HW #4

Especially in the US, there's a wide variety of families with various backgrounds which inspire their way of life including aspects such as education, discipline, and dietary habits. Rituals and beliefs are passed down from one generation to another that may slightly change overtime but the core most significant aspect that changes less often is food. Types of food do not emerge over a short period of time, they have history that can reveal so much about its origin. I see food as a sign of survival since it shows what they were fed and ate under their situation. Countries that were once poor might incorporate cheaper ingredients into their diet to cut food prices, countries surrounded by water may have consumed much more seafood than a country with a large landmass. How people ate over the years of famine and deprivation is the root of how people eat now.

My parents both were born and raised in Japan, but the way they eat seemed to be deeply influenced by their family's background as well as where they were born within Japan. My mom explained to me that she grew up in a rather wealthy house hold and many food choices were available, as to my dad who grew up in a low/middle classed household which often lead to repetition and a smaller range of choices. Though how they grew up had differences, the mentality that every meal should be balanced was the same for both. I believe that this is a sign of dietary habits being influenced by culture and belief. This has also been passed down to me, but after asking whether these "rules" are the same as when they were disciplined, they told me "we try not to alter the most significant part which happens to be simple. Eat a balanced meal and stay healthy, but we don't enforce it the way we experienced it".

Though I do have a Japanese background, It seems like my fridge is mixed with foods from all over. I'll have a few Japanese foods here and there, but everything else seems to be more or less things that don't have a unique cultural background such as butter. Perhaps there is some deep history behind it, but as far as I know its very much neutral. One thing I see that has always been enforced in my house is healthiness being prioritized over taste. Foods that are unhealthy and addicting are bought rarely and is a part of how we were raised. Beverages such as soda were rarely bought when I was little therefore making every time I got my hands on it, a wonderful flavorful experience. These restriction made me live healthy, and also opened my eye to foods that don't need the extra fat and oil in order to taste good.