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Culture through food

Anthony Bourdain’s “Cooks Tour” is an enjoyable read which enables the reader to learn, understand and appreciate different cultures through the different kinds of foods found in different parts of the world. The message I got from the first 127 pages was that food no matter how simple it may look it really is complex and that it embodies more that the ingredients and spices one can taste.

Bourdain also helped me appreciate the fact that, a good meal is not necessarily one that has a lot of food on the plate but rather, one that is cooked at its best in the most original way possible. For example, the pig in Portugal was cooked using old traditional methods, which made it even ore delicious and different from the way it was usually cooked in the US. The cooking method also made use every part of the pig, they did not waste any part of the pig except the entrails which are really inedible. which was an old tradition. Even tough it was just one pig, different meals could be made from it. Bourdain states that it is this aspect of consistence with old recipes and tradition in a dish that contributes to a meal being memorable and even magical. In my country for instance, Zambia most people prefer to cook certain foods on a real fire instead of the stove because, the fire adds a difference to the taste of these foods. And some foods are still cooked without cooking oil because It is believed that the old recipes which did not contain cooking oil retains the flavor of the food.

It was also interesting to see that Bourdain could connect with the people of countries he was in just by learning more about their foods and what it means for their culture. Knowing historic facts cultural facts about foods and recipes about a meal is really important in how we appreciate it. The importance of the connection between food and human connection is clearly seen when Bourdain and his young brother visit France but he cannot seem to enjoy the meals as he had expected because his father was missing in the picture. He also talks about the importance of the sorrounding or enviroment of the meal when he compares the togetherness of people in Portugal which does not exist in his culture in the US.

It is easy to gag, puke and be disgusted when someone tells you that they eat caterpillars and monkeys but when you make an effort to learn and understand a little bit more about their culture you would be more understanding accepting . Sometimes its better to try new dishes without having misconceptions and prejudices about them. This way we can truly appreciate the dish as part of a people and a culture. Bourdain made it a point to get connected with the people in order to learn more about their culture and the stories that their food tell. A clear example is when he was in vietman and he has an encounter with the disfigured man , that was a really touching and profound moment in the book.

Next time you try to eat a new dish, try to eat it in the most orignal way you can, if you are supposed to use chop stick, do it, if you supposed to eat with your hands, do eactlyl that. It may be good to try and adapt certain foods to your environment but the best meals are the ones eaten the way they are supposed to be eaten. Only then can be get a glimpse of the magic which certain meals and foods posses and maybe we can gain some insight into cultures and traditions we knew little or nothing about.