(Video) American Ethnic Food

Earlier this month I stumbled upon an American ethnic food section at a gourmet grocery store at the bottom of GALERIA Kaufhof in Alexanderplatz, Berlin.  When foraging for food in foreign lands, I usually learn a lot about other cultures (I have learned that food can reveal volumes about our lifestyles, values, behavior, health, economy, society, etc.), but with this particular shelf I encountered sterling commentary on my own.

Someone had carefully curated the items on this shelf, which includes well-rounded collection of Betty Crocker baking mixes, Campbell’s Soup cans, processed cheese, marshmallows and marshmallow fluff, boxed macaroni and cheese, and barbecue sauce, with some Crisco cans thrown in for good measure.

I found the collection to be so witty, so telling and thoughtful, that I had to film it.  I surreptitiously whipped out my Flipcam for a quick once-over and uploaded it to YouTube after returning to the States.  About a week later, the clip went moderately viral, and my inbox flooded with comments- clearly this American ethnic food shelf touched some nerves.  The comments fall into roughly four categories: outrage at American processed food and “fat people”, defense of the American diet/ lifestyle, pride at a favored food being featured, and outrage at certain foods (especially Twinkies & apple pie) missing.

Watch the video below:

Once again, I am struck how telling food can be.  The passionate reaction to (and surprising interest in) this relatively banal video clip proves just how contentious food commentary can be- how it’s tied up in our beliefs, national identity, lifestyle, and social status.  Indeed, one might regard food as a sort of litmus test for greater society.  The processed foods on this shelf (as well as viewers’ reactions to them) represent many interesting long-term trends: the need for greater convenience, the growing domination of corn in the food economy (and our surging alarm regarding the matter), and our nation’s growing health crisis, as well as our heightened obsession with diets, food safety, and what Michael Pollan refers to as ‘nutritionism‘.

What’s the takeaway?  Experts and publications aren’t the only resources for information on trends and innovation- sometimes all you need to do is step into your local grocery store and gaze questioningly at the treasure-packed shelves.  Food is tasty- but also chock-full of insight (and vitamins!).

Bon appetit!