Molz introduces culinary tourism and the authenticity of American based Thai restaurants. By observing ten different Thai restaurants [mostly in Dallas] in the USA she questions whether or not people actually want the Thai ‘experience’ or if they actually want ‘Thai Food’
A few years ago I read the book “The Beach” by Alex Garland (later to come is a movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio). The Beach is about a beach in Thailand that isn’t for tourists or to be found by anyone except a selected few. One of the points mentioned in the book is that Americans travel (not just to Thailand) wanting their ‘touristic’ experience to be exactly as it is at home, watching television and maybe getting a tan along the way. This relates to how American’s (Westerners) palates depict what they want to eat, sure they want to try the Thai food, but it has to be appealing to them in a familiar way. Such as not having the fried rice kai doo(fried egg) but still having the sense of eating Thai food.
Molz speaks often of how actual Thai cuisine is spicier than what you would find in an American Thai Restaurant. When the American tourist leaves their Western World and ventures to Thailand they if having tried Thai food before arriving will be quite shocked to find that there are in fact parts of Chicken and Fish used that would normally never be eaten by most Americans and mentioned was a degree of spiciness in a Bangkok restaurant: “*coward, **careful. ***adventurous, ****Native Thai” ‘implying the hotter the food, the more authentic.’
I do not mean to say that American’s have no desire to try to bend a little and have an actually an ‘authentic’ Thai meal, just that there is a barrier between what they’re used to as opposed to what is actually out there for them to try.
Showing posts with label Molz (Imagined Thailand). Show all posts
Showing posts with label Molz (Imagined Thailand). Show all posts
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Molz - Tasting an Imagined Thailand (2)
Ethnic restaurants fulfill a purpose of otherness within a particular locality where people can experience the authentic identity of other cultures. First question normally asked is “what is authentic”? Authentic could generally be considered subjective term which is determined by context of the performance.
On school of thought that has been put forward is that authentic; in this case of Thai restaurants is a staged performance to fulfill the perception of Thai culture by Americans. The experience is in no way truly authentic whereas the menu, ingredients along with the decor all of these restaurants go to serve this purpose. Foods that would be unpalatable, inedible or strange are omitted to meet the ‘taste’ of this new reality.
The author however points out that this description does not adequately account for the culinary tourist where what is authentic is negotiated and constructed to fit the particular society. In this case authenticity is based on the perception of the individual’s own expectation. They decide whether the experience is authentic so in the case of a Thai restaurant what is presented is meant to fulfill this wish. Patrons are judging the authenticity on how much their preconceived notions were met where this can range from ethnicity of staff, menu etc. But their main reason for partaking in the entire experience is exotic nature without disregarding palatability and familiarity.
Food to a culinary tourist is a way of expressing individual/group identities and culture while pointing out apparent differences at the same time but provides a means for accessing the ‘other’. Likewise this ‘other’ including the Thai restaurant is a means for Americans to validate his/her own identity and culture. In this case the food is doubly expressive by serving both purposes. The expression of authentic is only what Americans expect of Thai culture.
Jennie puts forward the idea that the level to which one seeks authenticity is based on the experience they desire and what aspects of their identity they will to express or validate with the food of the ‘other’. Similarly other classes of tourist would have different expectations for what they will consider authentic. All ethnic restaurants fulfill these tendencies of Americans while at the same time offering variety where the primary goal is enjoyment and not the authenticity.
My personal thought of this reading delves more into whether ethnic restaurant can ever be described as authentic considering the various regional and/or personal ‘taste’ that exist in a culture. But if an ethnic restaurant is to be viable is must adapt to this new reality. In this instance authenticity is truly subjective and the end user might have the final decision
On school of thought that has been put forward is that authentic; in this case of Thai restaurants is a staged performance to fulfill the perception of Thai culture by Americans. The experience is in no way truly authentic whereas the menu, ingredients along with the decor all of these restaurants go to serve this purpose. Foods that would be unpalatable, inedible or strange are omitted to meet the ‘taste’ of this new reality.
The author however points out that this description does not adequately account for the culinary tourist where what is authentic is negotiated and constructed to fit the particular society. In this case authenticity is based on the perception of the individual’s own expectation. They decide whether the experience is authentic so in the case of a Thai restaurant what is presented is meant to fulfill this wish. Patrons are judging the authenticity on how much their preconceived notions were met where this can range from ethnicity of staff, menu etc. But their main reason for partaking in the entire experience is exotic nature without disregarding palatability and familiarity.
