Intro to Global Foods: Food Patterns and CustomsFST10

MacInnes

2014

Food Patterns and Customs

As we know, food consumption is influenced by a variety of factors including, but not limited to, culture, family (psychological, behavioural, genetic), industrialization, geography (& urban vs. rural), etc.

Food patterns are a reliable sample of traits, acts, tendencies, or other observable characteristics related to food that is eaten by a person or group (For ex, some eat turkey at Christmas while others eat fish).

Food customs are all the uses, practices, or conventions that regulate foods habits (the ways people eat and cook foods on a regular basis).

List some foods and beverages you consumed in the past two days (categories p. 26)

Many factors come into play in people’s food patterns and customs.

Geography and Climate

Before globalisation and wide-spread transport, people had to eat only the foods available to them locally.

The type of land and the water near or around it affected the natural availability of plants and animals for food.

The length of the seasons in each climate zone depends on latitude, longitude and proximity to water; the Canadian climate limits our growing season to spring, summer and early fall.

Now that technology is available to transport foods from all over the world, geography and climate no longer plays a major role in food supply that it once did.

Historical Progress

Fire (half a million years ago) allowed people to eat cooked foods.

Nomadic tribes (until ~3000 BC) people obtained their food through hunting & gathering. Diets were primarily vegetarian with meat only on occasion.

Agriculture (3000-2700 BC) with settlements, people stopped the nomadic lifestyle of following food to cultivate crops. Early farmers grew only enough for themselves and their families (subsistence agriculture).

Migration, travel & trade (1400-1600) Early European explorers discovered new cuisines, spices and customs and brought them back to their home country.

Industrialization (1750-1850) the Industrial Revolution had an impact on all aspects of food production and distribution (agriculture, food processing, shopping)

Historical Progress cont.

Immigration (19th century) people immigrating to North America transplanted many home traditions, including plants not native to North America.

Urbanization (1800-1850) when people moved to cities in large numbers, there were no longer many farmers on small farms. Agriculture changed to feed cities.

Modern food processing (1800-present) transformation of raw ingredients into food for consumption (tomatoes into ketchup) – began with canning and has become more mechanized.

Science and technology (1870-present) changed what and how foods are processed (greenhouse technology, hydroponics, genetically modified foods, etc.) Catch 22 – modern medicine and technology but a dramatic increase in disease.

Activity!

History of Food Timeline Assignment (see Moodle)