Post 2: Ahn and Nicholson

The two articles written by Ahn and Nicholson show how food is a common thread between societies, however, the expression of food in the various cultures is expressed as very diverse between the two articles. The two male authors wrote about nearly identical experiences. The two had lost their parents and now were writing about experiences with food they use to reminisce about their mothers. The mothers in each story played a large role in each of the authors’ lives and these articles are specific examples of memorable and regular occurrences with their mothers concerning foods. The specific examples concerning food and the interaction with the authors’ mothers show how from England to South Korea food plays an important role in social interaction. While the culture in each society in these countries is incredibly different food is an important connector in nearly all societies. Personally, dinner time was when I would connect with my family and form the strong bonds I have with them today. Also these strong family ties were extended by cooking with my grandmother and aunt when they would come to babysit my brother and me. The two articles show that the authors both had strong connections with their families; this connection was shown with the passion used to talk about the authors families. Each reference to a mother, child, or father was filled with love and tenderness. Besides creating a strong family structure food also is a mode of expression. This is shown by the variance in cuisine between these two ethnically different authors. The ethnically Korean author, Ahn, speaks of numerous spices, lots of meat, and various ways to serve these dishes such as soup, on rice, or seared. Having a slight cooking background these dishes are much more “vibrant” in flavor and appearance than the drab white cheese and bread that was discussed in the Nicholson article. While the variation between drab and vibrant cuisine may matter to a food critique or a casual eater the variation is unimportant to the two authors, but is what separates their stories. The vibrant and spicy cuisine is typical of Asian cuisine while the drab and basic food is typical of British cuisine. The two authors have similar nostalgic responses to vastly different types of food.