Food to a culinary tourist is a way of expressing individual/group identities and culture while pointing out apparent differences at the same time but provides a means for accessing the ‘other’. Likewise this ‘other’ including the Thai restaurant is a means for Americans to validate his/her own identity and culture. In this case the food is doubly expressive by serving both purposes. The expression of authentic is only what Americans expect of Thai culture.
Jennie puts forward the idea that the level to which one seeks authenticity is based on the experience they desire and what aspects of their identity they will to express or validate with the food of the ‘other’. Similarly other classes of tourist would have different expectations for what they will consider authentic. All ethnic restaurants fulfill these tendencies of Americans while at the same time offering variety where the primary goal is enjoyment and not the authenticity.
My personal thought of this reading delves more into whether ethnic restaurant can ever be described as authentic considering the various regional and/or personal ‘taste’ that exist in a culture. But if an ethnic restaurant is to be viable is must adapt to this new reality. In this instance authenticity is truly subjective and the end user might have the final decision
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Molz
Ethnic restaurants are one of an increasing number of arenas in which people can engage in tourist ices practices within their own culture and as part of their everyday life.
Authenticity
Authenticity is the plastic words that “have come to mean so much that they really mean very little while nonetheless signaling importance and power”. Authenticity is motivation for tourism. Erving Goffman’s study of social performance divides the social world into back regions and front regions. Back regions are off limits to outsiders or audience members, are areas where social actors usually prepare their performances and store props, and relax between performances. Front regions are areas where social actors actually perform in front of an audience.
Thai restaurants use several strategies to imbue their food and the overall dining experience with a sense of authenticity. Thai restaurant tends to reflect the American perception of what constitutes an authentic Thai experience. The Thai Restaurant as “Staged Authenticity”
The menu of Thai restaurant is often states that its food is authentic or original, or food is authentic or original. Most Thai menus include typical dishes, such as Tom Yum soup and Pad Thai noodles, other equally authentic dishes and preparation techniques may be omitted with the customers’ preferences in mind. In Thailand it is common to put a fried egg on top of a dish of fried rice, most Thailand it is common to put a fried egg on top of a dish of fried rice, most Thai restaurants will only do this as a special request and usually charge extra for this authentic addition. Serving fried rice Kai Dao (with a fried egg) does not appeal to most Western dinners, and therefore Thai chefs omit the egg.
The Ingredients
Thai restaurants also attempt to provide an authentic experience by using typical Thai ingredients. More than any other ingredient, the chili pepper has come to stand for Thai-ness. Thai restaurants understand this equation, and spiciness is indicated in every menu.
The Décor
Thai restaurants often attempt to create a sense of authenticity beyond the food. They use native artwork, decorations, and music to suggest that the restaurant really is an enclave of Thai culture. Common in these Thai restaurants are photographs of King Bhumipol, the current king of Thailand, or of King Rama V, the revered nineteenth-century king who modernized Thailand. Several of the restaurants also have spirit houses, small altars with offerings of oranges, water, jasmine, and incense. This music, and all of the props typically found decorating a Thai restaurant, set the stage upon which Thai-ness, in the form of a dining experience, is performed for the culinary tourist.
Negotiating Authenticity in Thai Restaurants
Authenticity is negotiable, emergent, and socially constructed. Tourists bring their own symbolic systems and cultural experiences to bear on this negotiation of authenticity. Authenticity is created as much through the tourist’s own perceptions as it is by the host’s performance of otherness.
Culinary Tourism as Identity work
Foodways and tourism converge within the wider social discourse concerning identity making. Both include processes of identity construction that occur along a perceived cultural divide between that which is familiar and that which is different, between the edible and the exotic, the self and the other.
Authenticity and Identity
Authenticity has been both an implicit and explicit inspiration for classifying tourists and tourist behaviors. On the other hand, Erik Cohen does overtly use the concept of authenticity to create a typology of tourists and touristic experiences that provides a useful framework for understanding how authenticity facilitates identity construction and validation in Thai restaurants.
