Making the Mediterranean Cristina Villa Fall 2015: Janet Quan - Week 1 Reaction Paper: The Leisure and Pleasure of Food

Janet Quan

Making the Mediterranean – Professor Villa

Reaction Paper Week 1

The Leisure and Pleasure of Food

Today, we have access to a variety of foods by going to a supermarket, farmer’s market, or even a restaurant. We can sit at a café, order a coffee, and sweeten it with sugar. We can choose what we want to eat, where we want to eat it, and how we want to eat it, but have we stopped to think about why we get to eat it?

The Colombian exchange transformed the menu of the New and the Old World. Coffee, tea, chocolate, sugar, turkey, potato, and corn were few of the many products that became an important part of people’s diet (Nunn and Quian, 2010). The New World provided good soil for the cultivation of many agri-foods and introduced sweet potatoes to China, cassava to Africa, and potatoes to Ireland. Other foods included beans, avocadoes, peanuts, blueberries, and chilies that were exported to different parts of the world. The Colombian Exchange was not without consequences as diseases from the Old World wiped out the native population of the New World and forced labor of the native population and African population was used to extract the resources that spread across the world. Even if novel foods circulated throughout the world, not everyone had access to them. Before sugar was heavily consumed as we notice today, it was luxury item consumed by the wealthy and used to display their power (Mintz, 1986).

Before the 20^th century, Italy was marked by economic struggles and social class differences. The poor and wealthy were distinguished by what type of foods they consumed and food was associated with survival as opposed to pleasure and choice by the majority who could not afford a decent meal. Food was illustrated as a hierarchy as foods that came from the sky (such as birds) were consumed by the wealthy and foods that were grown on earth were mainly consumed by the poor (Professor Villa’s lecture). The diet of the poor consisted mainly of vegetables, starchy products, and bread made out of rye and chestnuts. Foods were transformed into soups in order to fill the bellies of the poor (Diner, 2006). When the tomato was first introduced to Europe from South America, it was associated with poverty and inferiority in the 16^th century (Gentilcore, 2010) and took 3 centuries to be accepted (Professor Villa’s lecture). Between the 17-18^th century, tomato was gaining popularity and was being integrated into the diet of the elite as tomatoes sparked their curiosity (Gentilcore, 2010), but by the 19^th centuries, its association with the poor returned and was even tossed at performers as a sign of disapproval (Professor Villa’s lecture). Pizza, founded in Naples, was eaten by the poor because it was affordable and was typically topped with tomatoes (Serao, 2012). Pizza was a food for convenience and survival and not identify as a delicacy as it is today.

In the past, the foods we consume today were not always associated with pleasure and oftentimes, people did not choose what they could consume. They ate what was convenient. Today, children are forced to eat their vegetables for their health, but in the past, the diet of the poor comprised of mainly vegetables because it was affordable. Excerpts from Castelvetro’s The Fruit, Herbs & Vegetables of Italy describes how herbs, fruits, and plants were cultivated to display wealth as opposed to being consumed. Today, they are used as flavorings for all types of cuisine. We have so many choices when it comes to eating foods and preparing them. It was not based on our social classes and what is convenient, but based on our preference.

The use of tomato has expanded beyond its role as a topping for Naples’ pizza (Serao, 2012). Within one week in Florence, I observed the vast usage of tomatoes in many dishes. In puree form, it is used in as a base for soups such as minestrone. Blended, it was transformed into a spicy salsa for my quesadilla at El Chico’s Mexican restaurant in Florence. Sliced, it became a topping for caprese salads. Boiled, it became a broth for Italy’s street food, panino con lampredotto. Gentilecore’s article explores how tomato underwent phases as a poor people’s food to a food cherished by those looking for something novel for their palettes (2012). We even see how the canning of tomatoes is dominating the shelves of many supermarkets and being integrating into pasta dishes. Tomato today has become so versatile that is not seen as something exotic or different or distinguished as poor people’s food, but typical and an essential ingredient for many dishes.

Cherry tomatoes were the one of the few varieties I was able to find in Conrad and the variety that was personally difficult for me enjoy. In terms of texture and color, its flesh is soft to the touch and bright red. In terms of taste, the pulp is extremely sour, watery, and seedy. The flesh of the cherry tomato is a lot tougher to chew. It contrasts with the pomodoro which is a lot sweeter, less watery, and has a more solid pulp. I noticed that compared to tomatoes grown in America, the tomato varieties in Italy have a lot more flavor and can be transformed into delicious pasta dishes and soups.