As an assignment, my entire English class created a survey about different aspects of food. The question (and results) that stood out the most to me was "What cultural food (example: Italian, Chinese) do you prefer to eat?" Out of the 21 people who took the survey, 30% preferred Mexican, 30% preferred Chinese, and the last 40% preferred various other cuisines (American, Italian, Southern, Greek, and Polish). These results tell me that I, and others in my class, need to expand our food cultures, and begin trying new things. Whenever I am introduced to a new type of food, I always try it. Many people are afraid of trying new things, especially food, which prohibits them from expanding their cultural comfort zone.
The most common cultural foods that we find in America, but specifically in college towns, are Mexican and Chinese, because they are what most Americans are comfortable with. These cultures, however, Americanize their food so that they will sell more. Authentic food is important so that people can truly understand other cultures. There is still a lot of racism and prejudice in America, and a way that we can improve this state is by sharing other cultures through food.
Food is the way into a culture, and I think that everybody needs to begin to learn about cultures other than their own. College is the time to do that, and it could be the place if only our dinning halls offered some sort of 'culture night.' For example, every Wednesday night, the dinning halls would serve a meal that is specific to a culture. One night, we could have sushi, another we could have authentic curry. This would enable college students to try food outside of their comfort zone, and it would give us a way to learn more about other cultures.
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