MOUTHFUL MAGAZINE Food Environments Around the World
DER MENSCH IST, WAS ER ISS - Ludwig Feuerbach
TA B L E O F
United States of America
Italy
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17
01
Matter of Culture
03
Mexico
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05
France
21
3
02
04
CONTENTS 23
27
31
Poland
Vietnam
Japan
06
07
China
25
09
Thailand
29
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1. M AT T E R O F C U LT U R E
FOR THAT BRIEF COUPLE OF HOURS, WE GET TO KIND OF ENJOY THE SPACE AND ENJOY BEING WITH ONE ANOTHER. - Keia Mastrianni
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1. M AT T E R O F C U LT U R E
How food brings us all together Food has a knack for bringing people together, forging bonds and creating conversation. It’s a centerpiece of holiday festivities. It’s how neighbors welcome newcomers into their community. In the dining room, families share traditions. In restaurants, romance and relationships blossom. And in many homes, the kitchen is hailed as one of the most important meeting spaces. What is it about humans that compel us to gather over a full plate and hearty beverage? One answer suggests it’s both cultural and sociological. Eating
together provides space for people to learn social norms and morals within their respective communities, says Dr. Alice Julier, program director and associate professor of food studies at Chatham University in Pittsburgh. “Family meals (are) where people eat certain things; it’s how they get bonded together, learn the rules of life.” Think about it: Most meals are social. Even someone eating alone is watching television or spending time online, she says: “We are very rarely truly alone.” Eating opens the
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avenue for communication. Julier gives an example: Two people may be sitting together eating strawberries but have very different feelings about them (one person could love them, the other person detest them). That creates an opportunity for those people to discuss their tastes. “The way we have that shared experience is by talking about it,” Julier says. “It doesn’t mean that the people you gravitate toward always have the same taste. It means that you live in a universe where that conversation happens.”
1. M AT T E R O F C U LT U R E
Food is culture Have you ever wondered what the food you eat everyday can tell you about where you come from? Have you ever wondered why people from different parts of the world eat different types of food? Do you ever ask yourself why certain foods or culinary traditions are so important to your culture? There is more of a connection between food and culture than you may think. On an individual level, we grow up eating the food of our cultures. It becomes a part of who each of us are. Many of us associate food from our childhood with warm feelings and good memories and it ties us to our families. Food from our family often becomes the comfort food we seek as adults in times of frustration and stress. Traditional cuisine is passed down from one generation to the next. It also operates as an expression of cultural identity. Immigrants bring the food of their countries with them wherever they go and cooking traditional food is a way of preserving their culture when they move to new places. Continuing to make food from their culture for family meals is a symbol of pride for their ethnicity and a means of coping with homesickness. Many open their own restaurants and serve traditional dishes. However, the food does not remain exactly the same. For example, some ingredients needed to make traditional dishes may not be readily available, so the taste and flavor can be different from the taste and flavor of the dishes that they would prepare in their home countries. Additionally, when immigrants sell food in another country, they do not only sell it to people from the same countries as them, but to people from different countries. Therefore, they have to alter the original dishes to cater to a wider range of customers with distinct tastes and flavor preferences. Alterations to original dishes can create new flavors that still retain the cultural significance of the dish. What stays the same though is the extent to which each community’s unique cuisine can reflect its unique history, values, and beliefs.
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1. M AT T E R O F C U LT U R E
FOOD FOR US COMES FROM OUR RELATIVES, WHETHER THEY HAVE WINGS OR FINS OR ROOTS. THAT IS HOW WE CONSIDER FOOD. FOOD HAS A CULTURE. IT HAS A HISTORY. IT HAS A STORY. IT HAS RELATIONSHIPS. - Winona Laduke
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1. M AT T E R O F C U LT U R E
Street Food Street food is ready-to-eat food or drink sold by a hawker, or vendor, in a street or other public place, such as at a market or fair. It is often sold from a portable food booth, food cart, or food truck and meant for immediate consumption. Some street foods are regional, but many have spread beyond their region of origin. Most street foods are classed as both finger food and fast food, and are cheaper on average than restaurant meals. According to
a 2007 study from the Food and Agriculture Organization, 2.5 billion people eat street food every day. Today, people may purchase street food for a number of reasons, such as convenience, to get flavourful food for a reasonable price in a sociable setting, to try ethnic cuisines, or for nostalgia. Street food vending is found all around the world, but varies greatly differ between regions and cultures.
