Histor 15F Midterm Practice 2025

What was the slow food movement

Started in Italy 1986

a movement promoted as an alternative to fast food, which prioritizes local produce and home cooking.

It strives to preserve traditional and regional cuisine and encourages sustainable farming practices for plants, seeds, and livestock local to an area.

What are some factors that shape our eating choices?

Family…

• Availability (cooked vs raw):

• Faith (polluted vs pure):

• Health (food temperatures =nutrients)

• Politics (slow or fast food =food sovereignty):

• Ethics (animal rights =fair trade)

• Government (guidelines and regulations)

• Gender/Class (presence of food deserts)

What are some factors that shape our eating choices? (Availability)

with the introduction of fire it made it easier to eat

What are some factors that shape our eating choices? (Faith)

polluted meaning physically altered and pure meaning that it wasn't. pure food = effort to keep the soul pure)

What are some factors that shape our eating choices? (Health)

cold foods are healthier than hot foods. In US obesity is a major problem. Healthy food is defined as fresh, protein-packed and low sugar. GMO foods in the future could modify nutrients in food

What are some factors that shape our eating choices? (Politics)

"food justice" shows the social inequalities around food such as availability.
food sovereignty puts aspirations and needs of those who produce, distribute and consume food
Farmers market movements for fresh food in the community
Slow food movements to resist American fast food

What are some factors that shape our eating choices? (Ethics)

Fair trade: key issues and standards.
Animal rights
Environment sustainability: Need a lot of land to produce 1000 kilocalories

What are some factors that shape our eating choices? (Government)

Federal food regulations used to protect consumers
Federal dietary guidelines
Food labeling
Food laws example: 1938 The Food, Drug, and Cosmetic (FDC) Act

What are some factors that chape our eating choices? (Social)

Social class: Food injustice in the US
Food is gendered and impacts how we cook and eat

Why did reformers from the 1870s to World War I want to change how immigrants ate?

Immigrants ate their ethnic out of custom rather than dietary or financial rationality

They believed that by eating food common to their cultures immigrants didn't nourish themselves enough to adapt to the colder environments of the US

Reformers wanted immigrants to eat food that's more representative of the food eaten in American culture in order to help cultivate behaviors of self-restraint characterized by food of New England.

What are two types of US mass food products with immigrant affiliations?

Mass products with no identifiable ethnic markers

Products that have been "uncoupled" from ethnicity

What are mass products with no identifiable ethnic markers?

Products that do not associate with any particular ethnic group or cultural heritage, but were made by and popularized by an immigrant. These products often catered to a broad consumer base and sought to appeal to everyone.

(ex. Swanson's TV dinners. They did not connect Swedish background with product and appeared as typical American brand)

What are products that have been "uncoupled" from ethnicity?

Products that retain their ethnic origins but are marketed and consumed in ways that downplay their cultural heritage. These products may undergo modifications to suit everyone's tastes and become "Americanized"

(ex. Chef Boyardee originally branded as Italian with Italian spelling. When Americans realized it was an Italian brand it sold less and then was rebranded to have no Italian ties.)

What is the gastronomical argument for Chinese food's popularity according to the book, Chop Suey USA?

Chinese food was the superior cuisine and Chinese people had the skills to easily start restaurants

The gastronomical interpretation was a way to explain the popularity of Chinese food among non-Chinese customers. This gastronomical interpretation is that Chinese food became popular in America and elsewhere to non-Chinese customers because of its gastronomical prowess. Some people believed that the culinary skills required to make Chinese food and the intricacy of its dishes were close to that of French food, which was very respected at the time. Also, Chinese cookery was highly respected, according to this interpretation, because it belongs to a very ancient tradition, pays attention to detail in its recipes, and the cooking techniques have remained unchanged for years.

Why did the service sector become so important for the Chinese as a source of employment?

The service sector became important for Chinese as a source of employment due to … (discrimination and exclusion faced by many Chinese within the US….)

"The Chinese presence in the service sector is marked by three features. First, their preponderance in certain geographic areas such as California. Second, long before being officially christened as a model minority in the late twentieth century, the Chinese were praised as exemplary cooks and servants, used by white employers as the ideal for personal- and domestic-service work. Third, in time Chinese America would become virtually a population of service workers, cooking food and washing clothes for Americans" (Chen 45).

