Cultural Links
Featured A Narration of Authenticity: Meyhane, Istanbul's Third Place View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Janna Tamargo
Food is more than a mere commodity; it is a rich, powerful symbol deeply rooted in cultures worldwide. Globally the demand for “authentic” food has increased. While scholars agree that defining authenticity is challenging because of the influences of globalization, the appetite for “authentic” food continues. This study explores the meaning of “authenticity” from an owners’ perspective in a type of restaurant in Turkey which dates to the Byzantine Empire: meyhane. This research examines the intersection of culture within the narratives of “authentic” meyhane restaurants at a geographical mecca that embraces two continents, Istanbul. The objective of the research is to examine the meaning of authenticity from the perspective of ten meyhane owners in Istanbul, Turkey. The methodological framework is based on an analysis of open-ended interviews with ten meyhane owners over a four-month period and my informal observations conducted in their restaurants. As all “authentic” identities are constructed and culturally fragmented by society, initially, so was the data that was collected from the restaurant owners. However, patterns started to emerge through narrative analysis. Using an inductive approach, recurring themes about the roles of the social and physical environment, traditions surrounding food and drink, and food and culture resonated. Meyhane, an “authentic” experience that has withstood historical and societal 9 changes, has kept its core identity intact for centuries, however, at the same time, is not resistant to change. Thus, the meyhane creates the “third place” where everyone is welcome, people are accepted, and everyone is allowed to be “authentic.”
Rasmun Munk’s Alchemist: Of Stendhal Syndrome, Neuroaesthetics, and the Future of Fine Dining View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Anton Pujol
When you stand in front of the massive, bewildering metal doors that mysteriously open to Rasmus Munk’s Alchemist, you know that a very different gastronomic experience is about to start. The two Michelin-starred restaurant in Copenhagen serves an unrivaled combination of cuisine and space. In this paper, I analyze Chef Munk’s unique vision by concentrating on two aspects that are very much at play throughout the six-hour long meal: the Stendhal syndrome and the future of fine dining. First, the immersive setting creates a reaction akin to the Stendhal syndrome; a precursor to the current field of neuroaesthetics. When describing the cognitive and sensorial impressions Stendhal experienced while visiting Florence, the French author wrote that, “emotionally, he had reached that point where the heavenly sensations derived from the arts and the unbridled feelings meet.” Eating at Alchemist produces a similar co-mingling effect that needs to be further considered. Secondly, the interdisciplinary nature of the restaurant and the connection to a broader set of social and environment issues translated into a novel approach to challenge not only the diner but, more importantly, the preconceptions of what fine dining could achieve.
Beans and Brazilian Culture
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Fernando Rocha
Beans, generally eaten together with white rice, is a staple food of day-to-day Brazilian tables. Being such a substantial presence in our eating habits, it is not surprising that it would also appear in different artistic expressions, partaking in representations of different aspects of Brazilian culture. Precisely because it is a daily food, it may indicate to consumers the type of relationship that is being established between acquaintances or friends, depending on whether or not those beans are being shared. Moreover, due also to our daily consumption of beans, they may be used as a sign of a quotidian life that menaces suffocating men (here the sexual division of labor is at play) or workers. On the other hand, a lack of beans, as we see in a number of sambas, may represent that quotidian life itself is threatened. But, beyond the physical means of maintaining one’s life, what is also at risk is an Afro-Brazilian manner of existing and symbolizing one’s existence in the world, which are produced once creating sambas and creating a bean stew are mingled in one festive gathering. A racialized access (or lack thereof) to beans underscores the fact that racism also affects how Brazilians have not only been producing and distributing food, but also thinking about and representing their plates, which become rather racialized. For example, a plate of white rice and black beans comes to symbolize the often-idealized racial mixture constituting the nation, without completely erasing the violence that stands at its core.