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1. M AT T E R O F C U LT U R E
YOU DON’T NEED A SILVER FORK TO EAT GOOD FOOD. - Paul Prudhomme
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2 . U N I T E D S TAT ES O F A M E R I C A
HOT DOG 9
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2 . U N I T E D S TAT ES O F A M E R I C A
The hot dog is a grilled or steamed link-sausage sandwich where the sausage is served in the slit of a special hot dog bun, a partially sliced bun. It can also refer to just the sausage (the wurst or wĂśrst) of its composition. Typical sausages include wiener (Vienna sausage), frankfurter (or frank), or knackwurst. The names of these sausages also commonly refer to their assembled sandwiches. Typical condiments include mustard, ketchup, mayonnaise, and relish, and common garnishes include onions, sauerkraut, chili, cheese, coleslaw, and olives. Hot dog variants include the corn dog and pigs in a blanket. Although schnitzel does not commonly refer to a link sausage, the fast food restaurant Wienerschnitzel is famous for its hot dogs. These types of sausages and
their sandwiches were culturally imported from Germany and popularized in the United States, where the “hot dog� became a working-class street food sold at hot dog stands and carts. The hot dog became closely associated with baseball and American culture. Hot dog preparation and condiments vary regionally in the US. Although particularly connected with New York City and its cuisine, the hot dog eventually became ubiquitous throughout the US during the 20th century, and emerged as an important part of other regional cuisines (notably Chicago street cuisine). Claims about the invention of the hot dog are difficult to assess, as different stories assert different origin points for the distinction between hot dogs and other similar foods.
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2 . U N I T E D S TAT ES O F A M E R I C A
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2 . U N I T E D S TAT ES O F A M E R I C A
CORN DOG A corn dog is a sausage (usually a hot dog) on a stick that has been coated in a thick layer of cornmeal batter and deep fried. It originated in the United States and is commonly found in American cuisine. Corn dogs are often served as street food or as fast food. For the best and freshest preparation, some vendors or restaurateurs dip and fry their dogs just before serving. Some corn dog purveyors sell pre-made frozen corn dogs, which have been thawed and then fried again or browned in an oven. Corn dogs can also be found at almost any supermarket in North America as frozen food that can be heated and served. Pre-made frozen corn dogs can also be heated in a microwave oven, but the cornbread coating will lack texture. One cheesy variation is prepared either with melted cheese between the hot dog and the breading or by using a cheese-filled hot dog. Another version is the “cornbrat�, which is a corn dog made with bratwurst instead of a wiener or hot dog.
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3. MEXICO
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3. MEXICO
A taco is a traditional Mexican dish consisting of a corn or wheat tortilla folded or rolled around a filling. A taco can be made with a variety of fillings, allowing great versatility and variety. Tacos are generally eaten without utensils, often garnished with salsa, chili pepper, avocado, guacamole, cilantro (coriander), tomatoes, onions, and lettuce. As an accompaniment to tacos, many taco stands will serve whole or sliced red radishes, lime slices, salt, pickled or grilled chilis (hot peppers), and occasionally cucumber slices, or grilled cambray onions. The taco predates the arrival of the Spanish in Mexico. There is anthropological evidence that the indigenous people living in the lake region of the Valley of Mexico traditionally ate tacos filled with small fish. The taco predates the arrival of the Spanish in Mexico. There is anthropological evidence that the indigenous people living in the lake region of the Valley of Mexico traditionally ate tacos filled with small fish. Writing at the time of the Spanish conquistadors, Bernal Díaz del Castillo documented the first taco feast enjoyed by Europeans, a meal which Hernán Cortés arranged for his captains in Coyoacán.
