CC cultureCUISINES Jennifer Matsumoto } Spring 2012
QUESTION
learning tool for cuisine and culture for tool learning of various countries? to make theto make individual experience a familyreflect dinner act as a and How can a TV Dinner a TV be can How redesigned ABSTRACT about a different countryabout a different cuisine and unfamiliar to them through TV Dinner. a cultural cultural identitycultural a redesigned through TV Dinner. My solution countries. be to different can to fit many translated I want or learn culture their to explore own a person for a way provide Dinner--made for one and an easy thing to fix up for dinner. to fix up for thing easy and an one Dinner--made for and maintain to promote ethnic willThisa way propose project what is convenient. be can represented TV Convenience by the popular frozen and tradition. However, as we live we as of growing inand tradition. However, a world technologies the family to convenience the and attraction for look other Instead, we things. dinner becomes amongst lost as the generations before them. This simple ritual before as the generations of eating about etiquette together helpsgenerations to teachyounger Family dinners become to maintain, difficult especially with no suffer generations family to have dinner at home with. Younger around the dinner table the conversations by not having same removed from their It becomes culture. from removed the responsibility of the individual to maintain themselves. culture losing their cultural ties theirlosing cultural and traditions.individuals As their families, from away relocate and move they become In our constantly growing and evolving society, and evolving people growing are In our constantly PROCESS Traditionally, family dinners provided a time for families family a time dinners provided for Traditionally, to come together Family at the a meal. end of a day and talk over about the cuisine, conversation and culture. for dinners allow traditions and making a conscious effort to learn effort to about others. traditions and making a conscious is is consumed. Another where part to consider the food important for the consumer to understand the the traditions and consumer for important They behind should of theculture at least be aware the food. different culture everyday. I do not need to speak everyday. I do not culture how different to know Enchilada. Pad Thai, but I don’t Mexican enjoy an to know I love it should traditional be Thai customs. However, any know focus on is food. The ability is of a different food. on speak a language to focus isculture be difficult, but to be can able a culture done to eat a from foods eat I can no language. knows Food by anyone. Language, food, and customs or traditions and customs have a unique place food, Language, to in around the cultures different globe. that I want The one intertwined that thread within another, they theare common one becan related cultures. different to many generalizations of the my composition Through of a culture. investigations mainown therethree are aspects I concluded and customs. Often food, culture--language, that make up any culture? How does one define culture? Where do we find Where culture? define do we one does How culture? the able to uncover I was asking By theseculture? questions, My process first began withMy process What is culture. of examination an PROCESS
Eating alone, people often read or watch TV, but what peopleEating if or watch often read alone, they could take thistime to educate themselves about another culture? The issue gaps of bridging became and culture generational to me becauseimportant people will not miss it until it is gone. not having to deal with dishes. TV Dinners were one product with product to deal not having dishes. one TV Dinners were that helped to isolate the individual a family dinner. from TV dinners enhanced the experience of eating dinner and to have their each person for allowed TV. The tray watching minimizing meal, own what and also discrepancies to eat over routine. Individuals find in like the single meals, convenience a TV Dinner. Family dinners are also difficult for those who live Many Family also difficult for alone. dinners are students, like relocated myself, are not have a steady and do make it easy for familiesmake it for easy to disregard of family the importance indinners. An increase technology causes people to engage and televisions instead in each other. of more phones cell Unfortunately, family difficult to maintain. dinners are Increasingly, Unfortunately, schedule media, social conflicts, separation and geographical customs, and