Guest Writer – Alexis Bonari
Before anything else, I would like to thank you all for your patience with our recent lack in consistent posting. As I was away for awhile and for all the other days busy getting some urgent things done. Well what a way to start the month with Alexis taking the time to share her thoughts and most of all her writing brilliance. This time round she shares her thoughts on dining. I hope you will enjoy her post as much as I do.
The Global Culture of Food, Family, and Fellowship
To say that dining traditions play a crucial role in almost every
culture on the planet is an understatement. Food is essential to
life. Meals are a chance to relax, to catch up with our friends and
family, and to engage in rituals that are often thousands of years
old.
Edible Art:
Traditions surrounding food vary by region and culture. In the East,
citizens of Japan still practice many dining customs that have evolved
over the past 1,500 years. Food in Japan serves a dual purpose. As
in other countries, it is a source of life and energy. At the same
time, Japanese chiefs and homemakers alike take pride in creating
edible works of art. Food is prepared and arranged to showcase the
natural elements and a philosophy that idealizes balance in all
things.
Popular classes teach mothers how to arrange their child’s lunch box
so that it is pleasing to the eye as well as the tongue. Food
preparation and presentation is lauded as an act of love, devotion,
and self-expression.
A Celebration of Friendship:
Inhabitants of the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia and Egypt,
pride themselves in their hospitality. Visiting guests and family
members alike are offered a variety of culinary delicacies by their
hosts. Turkish Coffee, a freshly ground coffee prepared with dissolved
sugar and heated in a very specific manner, is commonly shared with
favored guests. Friendship and business relationships are closely
interwoven in Middle Eastern society. Exchanges of food between
friends and coworkers serve to reinforce these bonds of trust.
Holiday Traditions:
Food traditions in the United States are changing. Fast food and
made-ahead meals have largely replaced sit-down, family dining.
Holidays, however, still retain their traditional roots. People who
rarely cook during the year will revive old family recipes for
Christmas, Thanksgiving, or the Fourth of July. Many traditional
family recipes reflect the variety of cultures represented within the
United States. It isn’t uncommon to find a variety of foods from all
regions of the world at a family gathering. Although these
get-togethers only happen several times a year, they are an essential
to keeping families connected.
Food traditions form a sort of common language. When we share our
food traditions with others, we are sharing a bond of trust and
community.
Bio: Alexis Bonari is a freelance writer and blog junkie. She is currently a resident blogger at onlinedegrees.org, researching areas of online degree programs.
In her spare time, she enjoys square-foot gardening, swimming, and avoiding her laptop.
(post and photos were all contributed by Alexis Bonari) and we thank her for it 