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3. MEXICO
CHURROS A churro, is a fried-dough pastry—predominantly choux—based snack. Churros are traditional in Spain and Portugal, from where they originate, as well as the Philippines and Ibero-America. They are also consumed in the Southwestern United States, France and other areas that have received immigration from Spanish and Portuguese-speaking countries. In Spain, churros can either be thin (and sometimes knotted) or long and thick, where they are known as porras in some regions. They are normally eaten for breakfast dipped in champurrado, hot chocolate, dulce de leche or cafÊ con leche. Sugar is often sprinkled on top. Churros are fried until they become crunchy, and may be sprinkled with sugar. The surface of a churro is ridged due to having been piped from a churrera, a syringe-like tool with a star-shaped nozzle. Churros are generally prisms in
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3. MEXICO
shape, and may be straight, curled or spirally twisted. Like pretzels, churros are sold by street vendors, who may fry them freshly on the street stand and sell them hot. In Spain and much of Latin America, churros are available in cafes for breakfast, although they may be eaten throughout the day as a snack. Specialized churrerĂas can be found in the form of a shop or a trailer during the holiday period. In addition, countries like Colombia, Peru, Spain and Venezuela have churrerĂas throughout their streets. In Portugal, they are commonly eaten at carnivals, fairs and other celebrations, where they are made freshly at street stands. The dough is a mixture of flour, water and salt. In Spain, a considerably wider diameter is used to accommodate the filling. In Uruguay, churros can also come in a savoury version, filled with melted cheese. In the Philippines, churros are typically straight, or bent into U-shapes or circular shapes. They are usually dusted with white sugar. Churros are almost always eaten with tsokolate drinks (a pairing known as churros con tsokolate), which can also serve as a dip. They are popular during the Christmas season.
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4 . I TA LY
PANZE
A panzerotto, plural panzerotti, is a savory turnover which resembles a small calzone, both in shape and in the dough used for its preparation. The term usually applies to a fried turnover rather than an oven-baked pastry, though calzoni and panzerotti are often mistaken for each other. Panzerotto originates in Central and Southern Italian cuisine but is now popular in the United States and Canada as well, where it is often called panzerotti. The noun panzerotto comes from a diminutive of panza, a regional variation of Italian pancia (“belly, tummy�),
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4 . I TA LY
ROTTO
referring to the distinctive swelling of the pastry which reminds of belly bloating in a figurative sense. Panzerotti are also known as calzoni fritti (“fried calzones”) or pizze fritte (“fried pizzas”), most typically in Campania. The most common fillings for this turnover are tomato and mozzarella, but spinach, mushrooms, baby corn and ham are often used. A different recipe for panzerotti is panzerotti di patate (“potato panzerottis”), a specialty from Salento which consists of mashed potato croquettes rather than normal panzerottis.
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4 . I TA LY
PIZZA AL TAGLIO Pizza al taglio or pizza al trancio (Italian for pizza by the slice — literally “by the cut”) is a variety of pizza baked in large rectangular trays, and generally sold in rectangular or square slices by weight, with prices marked per kilogram or per 100 grams. This type of pizza was invented in Rome, Italy, and is common throughout Italy. Many variations and styles of pizza al taglio exist, and the dish is available in other areas of the world in addition to Italy. In the most traditional Italian pizza al taglio shops, such as pizzerie (singular pizzeria) and bakeries, the pizza is often cooked in a wood-fired oven. In today’s establishments, electric ovens are also often used. The rectangular pizza shape makes it easier to cut and divide the pizza to the buyer’s desire, which is often distinguished by weight. The dish is often eaten as a casual, takeaway dish that is eaten outside of restaurants where it is served, such as in a piazza.. The simplest varieties include pizza Margherita (tomato sauce and cheese), pizza bianca (olive oil, rosemary and garlic), and pizza rossa (tomato sauce only). Other typical toppings include artichokes, asparagus, eggplant, ground meat and onions, potatoes, prosciutto, salami, sausage, ground truffles, zucchini, olive oil sun-dried tomatoes, arugula, gorgonzola, anchovies, and black olives. This style of pizza popular casual food in Argentina and Malta, where for many years it has been a common way for people to grab a quick snack or meal. Pizza al taglio shops are also appearing in the United States. In each country, the style of crusts and toppings may be adapted to suit their own cultures.
