With the development of technology and transportation, more people are exposed to foreign cultures that are found all around the world. What seemed different and unique to a place that was inaccessible could finally be familiarized. Although the people try to preserve its authenticity, the culture will never be the same as where it originated. People fail to realize that no matter how much work and effort they put onto presenting an authentic experience, they could only resemble it. That is because authenticity is a combination of multiple factors: the people, locality, the traditions/practices, and personal connection.
An example that came up during a class discussion was Glady’s, a Caribbean restaurant in Brooklyn found by two Caucasian males that claims to serve authentic food. The main issue is apparent in the restaurant’s background information – how can two non-Caribbean men that serve food in a non-Caribbean area create anything authentic to the Caribbean culture. To be fair, the founder, Michael Jacober has travelled around most parts of Jamaica and has spent a lot of time in absorbing the culture and traditions. He even went to the extent using wood from Jamaica to prepare the jerk chicken. His effort is admirable and deserves to be recognized, but I believe that he cannot be truly authentic. He may provide a food experience that reminds the Caribbean people of the community of their home, but he cannot recreate everything.
Mintz is correct in arguing that food objects, or cultures in general, change inevitably as it moves into a different place. There is a reason for why cultures have grown in such unique fashions. The environment – the temperature, the animals, the available crops; the people – different beliefs, creativities, and experiences; and the traditions. It is also because of these factors that when people experience a different culture, but find it too different, they modify to fit their preferences. Food objects are not an exception; people indigenize it to fit to their taste.
Michael Jacober may have the intention in preserving the culture and chose to serve his food in the most authentic form as possible, but there are factors that he cannot control. For example, in the chicken that he uses to serve the jerk chicken, they were born and raised in American farms. It is impossible for American chickens to taste the same as Jamaican chickens as they receive different meals and undergo different activities. Just this one detail destroys the idea that Glady’s is serving completely authentic chicken. Of course, it may resemble so closely in the process of preparing and cooking, so much so that even Caribbean people cannot tell the difference. However, I continue to believe that authenticity is impossible to achieve in a foreign area by foreign people because of indigenization, the environment, the culture, and the people. It all comes down to subjectivity to determine whether a food object is authentic, but objectively, it can never achieve true authenticity.
February 16, 2017 at 3:17 pm
It seems evident that making authentic food from one part of the world in another part of the world is impossible. The question to be asked isn’t if it i possible, but how close one can get and if the difference really matters.In the case with Glady’s restaurant, if the food is good, highly inspired by the Caribbean original, and close enough that even Caribbean people can not tell the difference, perhaps it is ok for them to have food that isn’t ‘authentic’ Caribbean while still calling it Caribbean food.
February 17, 2017 at 12:00 am
I might’ve emphasized too much on the point of authenticity is impossible to achieve in another part of the world, but that is because people put too much value on the “authentic” label of food. I agree with you that they should call it Caribbean food, because that is what they are serving. I believe that authenticity is only achievable in the part of the world that it came to be, and people that are spreading the food recipes should not argue whether a food object is authentic or not, but enjoy it for what it is. The difference and authenticity does not matter because food is made for enjoyment.
February 20, 2017 at 3:32 pm
I like how you go in depth and talk about the “environment – the temperature, the animals, the available crops; the people – different beliefs, creativities, and experiences; and the traditions” as factors of influencing food. I agree that what determines the authenticity of food is to a certain extent subjective, because if someone has had an authentic dish and then has the same dish, but made somewhere else, and he/she thinks it tastes authentic, then who is to say that person is wrong?