Nutritionists inform us what foods are goods and necessary
in the diet, what the effect of particular foods will be on the figure and how
much of each food we require. This helps to produce an ‘image’ of food. This
image changes according to research, availability of food and what is
considered to constitute healthy eating.
What people choose to eat says something about them as a
person - it creates an image. We are what we eat, but why do we choose to eat
what we do when there is choice? One person will perhaps avoid trying snails
because of ignorance of how to eat them, or because the idea is repulsive,
while another will select them deliberately to show off to other diners. One
person will select a dish because it is a new experience, another will choose
it because it was enjoyed when eaten before. The quantity eaten may indicate a
glutton or a gourmand; the quality selected, a gourmet.
Ideas about Food
People’s ideas about food and meals, and about what is and
what is not acceptable, vary according to where and how they were raised, the
area in which they live and its social customs.
Different societies and cultures have had in the past, and
still have, conflicting ideas about what constitutes good cooking and a good
chef, and about the sort of food a good chef should provide. The French tradition
of producing fine food and highly respected chefs continues to this day -
whereas other countries may traditionally have less interest in the art of
cooking, and less esteem for chefs.
What constitutes people’s idea of a snack, a proper meal or
a celebration will depend on their backgrounds, as will their interpretation of
terms such as lunch or dinner. One person’s idea of a snack may be another
person’s idea of a main meal; a celebration for some will be a visit to a
hamburger bar; for others, a meal at a fashionable restaurant.
The idea of what is ‘the right thing to do’ regarding eating
varies with age, social class and religion. To certain people it is right to
eat with the fingers, others use only a fork; some will have cheese before the
sweet course, others will have cheese after it; it is acceptable that children
and, sometimes, elderly people need food to be cut up into small pieces, and
that people of some religions do not eat certain foods. The ideas usually
originate from practical and hygiene reasons, although sometimes the origin is
obscure.