The Culinary “Post- Tourist”
Cohen’s recreational tourist is synonymous with what other scholars refer to as the “post-tourist”. Cohen’s recreational tourist is “prepared playfully to accept a cultural product as authentic, for the sake of the experience, even though ‘deep down' they are not convinced of its authenticity”.
Conclusion
This paper has attempted to outline some of the ways in which the concept of authenticity can be used in exploring the social dynamics that occur in instances of culinary authenticity. Authenticity, considered in the context of the tourist interaction, is one means of understanding the processes of identity construction and validation that take place in arenas of culinary tourism.
Authenticity
Authenticity is the plastic words that “have come to mean so much that they really mean very little while nonetheless signaling importance and power”. Authenticity is motivation for tourism. Erving Goffman’s study of social performance divides the social world into back regions and front regions. Back regions are off limits to outsiders or audience members, are areas where social actors usually prepare their performances and store props, and relax between performances. Front regions are areas where social actors actually perform in front of an audience.
Thai restaurants use several strategies to imbue their food and the overall dining experience with a sense of authenticity. Thai restaurant tends to reflect the American perception of what constitutes an authentic Thai experience. The Thai Restaurant as “Staged Authenticity”
The menu of Thai restaurant is often states that its food is authentic or original, or food is authentic or original. Most Thai menus include typical dishes, such as Tom Yum soup and Pad Thai noodles, other equally authentic dishes and preparation techniques may be omitted with the customers’ preferences in mind. In Thailand it is common to put a fried egg on top of a dish of fried rice, most Thailand it is common to put a fried egg on top of a dish of fried rice, most Thai restaurants will only do this as a special request and usually charge extra for this authentic addition. Serving fried rice Kai Dao (with a fried egg) does not appeal to most Western dinners, and therefore Thai chefs omit the egg.
The Ingredients
Thai restaurants also attempt to provide an authentic experience by using typical Thai ingredients. More than any other ingredient, the chili pepper has come to stand for Thai-ness. Thai restaurants understand this equation, and spiciness is indicated in every menu.
The Décor
Thai restaurants often attempt to create a sense of authenticity beyond the food. They use native artwork, decorations, and music to suggest that the restaurant really is an enclave of Thai culture. Common in these Thai restaurants are photographs of King Bhumipol, the current king of Thailand, or of King Rama V, the revered nineteenth-century king who modernized Thailand. Several of the restaurants also have spirit houses, small altars with offerings of oranges, water, jasmine, and incense. This music, and all of the props typically found decorating a Thai restaurant, set the stage upon which Thai-ness, in the form of a dining experience, is performed for the culinary tourist.
Negotiating Authenticity in Thai Restaurants
Authenticity is negotiable, emergent, and socially constructed. Tourists bring their own symbolic systems and cultural experiences to bear on this negotiation of authenticity. Authenticity is created as much through the tourist’s own perceptions as it is by the host’s performance of otherness.
Culinary Tourism as Identity work
Foodways and tourism converge within the wider social discourse concerning identity making. Both include processes of identity construction that occur along a perceived cultural divide between that which is familiar and that which is different, between the edible and the exotic, the self and the other.
Authenticity and Identity
Authenticity has been both an implicit and explicit inspiration for classifying tourists and tourist behaviors. On the other hand, Erik Cohen does overtly use the concept of authenticity to create a typology of tourists and touristic experiences that provides a useful framework for understanding how authenticity facilitates identity construction and validation in Thai restaurants.
The Culinary “Post- Tourist”
Cohen’s recreational tourist is synonymous with what other scholars refer to as the “post-tourist”. Cohen’s recreational tourist is “prepared playfully to accept a cultural product as authentic, for the sake of the experience, even though ‘deep down' they are not convinced of its authenticity”.
Conclusion
This paper has attempted to outline some of the ways in which the concept of authenticity can be used in exploring the social dynamics that occur in instances of culinary authenticity. Authenticity, considered in the context of the tourist interaction, is one means of understanding the processes of identity construction and validation that take place in arenas of culinary tourism.
Molz
After reading the first few paragraphs of this article, I started to associate the main idea of this article with North American Chinese restaurant. I can easily find the unauthenticity in Canada’s Chinese restaurant. Even the decoration, the menu style, the furnishing in the restaurant is totally Chinese, but the food is only for the Canadian.
