Gastronomic Essay: Analyzing Food's Role in Society and Culture

This essay provides an in-depth analysis of three gastronomic articles: "Stuffed cabbage and history lessons," "Rites of passage in Italy," and "Through Ruby colored glasses." The analysis, grounded in the primary academic text "Food" by J. Coveney, explores the multifaceted roles of food in culture, history, and society. The essay examines the historical and anthropological aspects of food, including culinary traditions, superstitions, and the evolution of eating habits. It delves into the significance of food in Italian celebrations, highlighting the rituals and symbolism associated with birth, marriage, and death. Furthermore, the essay investigates the psychological dimensions of food choices and the influence of contemporary trends on dietary patterns, emphasizing how food shapes individual and collective identities. The paper concludes by reiterating the central role of food in reflecting and influencing cultural and societal values, with particular attention to what, how, and why we eat.

Running head: GASTRONOMIC ESSAY
GASTRONOMIC ESSAY
Name of the student
Name of the university
Author Note

1GASTRONOMIC ESSAY
The respective paper is an analysis of three gastronomic articles named “Stuffed cabbage
and history lessons”, “Rites of passage in Italy” and “Through Ruby colored glasses” where the
three articles have been introspected, analyzed and interpreted in depth using the synopsis of the
primary academic text along with the other academic articles on gastronomy. The paper focuses
on the facts such as “what to eat”, “how to eat”, “the correct way and form to eat” and “the
correct form of food that can be cooked” keeping in mind the main article “Food” by J. Coveney.
The respective paper highlights the philosophy and anthropology associated with selecting raw
materials, cooking and serving. The philosophy of choosing right ingredients for being diet
conscious is also highlighted.
The respective article “Stuffed cabbage and history lessons” is an article that talks about
the history of culinary traditions all across the world. According to the article, there are certain
superstitions that are famous regarding food and ingredients (Radulescu Elena Lelia. 2016). For
example, the excessive usage of salt was taken as a back luck for the relationships of the newly
married couples. Throughout the article, it is shown that food was almost like religion or a way
of life where every ingredient has a role to play in the life of the individuals and the society.
Food has almost become a cultural epitome of the communities and societies and every
ingredient have a story or a history to be told. The article also says about tradition of storytelling
with the help of food and cooking processes in the kitchens. The article describes about the
culinary and kitchen- oriented traditions that have come down since ages from the homemakers
of the household that has shaped the quality as well as quantity of food along with other factors
such as salts, sauces and preservatives which has also affected the flavor of the food. It has to be
remembered that food is a part as well as a way of life, giving food a scientific quality and
identity of one’s own (Coveney J., 2014). As taken from Coveney’s book “food”, edibles or food

2GASTRONOMIC ESSAY
is considered to be the exhibition of the climate as well as the adaptability and physical- genetic
features of the population and the place. Therefore, the idea there is an anthropological history
that is associated with the food that we consume. According to the main academic ebook “Food”
by Coveney, which talks about food that has been represented as a reflection of society
exhibiting the socio-economic conditions of the people in a particular society, the humanness and
identity of the mankind is evident in the mentioned article. For instance, the leftover food was
reframed into a tasty cuisine with the mixture of perfect flavored sauces and spices by the
grandmothers and homemakers so that the leftovers might not be wasted. Such action also
exhibits the creativity or the artistic bent of mind that food can actually provide to the humans
(Montanari &Brombert, 2012). Cooking, which is also considered to be an art, was also a
concept to be dealt with deep analysis and introspection. The article discloses the idea aptly told
by Grimod de La Reyniere “Kitchen is a country in which there are always discoveries to be
made”. Indeed kitchen was considered to be the only place for the homemakers to showcase their
creative fervor and talent (Santich, 2009). The food, therefore, becomes an industry as stated in
Coveney’s “Food”. With the help of authenticity and modern gourmet ideas, kitchen can
actually become a pallet for the artists in which the artist plays with the colors (spices in this
case).
The second article named “Rites of passage in Italy” is a gastronomical account of Italy
and the society of Italy which is famous for its eating habits (Field, 2010). The article talks about
the everyday celebrations of Italy and the food, which is an integral part of the celebrations of
Italy. Italians are always seen to be merry making and also with food, which exhibits their
gourmet passions. The article describes about the special kind of food Italians have for their
domestic spheres. Italians celebrate every phase of life, beginning from birth, marriage and death