"…anti-Chinese forces that ravaged small-town Chinese communities also pushed the Chinese out of the more profitable occupations, such as mining and manufacturing" (Chen 95).

What is history?

According to Carl Becker history is defined as a set of things said and done and events that occurred (no matter how big or small).

• Also a field of intellectual inquiry, academic field of study
• History is subjective
• Historians are selective
• Focus has been shifted from stories of great men → everyday life

Çatalhöyük

Where they found remains of leavened bread dating to 8,600
years ago
Importance: Bread is seen as life of the western world in
Ancient times

transition to agriculture and a birthplace of the western civilization

"second shift"

Work women must do in the home upon returning from professional jobs (e.g.: cooking, cleaning, childcare).

Importance: Coined by sociologist Arlie Hochschild in her 1989 book "The SecondShift: Working Parents and the Revolution at Home". Claimed that work for women was disproportional with the amount of unpaid labor at home.

Jonathan Gold

Professor Yong Chen referred to Jonathan Gold as "a food critic from Mars" in an interview with the Los Angeles Times.

Importance:
Food critics before and during his time would only criticize food from high end or michelin restaurants

Jonathan changed how food is criticized by criticizing food that weren't in those high end restaurants

"Have You Eaten Yet"?

The title of a museum exhibit about the history of Chinese food in America in the Museum of Chinese in America.

A common phrase stated by Chinese mothers when talking to their children. This is meant to ask if the child is feeling well and doing well.

Importance:
Eating is seen as crucial in Chinese culture where acquiring food has been difficult and it reflects the centrality of food in people's life and in history

Ellen Richards

Not a foodie
Founder of domestic science(What to Eat, pg 126) and of the Home Economic Movement

Importance:
Goal to improve household well-being by using sanitary and nutrition sciences. Influenced by Puritan tradition (resentment against indulgence of food) to study food scientifically

"From Scratch"

The title of a book about the history of Food Network showing how food entertainment evolved into what we know it as today

Importance:
Cooking shows turned people into foodies and brought popularity to food

Importance of the use of fire for cooking

• Made food easier to digest

• Shrinking the stomach size and teeth; so that we can redirect the energy to the development of our brain

• Allowed for longer storage, safer to eat

• More free time and food stability

• so that we can redirect the energy to the development of our brain

• Allowed for longer storage, safer to eat

• More free time and food stability

GM food and organic food

Genetically modified food whoes genetic material is altered to produce more yield that does not occur naturally

• Mostly plants, but in the future foods derived from GM microorganisms or GM animals

Organic food is produced with emphasis on use of renewable resources and conservation of soil and water to enhance environmental quality for future generations.

• No antibiotics or growth hormones
• No pesticides, synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge, bioengineering, or ionized radiation

Government-approved certification must be given to be labeled as organic

The 100-Mile Diet

A concept that encourages people to eat locally by consuming food grown within a 100-mile radius of their residence.

Novo Nordisk

A Danish company that develops and produces insulin, diabetes medicines, and other products for serious chronic diseases. Founded in 1923 and headquartered in Denmark, Novo Nordisk has a global presence and plays a significant role in healthcare.

Jewish dietary laws

Kosher means food that is allowed to be eaten

• Animals that chew their cud and have cloven hooves
• domesticated fowl
• seafood with fins and scales
• meat eaten separately from dairy
• Jewish wine
• soft cheese

Trayf means not Kosher

• Everything else
• Meat with dairy (e.g., cheeseburger, burger
  with milkshake)
  Importance:
  Marks the cultural and religious differences. Mort elaborate food laws for the entire Jewish population.

Alice Waters

Cookbook writer
Founder and owner of the restaurant Chez Panisse in Berkeley.

Importance:
promoted the idea of homegardening and the notion of "edible education" training children in public schools to grow their own food to be free and healthy

Her restaurant participates in the Slow Food movement and promotes using local and fresh organic foods in California

Chez Panisse

The restaurant that Alice Waters opened. In Berkeley.

Importance:
This restaurant is known for its pioneering role in the farm-to-table movement and has since become one of the most famous and influential restaurants in the United States.

