Challenges to flavour: Influences on the cultural identity of cuisines in the Australian foodscape Catherine Anne Link Bachelor of Applied Science (Food and Nutrition) (Hons) A thesis presented for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy University of Western Sydney 31st August 2012 Dedication I dedicate this thesis to my late mother, Wilda Lambie, who always encouraged me and would have been thrilled to see my research journey fulfilled. i Acknowledgements I would like to express my deep gratitude to my Principal Supervisor, Dr Gabriela Coronado, who inspired me to unlock my ideas and showed me freedom to express them. She is and always will be my hero. I would also like to thank my work colleagues who supported me throughout the PhD process, especially my dear friend Louise Kippist. My interview participants deserve to be mentioned here, for offering their time and insights, as well as coffee and treats. Lastly I include my children, Rosalie and Konrad, who have always been so generous with their love and support. ii Statement of authentication The work presented in this thesis is, to the best of my knowledge and belief, original except as acknowledged in the text. I hereby declare that I have not submitted this material, either in full or in part, for a degree at this or any other institution. Catherine Link iii Contents Dedication ....................................................................................................................... i Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................ ii Statement of authentication.......................................................................................... iii Contents ........................................................................................................................ iv List of figures ................................................................................................................ ix List of tables .................................................................................................................. xi Abstract ........................................................................................................................ xii Chapter 1: My journey in the foodscape ........................................................................ 1 My foodscape journey................................................................................................ 7 The research journey ................................................................................................ 10 Overview of the chapters ......................................................................................... 17 Chapter 2: Sensing the Australian foodscape .............................................................. 20 Multisensory interpretations of the landscape ......................................................... 22 Other senses in the foodscape. ................................................................................. 25 Soundscapes and Smellscapes ......................................................................... 25 Foodscape ............................................................................................................ 28 What is a cuisine? ............................................................................................ 29 Who are the chefs? ........................................................................................... 32 What are communities of taste? ....................................................................... 33 Restaurants focus ............................................................................................. 34 Impression management in the foodscape ............................................................... 37 How cuisines are represented: The restaurant frontstage .................................... 38 Where cuisines are constructed: The restaurant backstage .................................. 40 The Good Living supplement .......................................................................... 40 iv Cookbooks as representations of cuisines beyond flavours ............................. 44 Chapter 3: Making sense of foodscape complexity ..................................................... 49 Background to the study .......................................................................................... 50 A qualitative perspective.......................................................................................... 53 Research paradigm: Ontology and epistemology ................................................ 55 Research design ....................................................................................................... 59 Research approach: Case Study ........................................................................... 59 Text analysis ........................................................................................................ 61 Cookbooks ........................................................................................................... 65 Interviews ............................................................................................................. 66 Research instruments ............................................................................................... 67 Texts for analysis ................................................................................................. 68 Sampling process for chefs and restaurants ......................................................... 69 Analysis methods ..................................................................................................... 70 Textual analysis ................................................................................................... 73 Good Living analysis ........................................................................................... 74 Cookbooks analysis ............................................................................................. 76 Ethnographic observations of restaurants ............................................................ 77 Interviews with chefs ........................................................................................... 78 Ethical considerations .............................................................................................. 80 Chapter 4: The media construction of the foodscape: Good Living ............................ 82 Representations of cuisine in Good Living .............................................................. 83 Dynamic construction of Good Living’s representation of the foodscape .............. 84 Vietnamese and Italian Cuisines in Good Living .................................................... 88 Cuisine popularity .................................................................................................... 88 Vietnamese and Italian providores........................................................................... 90 v Cuisine dynamics ..................................................................................................... 92 Traditional Vietnamese/Italian ............................................................................. 93 Modern Vietnamese/Italian .................................................................................. 96 Pan-Asian/pan-European ..................................................................................... 99 Undifferentiated cuisine ..................................................................................... 102 Core flavours ...................................................................................................... 102 Nuoc mam: Essence of Vietnam .................................................................... 102 Gusto: Core flavours of Italian cuisine .......................................................... 105 An Australian view of ‘normal’ food..................................................................... 107 Good Living’s misrepresentations and contradictions ........................................... 109 Chapter 5: Representing ethnicity in cookbooks ....................................................... 112 Dynamic construction of cookbooks’ representations of the foodscape ............... 112 Selection of cookbooks ...................................................................................... 116 Three Vietnamese cookbooks ................................................................................ 117 The Vietnamese Cookbook/The Flavours of Vietnam ...................................... 117 Green Papaya: New Fruit from Old Seeds ......................................................... 122 Secrets of the Red Lantern ................................................................................. 125 (Mis)Representing Vietnamese cuisine?............................................................ 128 How to cook Bún bò Huế....................................................................................... 129 Ingredients.......................................................................................................... 130 Processes ............................................................................................................ 132 Recurrent flavour themes ................................................................................... 133 Three Italian cookbooks ......................................................................................... 135 Cibo ...................................................................................................................