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4 . I TA LY
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5. FRANCE
CREP 21
5. FRANCE
A crêpe or crepe is a type of very thin pancake. Crêpes are usually of two types: sweet crêpes (crêpes sucrées) and savoury galettes (crêpes salées). Crêpes are served with a variety of fillings, from the simplest with only sugar to flambéed crêpes Suzette or elaborate savoury galettes. While crêpes are often associated with Brittany, a region in the northwest of France, their consumption is widespread in France, Belgium, Canada, and many parts of Europe, North Africa, and the Southern Cone of South America. Crêpes belong to the general category of ancient Greek Tiganitai, from Greek tiganos, meaning “frying pan”, which in English is literally translated to Pancakes. The French term, crêpe, derives from the Latin crispa, meaning tiganitai with “creases”. Sweet crêpes are generally made with wheat flour. When sweet, they can be eaten as part of breakfast or as a dessert. Common fillings include Nutella spread, preserves, sugar (granulated or powdered), maple syrup, golden syrup, lemon juice, whipped cream, fruit spreads, custard, and sliced soft fruits or confiture. Savory crêpes are made with non-wheat flours such as buckwheat. Batter made from buckwheat flour is gluten-free, which makes it possible for people who have a gluten allergy or intolerance to eat this type of crêpe. Common savoury fillings for crêpes served for lunch or dinner are cheese, ham, and eggs, ratatouille, mushrooms, artichoke (in certain regions), and various meat products. Batters can also consist of other simple ingredients such as butter, milk, water, eggs, flour, salt, and sugar.
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6. POLAND
BAGEL A bagel is a bread product originating in the Jewish communities of Poland. It is traditionally shaped by hand into the form of a ring from yeasted wheat dough, roughly hand-sized, that is first boiled for a short time in water and then baked. The result is a dense, chewy, doughy interior with a browned and sometimes crisp exterior. Bagels are often topped with seeds baked on the outer crust, with the traditional ones being poppy or sesame seeds. Some may have salt sprinkled on their surface, and there are different dough types, such as whole-grain or rye. Though the origins of bagels are somewhat obscure, it is known that they were widely consumed in Ashkenazi Jewish communities from the 17th century. The first known mention of the bagel, in 1610, was in Jewish community ordinances in Krakรณw, Poland. Bagels are now a popular bread product in North America, especially in cities with a large Jewish population, many with alternative ways of making them. Like other bakery products, bagels are available (fresh or frozen, often in many flavors) in many major supermarkets in those cities.
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6. POLAND
The basic roll-with-a-hole design is hundreds of years old and has other practical advantages besides providing more even cooking and baking of the dough: The hole could be used to thread string or dowels through groups of bagels, allowing easier handling and transportation and more appealing seller displays. At its most basic, traditional bagel dough contains wheat flour (without germ or bran), salt, water, and yeast leavening. Bread flour or other high gluten flours are preferred to create the firm, dense but spongy bagel shape and chewy texture. Most bagel recipes call for the addition of a sweetener to the dough, often barley malt (syrup or crystals), honey, high fructose corn syrup, or sugar, with or without eggs, milk or butter.
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7. C H I N A
DIM Dim sum is a style of Chinese cuisine (particularly Cantonese but also other varieties) prepared as small bite-sized portions of food served in small steamer baskets or on small plates. Dim sum dishes are usually served with tea and together form a full tea brunch. Dim sum traditionally are served as fully cooked, readyto-serve dishes. A traditional dim sum brunch includes various types of steamed buns such as cha siu bao (a steamed bun filled with barbecue pork), rice or wheat dumplings and rice noodle rolls, which contain a range of ingredients, including beef, chicken, pork, prawns, and vegetarian options. Many dim sum restaurants also offer plates of steamed green vegetables, roasted meats, congee and other soups. Dessert dim sum is also available and many places offer the customary egg tart.
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7. C H I N A
SUM 26
8. VIETNAM
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8. VIETNAM
PHO In its most basic form, a bowl of pho consists of a foundation of rice noodles topped with thinly sliced raw beef, which gets cooked when a portion of steaming, spiced beef broth is poured over top. Finished with a flurry of fresh herbs, like cilantro and basil, as well as crunchy bean sprouts, hot chiles, and tart lime, pho makes an, ahem, restorative meal any time of day. Indeed, in its home country, pho is still best loved as a breakfast dish, available from every corner food stall. But because, whether topped with beef or chicken, it is the robust, deeply savory broth that is its backbone, traditional versions of pho can take a day or more to make—there’s just no faking that slow simmered stock. That’s not exactly conducive to weeknight cooking, which is why most folks (even Vietnamese-Americans) usually buy their pho from a pro.