This article has a complicated explanation about what is authenticity, and the whole article is talk about the authenticity of the culinary tourism in Thai restaurants. The author mentioned there is difference between the back regions which is the actual custom of foodway within that ethnic group and the front region of the ethnic which the ethnic group shows to the tourists. The author gave a lot of example about the difference, such as the symbol in the menu which shows the degree of spicy of Thai dish.
What’s more, she said the authenticity has both an emplicit and explicit inspiration for classifying tourists and tourist behaviors. I think this means how deep or close the tourist to the actual traditional food and foodway just after I read this sentence. Later she also mentioned some of the explanation of this sentence, such as the Valene Smith’s typology classifies tourists and tourism into 5 categories from the implicit and explicit inspiration of authenticity.
The author also mentioned the main reason why there is unauthenticity in ethnic restaurant, it’s the economical reason. Because there restaurant have the earn revenue, so for both local tourist destination and domestic ethnic restaurant, ethnical style can attract more tourists and the customers who want to experience the exotic. On the other hand, the food in the restaurant is not having a truly traditional food it’s because the restaurant want to adapt the customers’ favor then they can keep the customers.
This article has a complicated explanation about what is authenticity, and the whole article is talk about the authenticity of the culinary tourism in Thai restaurants. The author mentioned there is difference between the back regions which is the actual custom of foodway within that ethnic group and the front region of the ethnic which the ethnic group shows to the tourists. The author gave a lot of example about the difference, such as the symbol in the menu which shows the degree of spicy of Thai dish.
What’s more, she said the authenticity has both an emplicit and explicit inspiration for classifying tourists and tourist behaviors. I think this means how deep or close the tourist to the actual traditional food and foodway just after I read this sentence. Later she also mentioned some of the explanation of this sentence, such as the Valene Smith’s typology classifies tourists and tourism into 5 categories from the implicit and explicit inspiration of authenticity.
The author also mentioned the main reason why there is unauthenticity in ethnic restaurant, it’s the economical reason. Because there restaurant have the earn revenue, so for both local tourist destination and domestic ethnic restaurant, ethnical style can attract more tourists and the customers who want to experience the exotic. On the other hand, the food in the restaurant is not having a truly traditional food it’s because the restaurant want to adapt the customers’ favor then they can keep the customers.
Molz
Food and tourism have long been linked in the popular mindset. The former rarely excludes a travel section, while the letter is never without its food reviews. One site of culinary tourism in which the concepts of authenticity and identity making are particularly evident is the ethnic restaurant. Ethnic restaurants are one of an increasing number of arenas in which people can engage in touristy practice within their own culture and as part of their everyday life.
This chapter has attempted to outline some of the ways in witch the concept of authenticity can be used in exploring the social dynamics that occur in instances of culinary authenticity. Authenticity, considered in the context of the touristy interaction, is one means of understanding the processes of identity construction and make sure that take place in arenas of culinary tourism. As a tool for classifying tourist motivation and interaction with the other, authenticity reveals and validate while eating out.
This study focuses on the Thai restaurant, but the concept of authenticity can be applied to other locales of culinary tourism, such as cookbooks, food festivals, or cooking classes. Folklorists and ethnographers must be careful, though, to understand that the concept of authenticity is an invention of Western modernity. As such, the concept is limited in what it can reveal about touristy interactions. Other theoretical approaches must be used in conjunction with authenticity to illustrate and examine the social dynamics that occur at all sites of culinary tourism.
This chapter has attempted to outline some of the ways in witch the concept of authenticity can be used in exploring the social dynamics that occur in instances of culinary authenticity. Authenticity, considered in the context of the touristy interaction, is one means of understanding the processes of identity construction and make sure that take place in arenas of culinary tourism. As a tool for classifying tourist motivation and interaction with the other, authenticity reveals and validate while eating out.
This study focuses on the Thai restaurant, but the concept of authenticity can be applied to other locales of culinary tourism, such as cookbooks, food festivals, or cooking classes. Folklorists and ethnographers must be careful, though, to understand that the concept of authenticity is an invention of Western modernity. As such, the concept is limited in what it can reveal about touristy interactions. Other theoretical approaches must be used in conjunction with authenticity to illustrate and examine the social dynamics that occur at all sites of culinary tourism.
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