Buzzfeed Food Videos

The two Buzzfeed videos I decided to watch were "Chinese People Try Panda Express for the First Time" and "Mexican People Try Taco Bell for the First Time". It was really easy for me to relate to "Chinese People Try Panda Express for the First Time" as coming from Hong Kong, a place where Chinese food is authentic and local,  trying Panda Express for the first time was a similar experience to those in the video.

When trying Panda Express for the first time, I vividly remember criticizing the food, concluding that It wasn't Chinese at all. For starters, as they mentioned in the video, there are no egg rolls in Chinese cuisine. I also remember pointing out Chinese food doesn't have peas in it, like their fried rice did.

I feel the different feedback on Panda express related with each individuals backgrounds. I noticed that some of the American born Chinese felt that the food wasn't bad, while the elderly Chinese admitted that some of these foods did not exist in their cuisines. To my surprise the elderly Chinese, did think some of the food, such as the Lo Mein and the Hot and Sour soup, tasted authentic. 

 I agree with what the elderly Chinese concluded in the video that while Panda Express is good, but it isn't Chinese food. 

I personally have never tried Taco Bell, but I can imagine being that it is a fast food version of Mexican food it wouldn't be that authentic. I was able to relate to the reactions of the people in the video who were trying Americanised versions of their  cultures food and being disappointed at how unauthentic the food tastes, and then realising this is what some Americans actually think Mexican food is. I too experienced this disappointment when trying Panda Express and realizing that some people actually thought this was Chinese food.

Cox Food Hall

It was 12:45 pm on a Tuesday and I had 10 minutes to grab a bite before my class at 1. I ran down the steps to Cox Food Hall, pushing past the crowd and through the glass doors, staring at the number of people before me.  I remember thinking to myself, 'there is no way I'm going to make it to class on time'. Quickly scanning the room, I adsorbed the various cuisines surrounding me. Indian, Mexican, Italian, Asian - I knew I wanted Asian. 

I worked my way through the sea of people and up to the asian counter, Maru. There was no clear definition of where the line for Maru ended and the line for the next vendor began. I slyly joined a random part of the line hoping no one around me would notice. To my surprise, the line moved quite quickly, making me wait less than 5 minutes for the 10 people in front of me.

When I got to the counter I was immeadiatley consumed by the numerous options, white rice, brown rice, teriyaki chicken, ginger chicken, beef, tofu - the works. The lady serving kindly asked what rice I would be having, and without a second thought I responded - “white please”. Because of my indecisiveness I ended up having a white rice bowl with both teriyaki and ginger chicken, topped with both vegetables and kimchi, and drizzles teriyaki sauce. The woman graciously smiled as she handed me my bowl and a pair of chopsticks, and I thanked her and wished her well for the remainder of her day.

I headed to the counter to pay for my meal. While in the line I was able to full absorb the beauty of Cox Food Hall. The large lass windows let in healthy amounts of natural lighting. The ceiling supporting dangling decorations that add color to the room. The layout of centered tables surrounded by vendors on all sides resembles the layout of a mall food court. I checked my watch, 4 minutes till my class started. At last, it was my turn to pay, the lady grumpily greeted me and asked my if I was paying with Dooley Dollars. I responded with Dooley and struggled to swipe my card as I was in a hurry. Once the payment went through I thanked the lady who grouchily responded to my gratitude with, “Next!” 

All in all my experience at Cox Food Hall was definitely worth going back for, the food was satisfying and catered to my Asian food cravings. So much so, that I, along with other freshman, have already finished my Dooley Dollars. When asked why she enjoys Cox Food Hall, Victoria Murra responded with, “What’s not to like? I’ve finally found some edible food on this campus!” Hence explaining why she too has finished her Dooley Dollars. 

In Class Activity: The Making of a Meal

The first thing that comes to mind when thinking about cooking, is that I can't cook. It's not that I haven't tried, I'm definitely a food lover, but something or the other always ends up getting burned. If I was to prepare a meal for my class dinner party I would attempt to prepare dishes from my favorite cuisine, Korean. I would make Kimbap, Kimchi Dumplings, and Vanilla Ice cream.

In order to get the ingredients for these dishes I would have to go to Whole Foods and Great Wall.

