Fourteenth International Conference on Food Studies

Abstract

Food is not just an essential element in our biological engineering process, but a culture, tradition and identity of an individual’s life. The taste, smell and texture of the food on a dining table carries an evocative function of reminiscence, triggering emotions and connecting people as well as memories through time and space. Hong Kong, a migrant society, has undergone waves of emigration in the past decades. During the fourth wave of migration which was predominantly triggered by political instability and uncertainties, the island has witnessed an extensive scale of outward migration, with Taiwan as one of the popular destinations due to the geographical proximity and similar cultural tradition. This research, conducted through participant observation and in-depth interviews, examining the food preparation, cooking practice and food choice of the migrants, aims to explore how the individual and collective identity is constructed during the process of diaspora and the post-traumatic experience in some cases. Through in-depth interviews, it is interesting to observe that food, not only plays an important role in comforting and calming the wounded past, but serves the function of gathering the scattered souls together by bringing back the memories. Furthermore, it is also striking to note that integration into the host society is taking place as reflected by the adaptation and incorporation of ingredients as well as the cooking method of the migrants. This paper examines and conceptualize the multi-dimensional cultural and symbolic function of food, cooking and culinary tradition in the migration context.