Wilson - Pass the Tofu, Please (4)

All I could think about as I read this article was of the Campbell soup commercial. The one with the grandfather and his grandson sitting at the table, eating soup, and having a conversation about healthy foods and how they should “forget about it”, not knowing that they are eating a healthy serving of vegetable soup. The kid starts talking about how one of his classmates eats tofu hotdogs and does yoga while the grandfather comments about socks and sandals, and shudders (socks and sandals also being a symbol of the ‘hippie’ movement).

While in a sense, the attitude of the grandfather contradicts what the author of the article is saying (considering he would fall under the description of baby boomer), but it also in a way proves it. The Campbell’s commercial, although not for Asian cuisine, is meant to show that the American company can also provide good, healthy meal choices from a ‘local’ producer. It also shows that the ideas of Asian cuisine is being introduced to other generations.

I found it interesting how it talks about the Western world learning healthy living diets from the Eastern world. Clearly, we, as a Western society, have forgotten those lessons as we have recently turned to greasy, unhealthy fast foods and are recently just starting to go back to healthier options. It seems history is doomed to repeat itself in all aspects of life, including food patterns.

The author states: “White ethnics followed suit by rediscovering and perpetuating the foodways that their parents and grandparents were often all ready to jettison in the process of assimilation.” I found this interesting because there was also a similar effect in the other industries as well, such as music when they stopped “white-washing” the original songs and even dancing.

It is discussed how they moved away from the typical white bread because it signified poor health, and switched to dark breads and brown rice which had been peasant food in the past but was now recognized as healthier alternatives, which seems to be a common theme in this course. Speaking of health, the “key to health and the key to peace” was realized by George Ohsawa that health was not just physical well-being but spiritual as well. This oddly enough is part of the modern definition of health.

I also found that the article uncovers stereotypical descriptions. How the West is described as neurotically hyperactive and out of balance, while the Asians honor insights into healing powers of nature garnered by sages many centuries ago. But it is all an illusion to maintain an image.