Comm 1 TF 9:00-10:30 am Assignment(on Do Nations Express Themselves in Their Foods?)

1. What is the main idea of the author of the article/reading 'Do Nations Express Themselves in Their Foods'?
           The main idea of this article/reading is this: food reflects a nation's identity and culture, and vice-versa.
2. State the points that support the main idea.
           •  Food take a great part in forming the uniqueness of a race, and conversely it shows in that nations      
              cuisine. The following quotes further prove this point:
                      - "Without doubt, the foods of the world, to be found in Canada's larger cities, had a great hand in creating the modern Canadian -- in the main, sophisticated and worldly." 
                      - "The leisurely ways of dining gave them the incentive to create countless dishes and this gave birth to a person and a lifestyle easygoing, friendly and hospitable."
                      - "Conversing and enjoying tidbits of food is the core of the Spanish character."
                      - "The Arab contributions to the Latin-speaking world, not only in the food arena but in almost all aspects of life has had a great hand in forming the Latin individual."
                      - "Their foods reflect their personality..."
                      - "...I am convinced that the culinary art of the country is one of the main elements in the evolution of its people."
          • Food manifests a nations lifestyle and culture, and also takes part in its formation.The following            
            quotes further prove this point:
                      -  "What we eat is one of the basic molders of our culture."
                      - "This way of dining tells better than words the story of the Middle Eastern way of life."
                      - "The food itself, even though important, is, in the main, a way of coalescing social life."
                      - "The way Middle Easterners eat, indicates to the outsider that in this part of the world the people love to relax and eat while they enjoy each others company. In North America and the majority of European countries, people usually relax and converse while sipping their drinks; in the Arab East, it's nibbling on food which brings social grace and contentment." 
                      - "In Europe and North America, the cities are saturated with fast-food outlets where people eat and run. This reflects their lifestyle -- a fast pace of life where, in order to succeed, time means everything." 
                      - "In those eras, the opulence of culture was to be found in the dishes each nation could produce." 
                      - "food... is the mirror of the nation."
                      - "In the majority of cases, they stressed that climate, history, culture and food when combined create an individual's culture and that humans with similar backgrounds usually become a part of the same nation."