Supermarket deception

 In the context of why we eat what we eat, here is my model of national gastronomy created in 1986:

 

 

Revisions were made to it in 2011 and It is updated to better fit the a wider context. The 2011 model is shown later.  Due to its legibility, we address components before looking at it.  We begin with cultural factors. Blue text shows additions since 1986.

 

C U L T U R E

HISTORY
Traditions & taboos
Knowledge of food
Nutrition education***
EDUCATION
Legal requirements
Provision of school meals
milk …?
LEGAL
Restrictions on:
The sale of liquor
The types of liquor
Age of consumption
The lack of restriction
on the price of liquor
encourages binge-
drinking.
SOCIAL
Distribution of the popu-
lation over the class
system. Work patterns.
Entertainment. Values
Facts such as the decline in
the family as the basic
unit in Western society.
ETHNIC
Immigration
Distribution of the popul-
ation according to origin
LEISURE
Work-leisure ratios.
Food as entertainment.
*** See below re nutrition education ie in the later notes.

 

Under "Economic Considerations" is "The Family":

THE FAMILY
 
The money available for the purchase of food. The proportion of income spent on food. The food chosen.
 
Travel
The increase in UK foreign travel during the last three decades has widened the range of foreign
dishes which
appear on household and restaurant tables.
Little religious influence on UK gastronomy except within ethnic groups.
 
 

Cuisine

This is a new component to the 1986 model.  "National Cuisine" is introduced in the context of:

     The cultural factors above

      The national cuisine is the sum of ehtnic, regional, fashionistic etc cuisines. "fashionistic" includes “Nouvelle Cuisine” in its day and “Molecular Gastronomy” more recently.

Wiki defines cuisine as

 “ … a specific set of cooking traditions and practices, often associated with a specific culture.
It is often named after the region or place where its underlining culture is present. A cuisine is
primarily influenced by the ingredients that are available locally or through trade.
Religious
food
laws can also exercise a strong influence on cuisine.” source

To derive a working definition of national cuisine is easy:

National cuisine is a specific set of cooking traditions and practices associated with a specific nation.  .A national cuisine is primarily influenced by the ingredients that are available locally or through trade. Religious food laws can also exercise a strong influence on national cuisine.

 

Additions to the 1986 model are shown in blue text. The darker shade of blue text is a quotation.

All blue text you read now is on the revised model
here.

Gastronomy

Although gastronomes are peripheral to national cuisine, the are nevertheless in the model.

The central box "Gastronomy of a Nation" now has this symbol  as it is more prominent than an asterisk type of entry beside "Gastronomy" and it leads us to consider that it " ... brings together ... all who believe that a right understanding of good food and wine is an essential part of personal contentment and health, and that an intelligent approach to the pleasures and problems of the table offers far greater rewards than the mere satisfaction of appetite.” Read about the author here.

 

The gastronomy of ten nations points to their national cuisines here  but don’t believe everything you read on the Internet. Data included there is not verified.

 

Body types and metabolism

This topic is not crucial to the present context.  See note.

 

 

 In the UK context, at least, Brits are devoted to plain food and plain plates and would eat everything if stacked
to the ceilling.



 

see here 

 

 

The reason for including body-type in the national model concerns the proportion of overweight people in a specific nation. Readers can say that the nation next door is fatter than theirs. Stereotyping demands careful attention if you study pages such as this. However, more than fifty percent of adults are overweight. Is it the national cuisine or national gastronomy at fault? Does the national cuisine create the demand for fattening foods or do fat folk create a national cuisine which suits them? Discuss.

 

In the UK context, at least, Brits are devoted to plain food and plain plates and would eat everything if stacked
to the ceilling.



This picture is typical of what you see in average restaurants, and, in this case, probably pubs in the summer.
Comment cannot be passed on the average domestic plateful but if restaurateurs etc are market-aware, they
certainly fulfil demand. There would be no point in decorated plates. The only thing missing on this plate is five
slices of gravy. They may be in a jug which is not shown but is served to satisfy the UK craving for thick gravy.

It is a chicken-and-egg situation in relation to two ignorance conditions. The customers don't know what they
need but consider that plenty should be sufficient. The restaurateur cannot see that there is no need to provide
such a plateful, in particular, the portion of meat. There is more opportunity to change matters by providers
being in control. By gradually reducing the meat portion, at least, their consciences become more clear and their
profit could rise. Profit could rise initially as less meat is served, and later, because customers either realise what
is going on for their benefit or they become acclimatised and maintain their patronage.

The exception, of course, is the hot buffet where there is no carver in charge of the meat.

 

More legibility for what you see in the updated model: 

If your metabolic rate is low, depending on your exercise level, the higher the tendency
to carry extra weight.

Sheldon (1898-1977) identified three people/body types:

1 The Endomorph has the tendency towards. plumpness
2 The Mesophorph has the tendency towards muscularity
3 The Ectomorph has the tendency towards slightness.

The lover of food is No. 1, No. 2 is assertive and No. 3 has a large brain. (Just one characteristic
among many for each type.)
Since, but not from 1977, [ie around when Sheldon wrote this]
the main dietary (therefore gastronomic) problem in Western society is
obesity.

 

 

 

 

 

The gastronome quotation is from The Chaine des Rotisseurs Magazine, December 2010, p 130. Let’s look at it again. You can believe this:

Being a gastron­ome in the 21st century means first and foremost only eating and drinking enough to satisfy your hunger and thirst. ..”

when you read more here.

don't lose this

http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/gastronomy

 

Nutrition education

I look at the situation since 1986.

"It is now well established that diet contributes to the probability of developing cardiovascular disease and
some cancers. In the UK, 17% of men and 20% of women are obese and over half the adult population is
overweight. Obesity is associated with increased risk of heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes."

That governmental quotation is from "Getting to grips with grub" concerning 14 - 16 Year olds. There will be more of that type of discussion according to interest..

The reason for including body-type in the national model concerns the proportion of overweight people in a specific nation. Readers can say that the nation next door is fatter than theirs. Stereotyping demands careful attention if you study pages such as this. However, more than fifty percent of adults are overweight. Is it the national cuisine or national gastronomy at fault? Does the national cuisine create the demand for fattening foods or do fat folk create a national cuisine which suits them? Discuss.


Read reports which refer to the growth of UK foreign travel:

 

http://www.hpa.org.uk/web/HPAwebFile/HPAweb_C/1204186200780