Food, Health, and Culture: A Reflection -Rena Palmer

I remember when I signed up for this class, the name “food. health, and culture” sounded so interesting, and this class did not disappoint. Not being an LA native, learning about food culture specifically in Los Angeles was extremely eye opening. I thoroughly enjoyed learning about the origins of Latino cuisine as well as the plight of food trucks and street vendors in the LA area. I also enjoyed how this class forced me to explore LA and visit restaurants that I would have probably never gone to otherwise. For example, I loved Mariscos Jaliscos so much that I brought my dad there a few months ago as we are both avid seafood lovers. This class really emphasized just how much of LA culture can be traced back to Latino origins. LA is known for tacos and food trucks, both of which first began with Mexican heritage. Aside from Latino immigrants, this class also showed me how Los Angeles would never be the great city it is today without the rich cultures of the immigrants who live in it. Additionally, I must say that the businesses we visited, such as Truth kernel and With Love market were very inspiring. I loved hearing the owners of these organizations speak because they had so much passion for what they do and it made me happy to think that there are such good people out there who are genuinely eager to help make a difference within their community.

All this being said, the food justice side of the class was the most interesting to me and will affect me in my future career path as a physician. Anyone who knows me knows that I am extremely obsessive when it comes to the food that I eat as I am a strong believer that food is medicine. In my health classes I have learned that what you eat has a direct effect on your health. For years I have been a Whole foods and Sprouts shopper, filling my kitchen with fresh fruits and vegetables. This class made me really consider how privileged I am to have the ability to live the way I do. I am blessed to say that healthy food was always a given in my family and there was never a shortage of it. The food justice component of this semester showed me that there is a huge population of people living with food insecurity with no access to healthy alternatives. I remember when I moved to USC, I was honestly disgusted with Figueroa as it only contained fast food places and I would frequently go home and stock up on fresh food when I went back to Orange County. This class made me put myself in the shoes of the people in the immediate surrounding area who don’t have the luxury of traveling far away to find healthier food options. I think its especially depressing that now the majority of people know the difference between healthy and unhealthy food as the issue is no longer merely a lack of education. This phenomenon was exemplified in the clip we watched a few weeks ago that depicted the family of four who knew fast food was unhealthy yet was basically forced to eat it due to financial reasons and a lack of time to cook. Clearly, the major task at hand is not food education, but rather actually finding ways to increase people’s access to healthy food.

I’d have to say the biggest issue with our food system is the paradox of why healthy food is so much more expensive than fast food and processed snacks. We mentioned in class that a possible reason is that the crops that make these products such as GMO corn are heavily subsidized. It has evolved into the huge problem of lower socioeconomic individuals not being able to afford healthy food. This issue is manifesting itself in high rates of type 2 diabetes and obesity within most poorer people, especially children. To me, this is extremely concerning and as a future physician I don’t want to have to see young children having to deal with these major health complications just because their family can’t afford healthy alternatives. Things are going to need to change in terms of making healthy alternatives more accessible. In my opinion, one of the really great models we saw this year was the farmers market and the Market match program. Also, I think that urban farming should be further explored in the future as I was shocked when I learned just how many empty lots are in LA alone. Additionally, the Future of Food article talked about new food alternatives such as cricket meal and Spriulina. Perhaps these innovative foods can be manufactured and sold at cheap prices to provide healthy options at a reasonable price.

 

 

 

Food Insecurity=Health Insecurity (Blog 4 by Rena Palmer)

For this assignment, I must admit I had a hard time putting myself in the shoes of the 1.4 million people who live in Los Angeles County and face a high degree of food insecurity (Hunger LA). I grew up in Orange County, California and always had access to high quality grocery stores. Within just 3 miles of my house, there was a Vons, Sprouts, and a Ralph’s. Additionally, unlike many low socioeconomic individuals, I always had access to a car to allow me to reach other supermarkets when I pleased. It was a huge shock to me when I moved to USC as Figueroa is a known food desert. I remembered feeling so trapped (before Trader Joes arrived) and I, myself even succumbed to making unhealthy food choices. In the following scenario, I tried my best to imagine my life as a typical South L.A resident who experiences food insecurity as a daily reality:

My name is Rena and my husband and I immigrated to Southern Los Angeles from Jalisco, Mexico. We have 2 kids and together we all live in a two bedroom apartment. My husband is a cook in a restaurant, and I am a maid/nanny for a white, upperclass family in Santa Monica. My husband and I both make minimum wage and struggle to pay the bills. Recently, my neighborhood has been becoming gentrified and a hipster coffee shop has opened up down the street. This is frightening to my husband and I as the buildings in the area have begun to increase rent prices. Since our small apartment was built after 1978, it is not subjected to rent control and our landlord may end up increasing our monthly rent.

My husband works from 11:00am to 8:00pm and does not get home till late because he takes the bus. Additionally, on weekdays I am gone from 8:00 to 5:00 taking care of another family’s home. At my job, I often wish that I could be spending time with my own kids and managing my own household. Since my husband starts work late, he is able to take the kids to school. After school gets out, they go to an after school program until I am able to come and pick them up. I am adamant about putting them in an after school program, because the area we live in is unsafe and I want them to be busy with school or playing sports so they don’t get mixed up with the wrong crowd.

