Special Occasion Food - Research Paper Example

Special Occasion Food Food events play a vital role in depicting celebrations, presenting as a gift or for an excuse to spend time with someone. Food choice is affected by a number of determinants ranging from biological, economic, social and psychological beliefs and needs. One categorization of preferences of food may be according to the type of gathering one expects to enjoy a meal with and the type of occasion on which they are gathering. Since social support has a healthy effect on food choices (Devine et al. 618), food prepared for a specific gathering is selected to influence the guests opinions. While preparing food for my friends and family, I will be well aware of their preferences of food so I will try to put efforts in making something they will enjoy eating. Unless it’s a very special occasion, I might not want to put time in making a large variety of dishes or very special food that might require careful attention with time. I will take it casually and if my friends are more in a mood for entertainment or I am out of time or tired, I might prefer ordering fast food. For a change from our routine food I would feel delighted to try some new meal with my friends. As for my family, I may not very readily opt for fast food unless it is the only thing they enjoy having. This distinction arises from the fact that mostly family gatherings are not intended to be formal at all. If it is a special occasion, I will like to provide a range of meals or some uncommon meal they all enjoy to make the dinner for the event distinct from usual dinners we gather for. Meat is usually a compulsory food presented in gatherings (Fiddes, 272). Presentation is not a necessary element when it comes to serving friends and family. Food events are also an opportunity to show friends and family about some healthy food habits I have adopted. Studies have shown that intake of healthy diet has increased when people get involved in preparing the food they eat and the learning they share (Buttriss et al. ; Lowe et al. 510; Baranowski et al. 53). What makes a meal event distinct for someone you know very well is you do not have to be very formal and can decide the meals and presentation of it on a short notice as well. Typical meals are also devoid of an element of surprise. As far as strangers are concerned, making a meal for them involves formalities. Firstly, choices are unknown so one way to make the guests enjoy the meal is to pick something almost everyone can enjoy. Naturally variety of food becomes necessary on such occasions as there is a possibility the guest might not opt for the common meal. Also presentation matters on such an occasion. Even if it is not a special occasion still presenting something unique and nicely done to strangers will leave an impact. Now if the guests are important and I tend to interact with them in future often, I will try to be frank with my guests and ask them their choice of food as well. Appetizers and dessert might be skipped when it is about friends and family as they do not expect you to be so formal, but with other important dignitaries these formalities are required. This is one way of buying more time to spend with your guests. However, since people are becoming more cautious of their sugar levels dessert should be presented in small servings that will make the guest feel the sugar intake is less (The Hartman group). The arrangement of food and cutlery used should be neat and appealing. Religion and customs have a huge impact on meal management for a stranger. One has to know the stranger’s food beliefs well enough to avoid any unpleasant surprises for the guest. Also in some customs the specific preparation of food may matter as well (Clifford). So to make the guest feel comfortable and make the meal enjoyable for the guest, it is very necessary to prepare the food in a way that is acceptable for a person on religious and customary terms. What constitutes a special occasion food is dependent on the type of event and culture. The gatherings impact the cultural choice and variety of foods where as the occasion is depicted by the type of food presented. These foods symbolize the feelings of a specific events as wheat noodles are served on birthdays in Northern China and cakes with candles are used all over the globe for birthday celebrations. Similarly specific types of cakes signify wedding celebrations and bakery items if missing from a tea party just take the fun out of the event. The way a specific food is symbolized determines the special occasion the food is expected to be used in. Cultural and religious beliefs play a major role in determining the menu of an event. The other element that makes them special is a variety. People do not go for a variety of foods on a day to day basis. So this variety alone makes the guest feel special even before tasting the food. Another element that makes a food specific to an occasion is the way it is prepared. Most meals can be made in many ways to bring out the end result. The only difference is of a spark in the taste is the way it is made. In everyday life people tend to use easy approaches and compromise on the taste of the meal. On special occasions, shortcuts are not preferred as taste is given more importance over time. Special occasion foods generally tend to have ingredients either not commonly used in routine or a method to cook that requires special time. So an excitement of arranging an event acts as a fuel to go out of the way and gather not so common ingredients to mark the event special. Similarly garnishing and presentation of table and room makes a meal special. References Devine, Carol M., et al. "“A lot of sacrifices:” Work-family spillover and the food choice coping strategies of low wage employed parents." Social science & medicine (1982) 63.10 (2006): 617-630 "The Hartman Group : Sweetener Wars: Refining the Treat." Custom Consumer Market Research and Food Culture Trends | The Hartman Group. The Hartman Group, 23 Jan. 2013. Web. 26 Feb. 2013. Buttriss, J., et al. "Successful ways to modify food choice: lessons from the literature." Nutrition Bulletin 29.4 (2004): 333-343. Lowe, C. F., et al. "Effects of a peer modelling and rewards-based intervention to increase fruit and vegetable consumption in children." European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 58.3 (2004): 510-522. Baranowski, Tom, et al. "Squire’s Quest!: dietary outcome evaluation of a multimedia game." American journal of preventive medicine 24.1 (2003): 52-61. Geertz, Clifford. The interpretation of cultures. Vol. 5019. Basic books, 1977. Fiddes, Nick. Meat, a Natural Symbol. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. Read More