Matt M's Essay

Essential Question: Why do most cultures combine their foods while Americans separate food groups?

Why do most cultures combine their foods while Americans separate food groups? Most cultures in the world only eat foods that are around them and do not separate food groups. Where as people in the United States can have a strange French pastry in the morning and by dinner a steak quesadilla. While my food group and I were in Boston we all found out great information about foods from many different cultures. Going into this trip I had already experienced real authentic food from three different cultures. I have traveled to Italy, Ireland and Switzerland, all of which do not mix there food groups.
In Boston we had Mexican, Chinese, and Italian, Thai, Irish, and Vietnamese foods during each meal. Mexican was the first stop on are list when we first arrived for breakfast in the morning. Boloco was the name of the burrito bar the served a variety of breakfast burritos. They did mix quite a different variety of foods such as: eggs, bacon, potatoes, rice, and salsa. This mix of food was quite a variety with eggs as a base of the burrito compared to a typical bean burrito. A typical American breakfast would be eggs with bacon and toast on the sides and a glass of juice.
Chinese food known for the phrase, “and that is?” with their noodles vegetables and mixed meats. Chinese rice and noodles can be plain or with variations of meat or vegetables. Americans would not make a plate filled with noodles, rice, vegetables, and meat. They would have a pile of each item individually, but never combine everything into one. Thai food is much like Chinese food with noodles and different types of rice, however, they add a spicier kick to the food that they eat. Along with Thai and Chinese food Vietnamese food is also in the same category. Vietnamese food uses more vegetables than meats. They also use a different variety of spices.
Italians do not just eat one meal but how about three meals in one sitting. Italians eat appetizers of pastas, then chesses, pasta with meat and the final course meat. Although they eat a lot of meals separate they eat more than one meal. The pastas can also have meat inside of it vegetables in the sauce. The Italians still mix there foods.
The Irish are not known for there glorious cooking or famous dishes they do in fact mix there dishes. The Irish make stews which contain vegetables, meat, potatoes in a thick gravy soup dish. Stews were made a lot in Ireland because of the poverty, it was cheap to make.
JUA was a great experience for the juniors at New Hampton School. The food group especially learned about many different cultures and the essential question that was written on the blogspot was answered after all the research that we did in Boston.