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and every occasion brings different recipes and dishes for the family to savor together. There are
myths associated with the birth times, such as, keeping a pregnant woman’s craving dissatisfied
might lead to babies born with birthmarks and so on. The pregnant women and the would- be-
mothers have been treated specially with special cuisines. On the other hand, the food that are
served to the new mothers are also symbolic and represents prosperity, fertility and blessings of
peace and harmony. The hospitality and the food in form of gifts that are given to the mothers
have the reflection of the renaissance and the nostalgia associated with it, thereby, depicting the
fact that food has become a signature of the historic legacy which defines politics and civic
liberties, as stated by Coveney in his book “Food”. The marriage functions of Italy showcases
grand feasts that are rich in fats and carbohydrates with huge quantities and the couples are fed
the best with wheat, which symbolizes fertility, an integral part of marriage followed by the
death functions and mourning meals. The dietary patterns that influences the gastronomic affairs
of the Italian society is depicted by the occasions of marriage and death which can be well
integrated with the ideas of Coveney which states food as an epitome of humanness (Coveney J.,
2014). Thus, to conclude, it can be said that food is the torch bearer and path finder of traditions
and culture and the fetish for handmade food is authentic and remarkably unique in varied
communities and societies (Benny, 2012).
The third article “Through Ruby colored glasses” is highly focused on the psychological
aspects of gourmet and gastronomy (Bailey, 2018). The respective article provides an insight
about what goes in mind in case of choosing the food and taking the test of the taste buds by the
cosmopolitan, metrosexual and contemporary men and women as the food nowadays have
become a philosophy (Allhoff & Monroe, 2009). With the amalgamation of race and culture,
there has been difference acknowledged among the individuals about the food habits. However,

4GASTRONOMIC ESSAY
while interpreting the article with Coveney’s book “Food”, the paper gives a deep insight about
the reasons behind the cravings for expressive, flavor focused and nourishing food by the
contemporary population. The article has once again repeated the idea of Coveney, which is food
that can shape one’s identity (differentiated as well as collective). The article also exhibits how
fashion has entered into the dietary patterns and how certain men and women come up in today’s
generation who boldly talk about their love for food and their foodie attitude, thereby, echoing
the idea and unique approach of Coveney on food that encompasses politics and identity at the
same time (Coveney J., 2014).
The respective paper concludes to be an analysis of three gastronomic articles named
“Stuffed cabbage and history lessons”, “Rites of passage in Italy” and “Through Ruby colored
glasses” where the three articles have been introspected, analyzed and interpreted in depth using
the synopsis of the primary academic text along with the other academic articles on gastronomy.
The paper concludes to focuses on the facts such as “what to eat”, “how to eat”, “the correct way
and form to eat” and “the correct form of food that can be cooked”. The respective paper
highlights the philosophy and anthropology associated with selecting raw materials, cooking and
serving. The philosophy of choosing right ingredients for being diet conscious is also
highlighted.

5GASTRONOMIC ESSAY
References:
Allhoff, F., & Monroe, D. (2009). Food and philosophy. [electronic resource] : eat, think, and
be merry. Blackwell Publishing Ltd, pp. 264-275.
Bailey, N. (2018). Through Ruby-coloured glasses. Australian Gourmet Traveller, 18(7), 82–84.
Benny, H. (2012). When Traditions Become Innovations and Innovations Become Traditions in
Everyday Food Pedagogies. Australian Journal of Adult Learning, 52(3), 595–
616.
Field, C. (2010). Rites of Passage in Italy. Gastronomica, 10(1), 32.
https://doi.org/10.1525/gfc.2010.10.1.32
Montanari, M., &Brombert, B. A. (2012). Let the meatballs rest. [electronic resource]: and
other stories about food and culture. Columbia University Press, pp. 123-142.
Radulescu Elena Lelia. (2016). Stuffed Cabbage and History Lessons. Gastronomica, 16(4), 110.
Santich, B. (2009). Looking for Flavour. (2ndedn). Kent Town (SA): Wakefield Press, pp. 212-
221.