Globalization And Food Essay

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Seldom do we take notice of the value and importance of food when we order it from some restaurant or a café. Most people believe that food trade plays an important role in the generation of the economy of a country. In addition, when people enjoy a delicious meal from a non-native menu, they are enjoying a different culture. However, under the effect of food globalization, food style can be changed a lot whether in the culture or society. Therefore, some of the local food cultures need to be preserved and kept going, and food safety should be given attention to be the people of a specific culture. As we know, Chinese foods are a global delicacy. Even in America, we can see Chinese restaurants almost everywhere. In some major cities, there is China Town on the streets. However, not only Chinese food but also American food has created a significant change in the taste and food habits of the world. Due to the trend of fast food developing quickly, people have had some positive effects by consuming a quick meal. For example, McDonald’s gives people the benefit of quick service for who are in a hurry. In addition, foods from other countries advocate people sharing dainty meals such as Sushi, rice and coffee that are famous enough all over the world. In general, globalization has affected food trade positively. While the globalization food has some positive effects, it also causes negative effects as well. “Globalization may accelerate culture change” (The Levin Institute, p.179). It is true that with the course of history so changed, local eating habits and customs are also changing a lot. On one hand, social diversity and world cultures are shrinking to interact with the local culture. For example, in China, the traditional tools of consuming food have changed; although most restaurants still use chopsticks, but in western restaurants, forks and knives have replaced the use of chopsticks. Moreover, fast food instead of conventional food, like McDonald's and KFC are popular amongst young people. On the other hand, diet over time has been altered from what it was in the past. In China, people had breakfast with soymilk, but now milk has become a new favorite. Moreover, bread and biscuits are also replacing some foods such as steamed buns and dumplings. More and more bakeries have French, British, American delights. Elderly people often do not agree with the change in diet culture phenomenon since they feel that the diet changes to satisfy their tastes. For traditional Chinese, continental catering is not acceptable. This shows that not all can agree on the impact of globalization on food culture.

Reference

Michael H, Stefan T and Dana T (2003). The Deadly Noodle. Retrieved from Newsweek,
Vol. 141, Issue3.
The Levin Institute (n.d.), Globalization and Local Culture. Retrieved from HTTP:// www.globalization101.org .