Sidney Mintz’s piece, “Food and Diaspora,” delineates food as an act of travel. Throughout reading Mintz’s essay, I undoubtedly experienced a refreshingly new appreciation for the importance of food in one’s society. Food is an essential part of a culture’s inherent identity. We often associate different foods with cultures, such as pizza being an Italian dish, or sushi being a Japanese dish. Yet, the two aforementioned foods are widely available in different parts of the world. The travel of food breaks cultural boundaries and enlightens societies with what lies beyond their norms.

According to Mintz, “When food objects, processes—even ideas—spread from one society to another, the receiving society is likely to modify, often to misunderstand, and usually to redefine what it has received.” Mintz’s stance on food identity and authenticity seemingly suggests that a society’s cuisine is often imitated but cannot be duplicated by a foreign society.

Glady’s, a Brooklyn restaurant which is known for their Jamaican cuisine, was the topic of our class conversation when analyzing and applying Mintz’s piece to our society. Glady’s is owned by two white males and thus, in light of Mintz’s piece, begs the question: what right do these individuals have to serve Jamaican food that they deem to be authentic?

Glady’s “story” is an interesting one. The owners were on vacation in Jamaica when they found a man preparing and serving jerk chicken on the beach. After tasting the chicken, the men instantly became eager to learn its recipe. They prolonged their stay in Jamaica for a week in order to learn as much as they can from the man, and with their newly acquired recipes, they returned to Brooklyn and opened Glady’s.

At first I thought that this story was far-fetched. Why would a Jamaican man husting on a beach spare his time to teach two strangers the foundation of his craft? However, after giving this some thought I have come to the conclusion that it doesn’t matter how true the owners’ story is. At the end of the day, they have brought a foreign cuisine to an area where it may not have been otherwise experienced. The owners seem to be putting substantial effort in making their restaurant serve as authentic of Jamaican food as possible. Besides, to those who are entirely unfamiliar with the Jamaican cuisine, the authenticity of Glady’s is impossible to judge. It can, however, be enjoyed and evoke appreciation for the Jamaican culture.

America was coined “the melting pot” for a reason—it is a country where cultures intermingle and blend. I believe that the owners of Glady’s had done the community a service.