Shopping List:
Kimbap:
- Sushi Rice
- Seaweed
- Chicken
- Cheese
- Egg
- Cucumber
- Carrots
- Soy Sauce
-Sesame Oil
- Teriyaki Chicken Marinade
Kimchi Dumplings:
- Bibigo Chicken and Kimchi Dumpling Packets (Frozen)
Vanilla Ice Cream

In order to prepare the kimbap, I would first marinate the chicken in teriyaki sauce overnight to the flavor sets in well. Then I would begin cooking the sushi rice and preparing the vegetables with sesame oil so there is more flavoring. When the rice is nearly ready I would begin grilling the chicken, and cooking the egg into and omelet. Once those parts are ready I would chop the cucumber, carrots, and omelet into thin strips. I would then lay the seaweed out and spread the rice on the center of the seaweed wrapper, followed by the strips of carrots, and egg.

Things to add:
- How I would roll the Kimbap
- How the cheese would be melted
- How I would panfry the frozen dumplings
- How I would make sweet soy sauce
- How vanilla ice cream will be soothing to the taste palate after the kimchi dumplings.

My Experiences with Eating Locally

In my eyes, eating local has always meant eating fruits and vegetables that a freshly grown. In order to qualify as "fresh" these fruits and vegetables should be chemical (preservative) free and not genetically modified. It makes sense in my mind that food that was truly fresh should not be coming out of a wrapper, or a factory for that matter.

Growing up in Hong Kong,  a city where majority of things are imported, It wasn't until recently that we were able to properly eat fresh. Supermarkets carried mainly genetically modified fruits and vegetables until the recent fad of eating fresh attracted markets for organic fruits and vegetables. My mother however, always went out of her way to find organic food for our family. She would order fruits, vegetables, milk and chicken online from around the world just to ensure they were chemical free. While these goods were organic, they failed to be sustainable because of the carbon footprint created in order for us to receive them. Fresh food should be something one is able to get the same day, or in one day, not something that is shipped and driven all around the world.

Type of Evidence in Articles

The two articles I looked at, "Here's Why Salads Feel Feminine and Nachos Seem Manly" by Tanya Basu,  and "India's War On Biryani Mixes Caste, Religion, Cow-Avenging Vigilantes"  by Sandip Roy are both supported by different kinds of evidence.

Basu's article on salads vs. nachos uses mainly secondary evidence, as Basu consistently turns to others experiments and studies for evidence to support her claim. For example in paragraph four, she mentions how "In the first of a series of experiments, Zhu and his team asked 93 adults which foods they considered masculine and feminine: baked chicken versus fried chicken, baked potatoes versus French fries, light potato chips versus regular potato chips, and baked fish versus fried fish. The results showed, unsurprisingly, that there was a significant tie to food and gender perception. People were more likely to see the unhealthier options as masculine and the healthier options as more feminine."

Roy's article on Briyani differs from Basu's in the sense that it turns to primary evidence in the form of interviews to back up its claims. When Roy states, '"Everything is cooked together, rice and meat," says Nadim Amin, whose family has owned Aminia restaurant in Kolkata since 1929.' he is providing a statement from a man he, himself,  interviewed, which confirms it is a primary source of evidence.

Food and Religion

From a young age there were two things I knew about being Hindu. The first being that we had to be vegetarian on Mondays, and the second being that we had to be vegetarian on Thursdays. We also had to be vegetarian on every full moon, or any big holiday, such as Diwali. So to sum it up, we had to be vegetarian a lot. 

I never really understood what the deal was with being vegetarian. But being child I didn't question, I just ate what I was given, never really noticing the difference. Mac and cheese, vegetable fried rice, vegetarian curries, were all components of my weekly eating schedule, literally. My mum actually purchases a dry erase schedule which she paste to the fridge and planned out each meal in advance, including all the vegetarian meals. 

When I hit 5th grade I stopped being vegetarian. I can't remember if it was a Tuesday or a Thursday, but I cheated. I saw all my friends eating chicken nuggets in the cafeteria, and I knowingly went for it. I had never felt so guilty in my life. I came home crying to my mum, coming clean for what I had done. To my surprise, she wasn't upset - she had done the same thing when she was my age. She explained to me the reason behind being vegetarian on certain days. According to her, Hindus dedicate each day of the week to a different form of god (deity), and our family was vegetarian on Tuesdays and Thursdays because those are the deities our family had chosen to worship. 

