Losing Food Identity
>> Saturday, 6 June 2009
Food plays a central role in the cultural identity of any nation. It defines us. All over the world today, popular media, technology, and a changed pace of life have already made significant down payments to some loss of our food identity. This week's column is an appeal for us not to lose sight of who we are in our quest for advancement and acceptance. Click here to read more.
Almost every dish, method, ingredient etc. that is synonomous with a particular country or region has a story behind it that defines and communicates something about its origin, how it is used or memories associated with it. Read about this Caribbean dish called Souse which is pickled meat, here at Simply Trini Cooking. A recipe can be found there also. Each country has it's own version in terms of meat ingredients and pickling agents. If you'd like my version, please email me. This dish is an adaption of Head Cheese.
Ask many Barbadians today about Coconut Turnovers and they'd tell you that what is made today is a mere shadow of the real thing. The dough is too chewy and breadlike, the coconut is dry and lacks enough flavouring. I want to thank Taymer of Mouthwatering Vegan Delights for sharing this original recipe with me.
The recipe can be found at the end of the column and if you would like the vegan version, then please contact Taymer directly.
Have a great weekend everyone!
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48 comments:
Coconut turnovers??? **swoons**
Oh my goodness, are those chicken feet? My mom would always laugh at me because she would eat chicken feet and necks and I would cringe :D But the coconut turnovers look very tempting!
Nice article. I like the positive tone. I agree; food culture is something to be saved and that can be saved.
An interesting dish! I've eaten chicken feet once at the Chinese restaurant and I love that stuff! It is very important to not lose our food identity, even if we broaden our cultural and culinary horizons...
Cheers,
Rosa
Excellent article Cynthia. I was thinking about this same thing this week. We are not preserving our culture enough and so many ppl I know think that cassava is yucky or they do not even want to try breadfruit in any form. I do not think it is because the taste is bad but it is not fashionable enough to eat these things. There are so many starches that are found in the Caribbean that are very unique and we just walk past it and go and eat other things (not that it is wrong to eat other things) but we can use all of these ingredients we have to make culinary delights. The food that we make is very special but we are too blind to see this. Not only Caribbean people perceive the food as boring or anything special. I think Caribbean food has been given a bad break. Other cuisines have been recognized and still Caribbean cuisine is still something out there. This saddens me because as soon as some celebrated chef uses “discover" a Caribbean ingredient in his/her meal everyone jumps on the bandwagon and tries to hunt it down. It takes the "right" voice to say something is good for everyone to take note it .... it may not be our voice unfortunately.Anyways great article.
I believe that the age old recipes have to be preserved while adapting to the new tecnology and methods. It is very sad to note the healthy food and drinks have been taken over by junk food. Good eg is in India people consumed tender coconut water during summer but now the colas have taken over them.
Love the coconut Turnovers.
My Grandmother (from Russia) made chicken feet in soup. They added great flavor.
The coconut buns make me swoon--I love them-I have had the Jamaican version--this one looks great too. I love all things coconut..coconut water-sugar cakes-coconut buns-coconut ice cream...etc.
Okay I am wanting one of those turnovers! Those pics have me wiping off my screen :)
Excellent column. And I always thought the honest real natural ingredients were the best. Butter substitute bugs me. haha
Coconut turnovers, now they look really good.
BTW - MLLA will post on Sunday, please stop by!
LL
If my husband see this post he would ask me to cook this recipe of chicken feet for him. I would stay better with the coconut turnovers...look delicious.
can't believe that its chicken feet!
coconut turnover is too good!
I woiuld love to try that coconut turnovers, they look so yumm. But those pickled legs i think that is something i will have to take time to get use to. You always bring out such traditional dishes that i am always glad to know and learn aobut them.
I completely agree. I read an article just the other day about how Irish food is in danger of losing its identity. Such a shame - the variety of food from around the globe is precisely what appeals to me!
Oh, and if you could pass one of those coconut turnovers in my direction, that'd be very kind ;-)
Oh wow, those turnovers look so great!
RIGHT ON, Cynthia! I couldn't help thinking when I was reading your article how lucky you are and the people that you're really addressing in the piece that you HAVE a native cuisine to go back to.
For many of us in the States, we grew up with Minute Rice and condensed soup over chicken. Not that my mother wasn't a great cook and there were plenty of excellent Southern recipes in her repertoire, but she also took full advantage of all the time saving horrors in a box, can or squeezable bottle. So I'm envious of that rich Caribbean culinary history.
Wow!Coconut turnovers....I love every recipe with coconut!
In Colombia we cook the chicken feet in soup and they have a lot of flavor.
Coconut turnovers are looking soooo delicious....Once again the pictures are gorgeous..