Jacques Pépin

Famous and successful immigrant French chef in the food industry of the United States who became a cookbook writer

Importance:
Wanted to study food for PhD, his proposal got rejected, so he went into culinary. Known for his French cooking techniques and his commitment to using fresh, high-quality ingredients as well as having visually appealing dishes.

Hosted his own tv show: More Fast Food My Way

• A show where he showed recipes of cooking healthy meals that didn't take too much time

Supermarket

Appeared in 1930s and was a way to self service shop where consumers can choose their own products.
Importance:
Food must ber certified before it can be sold in supermarkets

Patrick O. Brown

CEO of "Impossible Foods" which are vegetarian alternatives founded in 2011. Impossible burger created in 2019. Worked hare

Importance:
plant based foods help the environment and cater to people with dietary restrictions.

The Pure Food and Drug Act

Passed in 1906 and prohibited the sale of misbranded or adulterated food and drugs in interstate commerce and laid a foundation for the nation's first consumer protection agency, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)"

Importance:
It was not welcomed by Americans and was not seen as an effective measure. There were many loopholes and did not have the resources or funding to back it up.

The Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act

Passed in 1938 eliminating the requirement to prove intent to mislead in misbranding practices and creation of standards of identity, quality and authorizing inspection of foods and food facilities

Importance:
Required cosmetics to be placed under more control requiring labialization of drugs and adequate usage. Gave more authority to US Food and Drug Administration to oversee production.

The frontier thesis

From a paper by Fredrick Jackson Turner in 1893 called "The Significance of the American Frontier"

Theory that the availability of unsettled land throughout much of American history was the most important factor determining America's national development

Frontier experiences and new opportunities forced old traditions to change, institutions to adapt and society to become more democratic as class distinctions collapsed

Theorized to be why American societies were so different compared to the European societies they originated from

Dietary Guideline 2015-2020

Who: US Department of Health and Human Services and US Department of Agriculture

What: federal foods guidelines for Americans shaping the way they eat that promoted healthy food ways to prevent diseases and meet nutrition needs.

When: 2015-2020

Where: America

Why: Aimed to encourage people to make wise food choices. Explained the importance of mediterranean or vegetarian diet. Addressed the food insecurity of US citizens. Came with ethnic and class bias

Harvey W. Wiley

Appointed chief chemist in the Department of Chemistry of the USDA. Long-time champion for federal food law, known as the "Father of the Pure Food and Drugs Act.

Food Labeling

Represents consumer interest It is informing consumer what the merchandise is, who produced it, and its quantity and quality.
Food labeling act requiring all packaged foods to have nutrition labeling

Marcus L. Hansen

Came up with the Third Generation theory (The Problem of the Third Generation Immigrant) in 1937

Second generation migrants are more eager to assimilate to their host country than first generation migrants
Third generation migrants are more likely to revert back to their grandparent's/first generation cultural and ancestral roots

Highly criticized his theory on first and second gen migrants is true but third gen is debated

Generation is defined spatially and culturally in terms of the distance from the immigrants' ancestral identity

Spago

The sleek and simple design of the restaurant enhances the iconic, market-driven menus and exceptional level of service for which the restaurant is best known.

Marcus Samuelsson

Ethiopian refugee, and was in "Yes, Chef"

Embodied the American dream, brought their culinary traditions,

Doesn't always cook ethnic food

What were some of the foods that were believed to be "hot" or "cold" identified in We Are What We Eat?

Who: From Mexico for lactating women and sick
What:

• Hot foods: Meat, Broth, Milk, Toasted tortillas
• Cold foods: Pork, Fruit/fruit juices, Fresh vegetables, Beans
  When: 1820s
  Where: USA
  Importance:
  They believe that the foods can help them maintain their health and a way to adapt to new environments.

Which was the leading manufacturing sector of the 19th century that expanded fifteenfold from 1858 to 1899?