tradition.customs, The type of experience same happens in other households. Growing up, my regular familyregular up, my dinners me etiquette, taught Growing PROCESS A potato a day, it seems,will keep the doctor in Stockholm. away Swedish find potatoes to be nutritious! A Wild Natural Treat Treat A Wild Natural TheFrom Swedish LingonberriesForests. richare in fiber, vitamin E, otherand many nutrients, mashed potatoes lingonberry jam Swedish meatballs are probably one of the one probably Swedish are meatballs best-known Swedish specialties, cooking definitely the a necessity smörgåsbord. on a probably Remember were that meatballs and then to use up leftovers, the way mystery of all the recipes different clears on up. The used cook the that was meat available,hand, a filler and that was not only the based sauce on ingredients for but what was family or preference, regional handy. köttbullar swedish meatballs A typical be TV Dinner that can bought today. swedish meatballs mashed potatoes lingonberry jam SWEDEN a taste of Taking that and making it into a “Swedish” version. PROCESS Final of the layout box. Outside, inside, flaps, and bottom. NO SWITCHING! Knife in the right, Fork in the left Fork Knife inthe right, A Smörgåsbord is a type of Scandinavian (Denmark, meal and Sweden) Norway served buffet-style. Normally made around Christmas, Smorgasbord is a series of dishes eaten in a specific order multiple plates.on clean isHere taste a small of what finda you may at Smörgåsbord dinner. A Traditional Swedish Meal A Traditional Smörgåsbord TIME FOR DINNER! being a top priority, top priority, being a e working most flexibl UISINES C e C C cultur Quality of life Swedes work to live, not live to work. to work. not live to live, work Swedes is known for having the for the having is known in Europe. You can get home as early as 3:00PM but as 3:00PM but home as early can get You in Europe. The patterns on the table are examples of Swedish folk art. of Swedish the folk The table examples patterns are on These traditional Nordic motifs painted are furniture, and on textiles.embroidered onto The symmetrical represent designs “order” and bright a playful colors represent quality. typically 5:00PM. 5:00PM. typically hours SWEDEN Dags för middag! A new iteration that includes utensilsA new and opens up like a book. SOLUTION UISINES C e C C cultur three countries,three because countries they represent of areas in separate three North Americathe world--Europe, and Asia. culture. As a startingculture. my point, countries I chose three to represent for Mexico They prototypes. I chose Sweden, are and Mongolia. these working Culture CuisinesCulture a tasteare customs and cuisines. of a culture’s The cuisine is in the represented box, and the is culture in the represented food through about the more opens given descriptions. the box, they unravel As one TV Dinner that puts an emphasis on both cuisine both emphasis At the TV Dinner on that puts an and culture. same time, be theis and can individual an meal convenient experience. My solution is Cultural Cuisines. CuisinesMy solution is Cultural a Cultural to create is a proposal SOLUTION Personalizing the of opening experience meaning will the strengthen overall “visiting”the they were box making the user feel place. a new have presented relating by these stories or family. This to a specific person tap into thewould and history actual emotional of another family as if you into actually going their to experience home were dinner. another cultural The filled I made are prototypes that I extracted my with from information I do believe However, research. there the to strengthen is narrative I room or maybe how to make it. For foreign names, there are translations into there names, translations are or maybe to make it. how For foreign English. special eating utensils, will be included in the box. Printed beneath the meals, there will be of the a short explanation history of the cuisine. These because they important anecdotes are describe the history of where it began patterns and colors used below the food, likepatterns and colors used below a tablecloth. For certain the ethnic food, meals, lifestyle. Open the another of the image box and the shows inside cover etiquettecountry the or insight dinner table more on giving and lifestyle. Continueto open the step box and into the “home.” There will be cultural Opening the is meal like is First, the stepping into culture. viewer a new with of the image an country, a short anecdote of the and confronted providing a short story of what the is or why meal how it and providing is