Although I am no longer consistently vegetarian on Tuesdays and Thursdays I know understand the religious reasoning behind the food restriction that I lived by for a good length of my life. 

Feeding an Identity- Gender, Food, and Survival - Summary

In her piece, Feeding an Identity - Gender,  Food, and Survival, Norma Baumel Joseph discusses the importance of food in society and its relation to "maintaining ethnic and national identities". She begins her article with an example of how Judaism is a religion that revolves around food, whether it's various dietary restrictions or eating rituals. Joseph provides the example of how food is a central concept in Passover, and not just an “incidental or supportive element”.

Joseph then goes on to explain how food serves as a “link between generations” and how ingesting food allows one to “seemingly become one with tradition”. She then goes on to argue against those who talk disapprovingly of the relationship between Judaism and food, and shifting subjects to the “invisible ritual expert and participant” - the women. 

Throughout the essay Joseph maintains the idea that though often neglected, women are the power source behind the culture of food. She explains how there was a time where people believed that women belonged purely in the kitchen, “cooking and caring for children” was all they did and all they could do. Joseph then goes on to state that the invisibility of women was so extreme people felt that all women were the same, “no need to mention name or deed”.

Joseph goes on to clarify that women’s roles in “food production are no longer irrelevant”. She reaffirms that the power women now have has been gained from the power of food, and that women are the sole reason holidays such as Passover and other traditions continue to exist today.

Joseph concludes by reminding the audience that “food connects with all aspects of human existence” and that it continues to “carry the weight of tradition, the nostalgia of the past, and the challenge of the future. 

Personal Food Essay (Revised)

Head still in my cubby, I quickly unzipped my lunchbox and deeply inhaled, trying to decipher what the meal I had been anxiously anticipating was. One whiff was enough to have me up and eagerly running towards the cafeteria. My mum had cooked my favorite, Sai Bhaji, an Indian curry made of lentils and spinach, and I was more ready to fill what felt like a hole in my belly. 

My classmates lined up by the door, waiting for the teacher to signal it was time to leave for the cafeteria. I followed close behind, trying to be cautious as I skipped up the stairs. The excitement that had been building up within me disappeared as soon as I got a glimpse of the cafeteria. My right hand clutched my lunch box tight, as I scanned the room searching for a place to sit. 

Crowded was an understatement, especially for a lonely third grader in her first week of school. What seemed like a sea of people was divided evenly by  the line for food. To the left of me people rummaged through their pockets, trying to quickly find their lunch money before they reached the counter. On my right, people shoveled past the crowd trying to reheat their home-packed meals. I followed my classmates to the microwaves, patiently waiting my turn and trying to identify the various aromas that filled the area around us. The Chinese girl in front of me pulled off the lid of her container, allowing me to quickly spot what appeared to be her delicious fried rice. Another girl removed her spaghetti from the microwave, making way for me to put my lunch in.

I clasped onto the rim of my container, rushing to find a seat before my fingertips burnt from the heat. From the corner of my eye I was able to spot some of the girls from my class. I anxiously walked towards them hoping they would have room for one more. To my surprise the girls welcomed me with warm smiles and waves, pulling up an extra chair. I laid out my food neatly in the place before me, watching as the girls simultaneously raised their sandwiches to their mouths. 

“Mines peanut butter and jelly!” I heard one of them announce. 

“Me too!” Some of the others chorused.

I flipped the seal of my lunchbox and deeply inhaled as flavorful smoke escaped the container. I excitedly grabbed a spoon and shoveled my first bite, sighing with satisfaction. I looked up, grinning widely as I scooped up my next bite. One of the  girls asked, “What is that you’re eating?” with a look of disgust on her face. Another commented “It looks like diarrhea” as she scrunched her nose and turned away. I turned away with shame as a tear trickled down my face.  I knew what I had to do. 

“I have no idea what this is, it’s disgusting!” I screamed as I stood up and walked towards the bin. I turned back and watch the girls as they whispered with relief. I knew If I didn’t chuck this out I wouldn’t be invited to sit with them again. Hovering over the bin I shook out my container, dumping its contents for good. I stormed back to the table, trying to put on a calm front, remaining quiet and hungry for the rest of lunch.