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9. THAILAND
Pad thai, or phad thai, is a stir-fried rice noodle dish commonly served as a street food and at most restaurants in Thailand. Pad thai is made with soaked dried rice noodles, which are stir-fried with eggs and chopped firm tofu, and is flavored with tamarind pulp, fish sauce, dried shrimp, garlic or shallots, red chili pepper and palm sugar and served with lime wedges and often chopped roasted peanuts. It may contain other vegetables like bean sprouts, garlic chives, pickled radishes or turnips, and raw banana flowers. It may also contain fresh shrimp, crab, squid, chicken or other animal products. Many of the ingredients are provided on the side as condiments such as the red chili pepper, lime wedges, roasted peanuts, bean sprouts and other miscellaneous fresh vegetables.
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PA
9. THAILAND
AD THAI 30
10. JA PA N
TAIYAK
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KI
10. JA PA N
Taiyaki (literally "baked sea bream") is a Japanese fish-shaped cake. It imitates the shape of the Tai (Japanese red seabream), which it is named after. The most common filling is red bean paste that is made from sweetened azuki beans. Other common fillings may be custard, chocolate, cheese, or sweet potato. Some shops even sell taiyaki with okonomiyaki, gyoza filling, or a sausage inside. Taiyaki is made using regular pancake or waffle batter. The batter is poured into a fish-shaped mold for each side. The filling is then put on one side and the mold is closed. It is then cooked on both sides until golden.
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10. JA PA N
YAKITOR
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10. JA PA N
RI Yakitori is a Japanese type of skewered chicken. Its preparation involves skewering the meat with kushi, a type of skewer typically made of steel, bamboo, or similar materials. Afterwards, they are grilled over a charcoal fire. During or after cooking, the meat is typically seasoned with tare sauce or salt. As they are designed for convenience and portability, yakitori are typically cooked using step-by-step methods. Traditionally, it was accomplished using portable charcoal grills. However, restaurants may use stationary grills and, depending on the situation, higher quality binchĹ?tan charcoal. To facilitate even cooking, the meat is cut into small, roughly uniform shapes and then skewered with kushi; after which the yakitori are seasoned and cooked. Charcoal is the preferred method of cooking as it produces high heat and strong flames while giving off little to no water vapor. This allows for the ingredients to cook quickly while imparting a crunchy texture to the skin. While gas and electric heat sources can be used, they do not develop the same aromas or textures as charcoal-cooked yakitori. Yakitori seasonings are primarily divided into two types: salty or salty-sweet. The salty type usually uses plain salt as its main seasoning. For the salty-sweet variety, tare, a special sauce consisting of mirin, sake, soy sauce, and sugar is used. Other common spices include powdered cayenne pepper, shichimi, Japanese pepper, black pepper, and wasabi, according to one’s tastes. Due to its ease of preparation and portability, yakitori is a very popular street food, often sold from carts or stalls known as yatai.
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CREDITS Free University of Bolzano - Bozen Faculty of Design and Art Bachelor in Design and Art - Major in Design WUP 18/19 | 1st semester foundation course Project Modul: Editorial Design Design by: Sofia Asteria Piffer Magazine | Mouthful Supervision: Project leader Prof. Antonino Benincasa Project assistants Maximilian Boiger, Gian Marco Favretto Photography: Ali Inay (p. 4), Blake Guidry (p. 11, 12), Evan Krause (p. 7, 8), Fancycrave (p.19, 20), Hello I’m Nick (p. 24), Huib Sholten (p. 15, 16), Isaac Gran (cover), Lan Pham (p 33, 34), Matthew Hamilton (p.27, 28), Margo Semirage (p. 31, 32), Milkovi (p. 25, 26), Monika Grabkowska (p. 21, 22), Nick Nice (p. 5, 6), rawpixel (p. 6), Roberto Valdivia (p.17, 18), Roman Arkhipov (p. 9, 10), Stefania Crudeli (p. 23, 24), Tara B (p. 26), Tiara Arkama (p. 10), Tj Dragotta (p.13 , 14), Vita Marija Murenaite (p. 29, 30), Zoe Chen (p. 29)
Paper: Curious Skin Nero 270gr. Color Copy Coaled Glossy 170gr. Fonts: Cooper Hewitt Arial Narrow Printed: Bozen-Bolzano, January 2019 Inside pages – Digital Print | Canon Cover – UV-Serigprahy