eaten in that given country. what is inside, no history but behind it. Although it be may a “traditional” meal, be may leftthe in consumer the dark about what that tradition is and why Cuisinespeople Cultural bridges those meals. in eat that culture that gap by When a TV Dinner, the buying outside of the gives a picture box usually of SOLUTION Mongolian noodle soup Mongolian Deep-fried cookie dessert Steamed dumplings MONGOLIA Guriltai Shol: Buuz: Boorstog: SOLUTION “wrapped food” “flat cake” custard dessert MEXICO Tamales: Tortillas: Flan: SOLUTION : Swedish meatballs Cheesecake : SWEDEN Köttbullar Ostkaka Mashed Potatoes SOLUTION - - - - - sumption and understanding of traditional foods and customs. and customs. and understanding of traditional foods sumption In the many forms that Cultural Cuisines take shape, that Cultural the can goal will always In the forms many be to bring the people and other con through to their cultures closer own, information. Foods and information can be basic for children be can com more and basic for and information Foods information. plicated adults. for someone who issomeone traveling to another country or is in stimu need of cultural belation can kit. a cooking Cuisines Culture be can a recipe list to of how There could also be scratch. go about making these from levels meals of similar to what is found in books, but more enjoyable. The form of the box, Theenjoyable. similar in but more form what to books, is found for and practice of eating and experiencing form a new the represents meal for Maybe version, adult and learn from. an to engage generations younger cially sold for everyday consumption. Culture Cuisines Culture be can something everyday consumption. cially sold for be can be can bought, The kept as a souvenir. special information once that experience of eating the The meal. dinner in a box is still but convenient, aspect to the experience. cultural a new Of course, thisoverlays may idea in the well marketplace, but maybe itnot work is commer not something that cannot be be. can and interactions but the controlled, that cannot products By creatingthe Cuisines, Culture the user is prompted the to enjoy whole a narrative about tradition and historyis a unique juxtaposition pro that can in technology Changes and lifestylevide insight cultures. to new things are Looking forward, I think of blending very popular with this something concept forward, Looking Cinotto, S. (2006), “Everyone would be around the table”: American family mealtimes in historical perspective, 1850–1960. BIBLIOGRAPHY ANNOTATED New Directions for Child and Adolescent Development, 2006: 17–33. doi: 10.1002/cd.153 This article discussed the evolution of family dinners historically stemmed from the Victorian era but have become embedded into the American culture.
Gills, J.R. (1996). A world of their own making: Myth, rituals, and the quest for family values. New York: Basic Books. This book uncovers the reality of the symbolic definition of family and how the reality of a “family” may just be a myth that needs we need to actively engage in to change.
David, Laurie, and Kirstin Uhrenholdt. The Family Dinner: Great Ways to Connect with Your Kids, One Meal at a Time. New York, NY: Grand Central Life & Style, 2010. Print. A book discussing the struggle of the family to organize and maintain family dinners and how to struggle with the changing dynamics of family dinner.
Henderson, Hélène. Swedish Table. Minneapolis, MN, USA: University of Minnesota Press, 2005. Web. A book describing the Swedish cuisine, holidays, and celebrations.
"History of Mexican Cuisine." History of Mexican Cuisine. Web. 10 May 2012.
"Mexico -Â Language, Culture, Customs and Etiquette." Mexico. Web. 5 May 2012.
"Mongolian Culture : Arts, Language, Food, Tsagaan Sar & Nadaam." Mongolia Culture, the Mongolian Art, Food & Traditions. Retrieve the Main Festivals in Mongolia on Our Website: Naadam & Tsagaan Sar. Web. 5 May 2012.
Shortridge, Barbara Gimla., and James R. Shortridge. The Taste of American Place: A Reader on Regional and Ethnic Foods. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 1998. Print. This book discusses that America is becoming a place full of many ethnic cultures and as we travel out of the US we seek to find the same rich cultural experiences in restaurants in America.
Spiegel, Alix. "The Family Dinner Deconstructed." NPR. NPR, 07 Feb. 2008. Web. 5 May 2012.
"Sweden : Daily Life and Social Customs." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica. Web. 5 May 2012.
"SWEDEN.SE - the Official Gateway to Sweden." SWEDEN.SE. Web. 5 May 2012.