Diversity Among Globalization

Om Gokhale Emerald 10/9/13 1.5 hrs Diversity Among Globalization Thai cuisine, at least the globalized version of it, epitomizes the transformation of the cultural Olive Tree into a marketed product worthy of the world stage. In non- Thailand countries, Thai cuisine adapts to its clientele’s preferences; this is how different cultures survive in our “global arena”. Of course, the Thai culture is not purely Thai -- it is, in and of itself, a figurative melting pot of dozens of other traditions and religions. Most countries have this diversity, everything is subject to globalization. Because change is necessary for a foreign product of any kind to make it, Thai cuisine has been modified to suit the taste of the customers in that area. However, after being served in this new fashion, it’s not just a modified food: we’ve created a new cuisine. The Thai food is now New York Thai food, or Vancouver Thai food; another melting pot has emerged, this time of tastes. This isn’t a recent occurrence, either. During the 15th century, Khmer1 cooks introduced Indian food to Thai chefs, the rich and popular taste of the curries and spices rapidly integrated into everyday Thai meals. Fish sauce, a staple in Thai cooking, is a predominantly Chinese invention. 16th century Portugal brought chilies to the table, resulting in a Thai-distinctive combination of fish sauce, galangal, and lime. There are very few things in our world that are not marketable. Love, or at least the promise of love, is bought with monthly membership fees to dating sites; a promise of happiness can be bought alongside your ticket to the Hawaiian Islands. And just as we can purchase a promise of happiness or love, so to can we buy the promise of a diverse cultural experience. This is the promise that Thai cuisine makes--that eating Thai food will take us (if not us, our taste buds) to a rich and authentic Thailand, full of robust flavors and bold smells. However, the “authentic” Thai food we eat has, as per necessary for anything to last in our competitive economic landscape, adapted to fulfill our desires. Most Americans would dislike the everyday meal of a Thai (this works both ways), because it would be too different, or the wrong type of different. For example, Kaeng Som, a very common dish in Thailand, is rarely served overseas. Why? Because it didn’t sell well the first time around. On the other hand, the majority of items found on an American-Thai menu come from a Isan, an area in Thailand’s Northeast. Isan’s dishes are only recognized as Thai’s national food outside of Thailand. According to a study conducted by Kellogg School of Management and Sasin Institute, when respondents were as to name ethnic cuisines, Thai food ranked number four (after Italian, French, and Chinese). This is what many foreign restaurants aim to do with their food: make it feel ethnic and authentic, even if it isn’t. The important distinctions here are “Thai food” and “Thai food that sells”. Thai food that sells is the true proponent of globalization, the one that justifies the 1 An ancient kingdom in Southeast Asia, conquered by Thais in 12th and 14th centuries Om Gokhale Emerald 10/9/13 1.5 hrs metamorphosis a culture will go through to fit into the mold of a different nation. Sirijit Sunanta, of University of British Columbia, put it like this: “Construction of ‘authentic Thai food’ on the world stage is embedded in complex social and economic dynamics both within the nation state and the transnational arena”. In short, people like to eat authentic food and have authentic experiences--the seller’s job is to make this experience enjoyable, while still conveying a sense of genuineness. To achieve this, the culture and food must become fluid in its form for the transnational space, whether it be to morph or conform. Globalization has effectively turned Thai cuisine from a culture to a product, and into yet another example of globalization. Bibliography Sunanta, Sirijit. "The Globalization of Thai Cuisine." Canadian Council for Southeast Asian Studies Conference, York University, Toronto 14 Oct. 2005: 1-17. "Food and Globalization! - Directory of WordPress Sites." 4 June 2012. 14 Dec. 2013 <http://sites.jmu.edu/foodcomm/2012/06/04/food-and-globalization-2/> "GLOBAL FOOD AND THE HISTORY or GLOBALIZATION." 2010. 14 Dec. 2013 <http://faculty.polytechnic.org/gfeldmeth/reading42.pdf> "Thailand". Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2013. Web. 13 Dec. 2013 <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/589625/Thailand/52666/Education>. I see Thai cuisine as a perfect way of representing Thailand’s unique culture, as well as its ties to the rest of the world. I plan on serving two different Thai dishes: one “Americanized”, and the other more authentic. I think it would be interesting to have the parent’s opinion on the differences between the two, and I myself am curious to see the changes. .

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