronomy can be considered as the art of living (Symons 1999; Ivanovic, et al, 2011; Guzman & Canizares 2011). Gastronomy is an art of living as portrayed in the dependency that humanity has on food and the manner in which various aspects of their life is influenced by their foods as discussed in this paper. Gastronomic studies have opened up avenues for tourism, appreciation of culture and related studies in other disciplines such as Gastrophysics which in turn will ultimately lead to better understanding of food and its influence on people’s lives (Mouritsen & Risbo 2013). References Bessiere, J 1998, Local Development and Heritage: Traditional Food and Cuisine as Tourist Attractions in Rural Areas, Blackwell Publishers, Malden. Ferguson, P.P. 1998, ‘A Cultural Field in the Making: Gastronomy in 19th –Century France.’ American Journal of Sociology, vol 104, Iss 3, pp. 597-641 Guzman, T. L & Canizares, S.S. 2011, ‘Gastronomy, Tourism and Destination Differentiation: A Case Study in Spain.’ Review of Economics and Finance, Academic Research Centre Canada, pp. 63-72 Harrington, J.R. 2005, ‘Defining Gastronomic Identity: The Impact of Environment and Culture on Prevailing Components, Texture and Flavours in Wine and Food.’ Journal of Culinary Science & Technology, vol. 4, Issue 2-3, pp. 129-152. Ivanovic, S, Mikinac, K & Perman, L. 2011, ‘Molecular gastronomy in function of scientific implementation in practice,’UTMS Journal of Economics vol 2, issue 2, pp. 139–150. Mouritsen, G. O & Risbo, J. 2013, ‘Gastrophysics-do we need it? viewed 17, August 2013 Symons, M 1999, Gastronomy as a tourist product: the perspective of Gastronomy studies, viewed 17, August 2013 Yurtseven, R. H & Karakas, N. 2005, ‘Creating a Sustainable Gastronomic Destination: The Case of Cittaslow Gokceada-Turkey,’American International Journal of Contemporary Research, vol. 3, no. 3, pp. 91-100. Read More