Who: Food manufacturers
What: Food production was the leading manufacturer sector in that period of time
When: industrial revolution 1920s
Why: Industrialization of food and the emergence of corporate food factories. Manufacturing has become an important industry and began to set new standards for organization in food processing.

culinary reformers

Who: Americans particularly educated women
What: Individuals who tried to change the eating habits of immigrants. Pushed for a New England diet
When: idk
Where: America
Why: Viewed immigrant diets as not nutritional or financially stable. Also wanted to define an American cuisine.

the two cultural traits that humans learn first and change with the greatest reluctance

Food and language

Importance:
learned overtime we adapt and find new ways to create new types of food and learn new languages to create more terminology

The "three siters" that most natives in North America had depended on for survival

Squash, corn bean

Importance:
When planted together they nurture each other

"Cradle of Chinese Food"

Distinguished by Chinese communities or Chinatowns, which played an important role in the transpacific transplantation of the cooking of China, especially during the period when Chinese food was largely rejected by the mainstream society.

Reasons for the failure of many Americans to fully recognize the importance of food

1) Food is sensual (pleasure, entertainment)

2) It is seen as feminine (women's work)

3) There was a strong resentment against indulgence in food in the
Puritan tradition

4) The abundance of food made in the US, where its easily accessible and pretty mundane as a subject for most people.

Popular dishes Chinese domestic workers prepared in the late 19th and early 20th centuries Multi-ethnic creole foodways

• St. Paul sandwich
• General Tso's chicken
• Chop suey
• chow mein
• egg foo young

Multi-ethnic creole foodways

A term describing the blending and interaction of different ethnic food traditions in the U.S.,

Importance:
shaped by immigration, cultural exchange, and adaptation, resulting in new hybrid cuisines that reflect both heritage and American identity.

Domestic Science

Who: Ellen Richards
What: created a scientific, healthful, and national cuisine to reform foreign foods and migrant eating customs.
When: between 1870 and 1900
Where: America
Why: aim to Americanize foreigners in the US

Ethnic enclave businesses

Who: Immigrants and ethnic enterprises
What: They tended to surround themselves within their own ethnicity. Often employed co-ethnic workers, and serve ethnic communities.
When: early 1900s
Where: America

Why: The region was unfamiliar so they tended to surround themselves with their own.

Delmonico (page 95 WAWWE)

Who: Italian brothers John and Peter Delmonico
What: Synonym for luxury dining and is also coined term for a steak technique
When: 1827
Where: idk
Why: business enjoyed by the wealthy that expanded in New York, hiring French and German chefs, and serving food from a menu of hundreds of items

Bohemians

Who: Ethic Bohemians later called Czechs
What: Cooking reflected resourcefulness and cultural memory that incorporated local. ingredients. Bohemian club founded by Joseph Coppa
When: idk
Where: San Francisco and New York
Why: San Francisco guidebooks pointed tourists to restaurants with "bohemian atmosphere

Immigrant farmers

Who: Migrant farmers
What: introduced foods from previous country to US and farmed them in other places in US.
When: 1850s
Where: In the West like Hawaii and
Why: Participates in foodways to change cuisines in local regions and introduces new food.

Ethnic Importers

Who: Immigrants
What: associated with immigrant farmers because they created the demand
When: idk
Where: Major importers included China, Japan, Hawaii to America
Why: There was new demand that they could supply in America with the increase of immigrants

Enclave Consumers

Who: Immigrant communities
What: Consuming products of mostly their own food within their ethnic niches
When: 1900s
Where: America
Why: The united states still remained a nation divided into many eating communities with each forming its own distinctive market

WPA "America Eats"

Who: WPA (Works Projects Administration)
What: "America Eats is a magazine where they published stuff about food that talked about different regional foodsways and was trying to define an American cuisine. WPA investigators declared a macaroni industry
When: 1937
Where: Brooklyn and Queens
Why: The papers of the "American Eats" project was a valuable resource on community eating events and the thinking of intellectual elites about the meaning of region ethnicity

Empire food

Who: Americans
What: U.S was seen as an empire but does not identify as one. Chinese restaurants were the first types of food made readily available for the majority for American to access it.
When:
Where: US
Why did they think this:

• Mass consumerism and convenience
• Industry provided opportunities for community and employment for Chinese workers
• The idea that it's a way of life
• America trying to influence other nations that they should want to have same consumerism levels as that of the US (fast food brands) (there is a difference in food portion size though)
  …

Norman Assing

Who: Popular restaurateur, original name yuan sheng
What: Chinatown's most vocal leader who was pro immigration and helped businesses get off their feet
When: 1850
Where: US
Why: Some saw him as tyrannical and power hungry. Political life was short lived due to the increase of racism