Those coconut buns looks so tempting and delicious..Cynthia.
ohh..i sooo want some of those coconut turnovers..i can send you my address..could you pls send me some..j/k!! :)
I love the sound of coconut turnovers!
I once bought a bunch of chicken feet thinking that I was going to make stock. I lifted the lid and saw all those little feet sticking up out of the pot and laughed! My "stock" was gelatinous, but flavorful.
Now......coconut turnovers? You got me on that one!
Can't eat chicken feet despite growing up on typically German pickled pigs feet (so much for my heritage, although I do love and have good memories for many other Teutonic foods). Love enough Caribbean eats, too, and didn't need a celebrity chef to point me in the direction, either; just had a sniff of a colleague's curry one day. : D
whoa--I don't know about the souse--do you think that's an acquired taste ;)
The coconut turnovers look excellent--I love Taymer's blog, glad to see the collaboration.
amazing turn over.. excellent writing.. Never had chicken feet before, sounds really delicious.. gonna try it soon..
cheers!!
coconut turnovers... cynthia I am drooling.
The coconut turnovers look tempting! The chicken feet look a bit...um...intimidating :) I think I have never tasted it before. But you are right, with people moving all over the world, food is evolving, its a mix of everything, food culture should be saved.
Cynthia, great article! I completely agree that traditional food cultures need to maintain their identity and uniqueness in the face of the leveling of culture inherent in globalization. Which is exactly why I stick to traditional Greek food recipes on my own blog. After all, somebody has to keep the traditions alive if they are going to persist.Thanks for another excellent piece.
I love chicken feet, I always have to have when we go dim sum...yummie! The coconut turnover look delicious...yummie! Nice post.
Sad but true - especially the part about being ashamed about our food. Here it seems like everything has to be Anglicized / Westernised to be appreciated. "Desi" food often meets turned up noses!
There is a reason why the summer saw us eating courgettes and gourds - it makes sense to keep root vegetables and cauliflower for the winters. The day we forget these lessons will be a sad one indeed.
Miri
You've got an amazing site!! I've openend an English written site today (I've always had my recipes on a Dutch written one) so I was wondering if I can place your site in my blogroll :)
Hope to here from you ^^
Greetings Gonny
Just dropping by to say Hi! Haven't gone blog hopping for some time. :o)
Nice post! Nice info!
Those coconut turnovers look so gooey and fresh..I can almost smell them...lovely dish and thanks a tonne Cynthia for sharing this delight :)
In Sweden, plain and hearty old everyday food is undergoing a renaissance. Old recipes being revived and revised so they are easier to prepare.
my kids love chicken feet, though they love the ones that are served in chinese dimsum, but i would love to learn your recipe... the coconut turnovers are popular here as pan de coco, your version is truly amazing... :)
That Turnover is so so so good Cynthia..loved it..n the first pic scared the heall outa me..never got that its chicken feet..:P
I like your article. I never used chicken feet in my cooking. Probably good to make a broth.
Always beautiful Pictures.
Hallo my dear Cynthia,
I was so suprised to see chicken feet! We Vietnamese like them grilled to accompany some really strong rice wine. I love them!! But they are very hard to get in Oz though!
Hello my friend! I never thought of chicken feet in doing so!
This mass was super tasty!
Many kisses for you
I love how important food identity is...love it!
In Bandung, West Java, there is one famous meatballs stall which I forgot the name, sell their meatballs in noodle soup together with chicken feet broth. I tasted once and they were quite nice actually. I did not have to eat the feet, but my friend did. She said they're good for her skin (facts?) as chicken feet contain of collagen (facts?).
I miss food back home so bad that i do try to make them often.. but there are still so many that i do not even know how to, & unfortunately do not have anyone to ask. feels pretty miserable.
the chicken feet scared me:-) The turnovers look divine Cynthia. I grew up eating so many coconut filled snacks & desserts, my cravings keep going.
This reminds of the " bun kelapa" - coconut buns of my childhood!
oh boy. I was a huge fan of chicken feet soup as a child. Today, sad to say I'm scared (turned off) by the sight of cooked chicken feet. In the Asian food stores here in Canada we see them cooked in many ways.. still not appealing to me though. Thing is, I pride myself on my steel-belly!
Cynthia, a thoughtful and inspirational piece. I couldn't agree with you more. Food culture is something to be cherished.
I thought only the Chinese enjoy chicken feet like a delicacy.
Great blog, dear! The food look TOO sweet!!!
Cynthia, thanks for bringing my attention to this post too--it's so interesting to see the cultural context and how different foods are served. I have to say, though it's on an unrelated note to the souse-and-potato pudding subject, those coconut turnovers look amazing!
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