A Taste of Home
I’ve just been putting the finishing touches on a keynote that I’ll be giving for a conference on the Taste of Home next week in Brussels.
It’s a conference I’ve been looking forward to. I have wanted to meet the Social and Cultural Studies of Food group led by Peter Scholliers for some time. My correspondence with the organizers, Anneke Geyzen and Olivier de Maret has been stimulating. And there are old friends and new people to meet among the participants and attendees.
My Cornish Pasty in Mexico
I shall tell two stories about a taste I associate with home, the Cornish pasty, awarded a Geographic Indication just about a year ago on 22nd February 2011 by the European Commisssion. The two stories depend on opposed memories about where home is, how taste is created, and who owns that taste. As the debate about the Geographic Indication shows, these differences have very real consequences for economic and cultural policies.
I shall do a trial run for the Food Studies Group at the University of Texas at Austin on Wednesday 1st February. Benedict 1. 126. 6 p.m. Do come if you are interested.
EU Protected Geographical Status (PGS) aims to protect the integrity of heritage foods while at the same time being a way to raise the profile of regional products and skills. There seems to be a general confusion to what the various catagories actually mean:
PDO- covers agricultural products and foodstuffs which are produced, processed and prepared in a given geographical area using recognised know-how.
PGI- covers agricultural products and foodstuffs closely linked to the geographical area. At least one of the stages of production, processing or preparation takes place in the area.
TSG- highlights traditional character, either in the composition or means of production
I’ve seem articles were the author talks about “terrior” about a food item with PGI status, which shows a basic lack of understanding.
In the UK case at least there seems to be a very fine line between protecting and promoting regional foods and marketing of “Nostagia food/Comfort food” to “Emotional eating” target groups. The cynical way in which PGS has been used in the UK, really is devaluing the coin of the mark. Which is a great shame.
Also there isn’t just the issue of who owns the food, but also how food history is used cynical, and more importantly inaccurate, manner. Does it serve the publics interest if will reach the point where publics perception of the credibility of food history reaches the same level as some of the animal welfare accreditation schemes, that is basically bogus?
Thanks for this claification Adam. I have to admit I am one of the many confused. In fact the paper is not really about the Geographic Indication but about the pasty in the 19th century which I strongly suspect was the product at least of much of Cornish who had migrated overseas as of the Cornish who stayed at home.
Oh! I would love to hear the stories. Will you be posting them? i hope?
Not sure. It partly depends on the organizers who may not want them up before theproceedings of the conference are published.
Have you been to the Full English Cafe in South Austin? Curious to know your opinion! I think the food is delicious but I am no expert. We should do tea over there soon!
I registered for the conference, Rachel. I look forward to meeting you.
Me too, Nick.
your cornish pasty looks just like the cretan kalitsouni (related to the word ‘calzone’) – ours are smaller, made with flour-water pastry, and are eaten like an appetiser (and nowadays a snack) rather than a main meal – they are a staple offering at the cretan easter table
such food items make fantastic stories – wish i could hear you tell yours about this one
best wishes (in more ways than one!)
One day Maria!