“How was school?” My mum eagerly questioned as I walked through the front door. The look of happiness on her face sent me running straight to my room in tears. She had tried to embarrass me today; she obviously didn’t want me to have friends. Mum walked into my room as I searched my bed for more pillows to burry myself under. 

“What happened to you?” She questioned as she tried to remove the pillows off of me.

“You know what happened!” I screamed back. “You did this on purpose, you gave me Sai Bhaji for lunch! How could you do that?” I sniffled pushing her hands off of me. She wiped my tears away and explained to me that she was only trying to give me my favorite food for lunch, not stop me from making friends. 

“If you really want, I’ll make you a sandwich for lunch tomorrow, but you shouldn’t be embarrassed to be you. Sai Bhaji is YOUR favorite food!” She tried to convince me. Deep down I knew she was right. 

The day had passed, and I was back in the same position, staring at the clock, waiting, watching as the hands struck 12. It was finally lunch time, and I was having my favorite, Sai Bhaji. 

Gai Daan Jai

One does not go about their day in the city of Hong Kong without coming across some Gai Daan Jai. The sweet aroma drifts through the streets, making its way to individual’s noses. The stall owners watch as crowds walk by, calling out to them different deals, negotiating prices. Once they’ve finally grabbed your attention by waving waffles in your face, shop owners say those 3 magical words, “we make fresh”. Those three little words is what gets me every time, because thats the best way to have them, fresh off the hot griddle.

Traditionally there was one flavor, original, but stall keepers have been keeping up with the trends, offering versions with various fillings. Red bean, green tea, custard, and even chocolate chips - they have it all!

Its as if each time is my first, I stand and wait excitedly, watching as buttery clouds escape from the gap between the two hot plates. The stall keeper will slowly open the pan to check on the waffles, and I follow by tiptoeing over the edge of the stall trying to eye the perfectly golden brown semi-spheres. I watch as the crisp edges are pulled off the pan and rolled into a cone-like formation. “Condensed milk? Peanut butter?” the stall keeper questions raising a knife to my perfection. I quickly shake my head and thank them as they hand me my Gai Daan Jai, egg waffles. 

Theres nothing that kills me more than watching some one bite right into their egg waffles, unevenly breaking through multiple bubbles. Theres a reason they are in bubbles, one is meant to peel them off one bubble at a time and savor the sweet-eggy taste in their mouth, before moving on to the next bubble and reliving the whole experience. 

People always compliment my “adventurous” taste in food, complimenting me on my ability to eat local street food. But Gai Daan Jai is more than street food to me, each individual bubble embodies parts of my childhood. What people fail to realize is that I am not some foreigner venturing out and trying “Hong Kong-ese” street food. I am local, I am “Hong Kong -ese”, and Gai Daan Jai is my favorite food.

Tuscan Dairy Whole Vitamin D Milk

The audience of a typical Amazon review would be someone who is interested in shopping online (on Amazon) and is interested in doing research/or reading reviews on a product they are about to purchase to ensure they get the best possible product. People who write customer reviews are generally people who have had extreme experiences on the spectrum of online shopping. These extreme experiences can either be extremely good, and customers feel the need to share their amazing experiences with future customers assuring them the product its worth its while. On the other hand experiences can be extremely horrible and customers feel the need to warn future customers about the poor performance of the product, and tell them not to purchase the good.   

The review of 'Tuscan Dairy Whole Vitamin D Milk" I chose to analyze takes the form of a narrative. In this narrative the author describes how her husband would come home every Friday after a hard week of work carrying "an icy jug of Tuscan Whole Milk, 1 Gallon, 128 fl oz in his right hand". The author then mentions how one Friday her husband failed to come home with the jug of milk and she knew something was wrong. The author then goes on to say "He was tired of this life with me, tired of bringing home the Tuscan Whole Milk, 1 Gallon, 128 fl oz." explaining how her husband was probably living some secret life behind her back and cheating on her. I feel like this particular review isn't formatted like other reviews I have seen on Amazon because it doesn't necessarily rate or review the product they are commenting on. As I mentioned earlier, it is more of a personal narrative, and it is probably targeted for an audience who is interested in reading a short detailed narrative that is dramatic and entertaining. 

