Intro to Global Foods: Food Patterns and Customs FST10 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 ( 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 ( ) Early European explorers discovered new cuisines, spices and customs and brought them back to their home country.  Industrialization ( ) the Industrial Revolution had an impact on all aspects of food production and distribution (agriculture, food processing, shopping)

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