Pat S's Essay

Essential Question: Are certain peoples/cultures proud of their foods and does food “unite” them in some way?

With my essential question in mind, I set out with my JUA group to find the answer in the restaurants and streets of Boston. After eating in many different restaurants of many different cultures I began to feel as though certain peoples and cultures are proud of their foods. I could feel that food does unite people. There were many different factors which led me to this conclusion, and I thoroughly enjoyed my search for answers.
Our first stop along the way was for breakfast at a little restaurant called Boloco. This was a place that specialized in making burritos, which is a food that is normally associated with Mexico and other southern countries. When we entered the shop you could instantly tell by the decorations that the owners were proud of their culture. The walls were painted in vibrant reds, yellows, and oranges. The only options on the menu were burritos, and most of them included various spices and salsas. At Boloco you could tell that the people who ran it were proud of their culture and this is why they decorated their shop in ways that were traditional of their southern countries. They were proud of the traditional foods of their countries, and this is why they only offered burritos on their menu.
Our next stop was at an Irish restaurant called Solas. In front of the restaurant there was a sign with huge letters that told this restaurant was an Irish pub. This shows how the owners were proud of their country and wanted others to come enjoy the foods and atmosphere of Ireland. When we walked in we heard Irish music playing, and all over the walls were words written in Gaelic. The atmosphere was very nice. The lighting was a dim orange and all the woodwork was done with very dark wood. There were Irish symbols all over the walls, and the menu included traditional Irish food like fish and chips. After leaving Solas with a full stomach, I could tell the people who ran the restaurant were very proud of Ireland. This pride in their country prompted them to start a place were others could come enjoy the culture they loved. They tried to share Irish culture with customers through decorations, music, and food. When we were in Solas it felt as thought we were in Ireland. The people who ran the restaurant were obviously proud of their food, and that is why they wanted to share it with others.
Another place we stopped to eat at was the China Pearl in Chinatown. Of all the restaurants we went to, this one displayed how people are proud of their food, and how food unites people the best. First, all the workers at the restaurant were from China. This shows how pride in their country’s food united these people to create and run a Chinese restaurant. There were Chinese decorations and symbols all over the walls. This shows how the people there were proud of their culture and wanted to display it. Next, instead of ordering what you wanted from a menu, servers would come around to each table with a cart, and if you wanted the food in their cart you told them. They punched a stamp on a card saying that you had eaten something from their cart, and when you were all done someone would come around, add up all the stamps on your card, and tell you how much you owed. This was definitely a display of Chinese culture because no American restaurants server food this way. Last, almost all of the customers were Asian. This shows how they were proud of their culture’s food, and they unite with one another where the food is. They come and meet together where there is food.
We visited several other restaurants on our trip, and each one displayed how the people running them were very proud of their food and culture, and how food of a certain culture unites people of that culture. This pride was most noticeably displayed in the music and decorations of each restaurant, and of course the food. Not only does food keep us alive, but it also gives us a sense of pride in our culture, and it unites us.