Link to the Review:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/RKT07YYORZMZE/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_viewpnt?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B00032G1S0#RKT07YYORZMZE

Audience Vs. Genre and Everything In Between

Every writer has an audience. Whether their audience is a friend, family member, professor, strange or even their self, every writer has an audience. Every writer also has a genre. Whether they intend to or not, each different style of writing can be considered a genre, including poetry, personal narratives, letters, academic essays etc...  Both the terms "audience" and "genre" can be applied to various aspects of life. For example, individuals watching a play or performance put on by other individuals become part of an audience. Genres on the other hand can be related to music, specifically the different types of music including rap, hiphop, pop and classical. Audience and genre are related in many ways, one being that different genres have different audiences. For example if ones audience was business men, one wouldn't write a romance novel.

Personal Food Essay

English 101 - Food, Feelings and Film

Manishka Daryanani

02/09/2016

Head still in my cubby, I quickly unzipped my lunchbox and deeply inhaled, trying to decipher what the meal I had been anxiously anticipating was. One whiff was enough to have me up and eagerly running towards the cafeteria. My mum had cooked my favorite, Sai Bhaji, an Indian curry made of lentils and spinach, and I was more ready to fill what felt like a hole in my belly. 

My classmates lined up by the door, waiting for the teacher to signal it was time to leave for the cafeteria. I followed close behind, trying to be cautious as I skipped up the stairs. The excitement that had been building up within me disappeared as soon as I got a glimpse of the cafeteria. My right hand clutched my lunch box tight, as I scanned the room searching for a place to sit. Crowded was an understatement, especially for a lonely third grader in her first week of school. What seemed like a sea of people was divided evenly by  the line for food. To the left of me people rummaged through their pockets, trying to quickly find their lunch money before they reach the counter. On my right, people shoveled past the crowd trying to reheat their home-packed meals. I followed my classmates to the microwaves, patiently waiting my turn and trying to identify the various aromas that filled the area around us. The Chinese girl in front of me pulled off the lid of her container, allowing me to quickly spot what appeared to be her delicious fried rice. Another girl removed her spaghetti from the microwave making way for me to put my lunch in. 

I clasped onto the rim of my container, rushing to find a seat before my fingertips burnt from the heat. From the corner of my eye I was able to spot some of the girls from my class. I anxiously walked towards them hoping they would have room for one more. To my dismay the girls welcomed me with warm smiles and waves, pulling up an extra chair. I laid out my food neatly in the place before me, watching as the girls simultaneously raised their sandwiches to their mouths. 

“Mines peanut butter and jelly!” I heard on of them announce. 

“Me too!” Some of the others chorused.

I flipped the seal of my lunchbox and deeply inhaled as flavorful smoke escaped the container. I excitedly grabbed my spoon and shoveled my first bite, sighing with satisfaction. I looked above me grinning widely as I scooped up my next bite. One of the  girls asked, “What is that your eating?” with a look of disgust on her face. Another followed “It looks like diarrhea” as she scrunched her nose and turned away. I turned away with shame as a tear trickled down my face.  I knew what I had to do. 

“I have no idea what this is, it’s disgusting!” I screamed as I stood up and walked towards the bin. I turned back and watch the girls as they whispered with relief. I knew If I didn’t chuck this out I wouldn’t be invited to sit with them again. Hovering over the bin I shook out my container, dumping its contents for good. I stormed back to the table, trying to put on a calm front, remaining quiet and hungry for the rest of lunch.

“How was school?” My mum eagerly questioned as I walked through the front door. The look of happiness on her face sent me running straight to my room in tears. She had tried to embarrass me today, she obviously didn’t want me to have friends. Mum walked into my room as I searched my bed for more pillows to burry myself under. 

“What happened to you?” She questioned as she tried to remove the pillows off of me.

“You know what happened!” I screamed back. “You did this on purpose, you gave me Sai Bhaji for lunch! How could you do that?” I sniffled pushing her hands off of me. She wiped my tears away and explained to me that she was only trying to give me my favorite food for lunch, not stop me from making friends. “If you really want I’ll make you a sandwich for lunch tomorrow, but you shouldn’t be embarrassed of being you, Sai Bhaji is YOUR favorite food!” She tried to convince me. Deep down I knew she was right. 

I stared at the clock, waiting, watching as the hands struck 12. It was finally lunch time, and I was having my favorite, Sai Bhaji.