{"id":106,"date":"2024-05-01T13:08:11","date_gmt":"2024-05-01T13:08:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ascjcapstone.com\/spring-2024\/ggalante\/?p=106"},"modified":"2024-05-03T06:20:46","modified_gmt":"2024-05-03T06:20:46","slug":"cultural-appreciation-vs-cultural-appropriation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ascjcapstone.com\/spring-2024\/ggalante\/index.php\/2024\/05\/01\/cultural-appreciation-vs-cultural-appropriation\/","title":{"rendered":"Cultural Appreciation vs. Cultural Appropriation"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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As Kim and Wai said, with food fusion, the line between cultural appreciation and cultural appropriation can be blurry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Though many food fusion concepts are centered around the ethnicities of the founders, some take inspiration from cultures they’re not a part of. While some may accuse these vendors of culturally appropriating, Ruiz said the answer is not so simple.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat is appropriation? Is appropriation the use of different ingredients? When people were trying to make Mexican food in the 1950s, they didn’t have access to the right cheeses in the U.S. or the right kind of tortillas. So people started using cheddar cheese or American cheese,\u201d Ruiz said. \u201cBut is that appropriation? What makes something authentic? Is it a person that’s making it? Is it the ingredients that you use? Is it the connection to, \u2018Oh, this tastes like grandma\u2019s food?'”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She adds that food fusion can be an entry point for trying foods and cuisines that people would otherwise ignore. By adding an element that reminds them of something they\u2019ve eaten before, fusion can draw in even the pickiest of eaters. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt allows eaters to try foods that they otherwise wouldn\u2019t have access to,\u201d she said. \u201cFusion foods can be a reminder of something that feels personal and has a particular kind of memory, but extends to something much bigger.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ulysses Salcido, a sociocultural anthropology master’s student at USC and guide for Culinary Backstreets Los Angeles<\/a> said that the people behind fusion pop-ups and restaurants are a huge factor when weighing whether a concept is appropriating or not. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a visibility factor. A lot of the time when you\u2019re going to pop-ups or restaurants or Smorgasburg-type events, sometimes you might not even see the owner, you might just see the chefs. Many assume that because the team has a certain culture that the owner behind it is that [culture] also and that\u2019s not always the case.\u201d Salcido said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At Smorgasburg, the owners of fusion pop-ups are often visible along with the rest of the crew, allowing customers to see the faces behind the food.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That said, fusion can diminish, rather than uplift, cultures if not done right. For some concepts trying to make a splash in the L.A. food scene, fusion is a trendy way to draw in customers. If there\u2019s not a personal connection, or at least a deep understanding and respect, to the cuisines and culinary traditions being blended, a fusion concept risks appropriating rather than appreciating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many fusion concepts in L.A., including Battambong BBQ, Kinrose Creamery, and Softies Burger fuse global flavors into American foods. While these vendors draw on their own experiences as immigrants or first-generation Americans, others do not. These pop-ups and restaurants run the risk of Americanizing or whitewashing traditional recipes from other countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think it depends on the vendor themselves. It depends if the vendor is willing to talk about their concept, or if they\u2019re just trying to make a quick buck,\u201d Salcido said. \u201cBoth exist, you don\u2019t have to be a cordon bleu chef to be a pop-up or sell fusion\u2026Some do not care that you learn, they just want to make a dollar. Some really do care because they have goals of being a chef or sharing the tradition.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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