As I mentioned above, my husband and I our not with our kids very often during the week and therefore have a hard time monitoring what they eat. A few years ago, my husband was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes and from that day on our family decided to make a change in our lifestyle. The clinic where my husband was treated had programs that taught us what types of foods we should be eating and even had healthy cooking lessons. Before I was told all this information, my family ate a large amount of fats, carbs, and sugars. I felt empowered knowing that I now knew how to help decrease my childrens’ risk of diabetes, yet soon realized that healthy eating was not easily sustainable. First off, many of the immediate markets by my house were corner stores or bodegas and had chips, cookies, and other processed foods rather than fresh cooking ingredients. If I was lucky enough to find produce, it was rotting or of bad quality. At one time, one of the corner stores was actually turned into a fresh market, but it only lasted a few months as the people wanted unhealthy snack food like Takis or Hot cheetos instead. My best option to shop at is Ralphs which is a few miles away from our house. We don’t have cars, so I often will have to time my shopping with the public transportation or walk with my groceries. I often am forced to shop mostly during the weekend as I am too busy with work for a two hour food run during the week. Recently, the USC village opened up a Trader Joes which I sometimes do shop at for groceries at. Unfortunatley, I sometimes feel out of place as the majority of people shopping there are students. I usually end up getting most of my produce at the farmers market on Vermont and Adams. They have many options such as sweet potatoes, leafy green veggies, and lots of berries. While my family does not qualify for food stamps, the farmers market’s “market match” program takes many food vouchers which is great. Additionally, depending on the season, my kids’ school has a community garden which allows students and their families to come pick some of the growing items. While we don’t get a lot of food from the garden, i may get some extra fruits or veggies here and there which helps. More importantly, the garden brings a lot of happiness to my kids and is a positive influence on their life.This issue of access to markets is not a reality in Santa Monica where I work. In this affluent neighborhood, the residents have many options like, Whole Foods, Erewhon, Mothers, Ralphs, and much much more.

But the lack of accessible grocery stores is not my only dilemma, As I was educated about whole and organic foods vs processed, i realized there was a huge difference in price. Before, my family ate many tortillas, rice, and beans. These items could fill up my family for a doable amount of money. However, the doctor told me to incorporate more fruits, green vegetables, and lean meats and seafoods into our diet. Even when I find a store that sells these items, it is difficult to be able to afford enough to feed my family. I decided to choose quality over quantity and although i was feeding my kids organic chicken and veggies, they were not getting enough of it. They were always complaining of being hungry even after meals.

Conclusion:

This fictitious scenario is the daily reality of too many of people living in South LA. There is the battle of food desserts which makes it hard for people to locate healthy options. Also, there is the quality over quantity dilemma which speaks to the fact that healthy food is way more expensive than processed food. In todays world, Im pretty sure most people understand what is healthy, however, due to their socioeconomic standing they are basically forced to make unhealthy choices. As I detailed above, how do you explain to your kid that its better to go to sleep hungry having eaten veggies rather than feeling full eating tortillas and beans? Furthermore, as a health major and future Physician’s Assistant, the issues facing these individuals makes me extremely worried. In my personal life, I have used food as a way to heal or lessen many of my own health ailments. I am a big believer in integrative health and that food is medicine. It is disappointing that these individuals don’t even have the chance to be healthy as there are so many obstacles in their way. These problems contribute to the poverty cycle and they cause poor health in these individuals who cannot afford proper healthcare. Its extremely ironic that the people who seriously cannot afford to be unhealthy actually end up being the unhealthiest people as they do not have the resources or even time to lead a healthy life. For example, Type 2 diabetes and obesity greatly affects people who are lower SES and 30% of latino children are obese. These statistics are very concerning to me because in my classes I have learned the outcomes of these conditions. Without proper treatment and lifestyle modifications, these individuals will go on to develop major health complications such as neuropathy, retinopathy, and cardiovascular diseases. This leads to expensive health bills and missed time off at work which perpetuates the poverty cycle. Sadly, obesity and Type 2 diabetes are both conditions that are almost completely preventable via proper diet and exercise.

 

The above diagram details the racial health disparities within LA. These are linked to being from lower SES and therefore unable to make healthy lifestyle choices such as diet and exercise. African American and Latino people have a greater likelihood of having these health conditions when compared to Whites and Asians.

This picture details the detrimental outcomes of untreated or severe diabetes. In poorer areas, the incidence of Type 2 diabetes is increasing (especially in children) due to poor food choices. Neuropathy and eventual amputations can be a consequence of diabetes. As shown, areas like Compton and swaths of South and East L.A. have some of the highest amputation rates. Unsurprisingly, the lowest rates are seen in wealthier ZIP codes where people can afford lifestyle modifications such as eating organic food.

Reflection:

This blog exercise made me extremely grateful that this has never been my reality. It makes me feel guilty as just last week I was at Whole Foods and spent 5 dollars on a upscale kombucha and didn’t even think about how thousands of people struggle to put vegetables on their table. I have never felt insecure or limited when it comes to food and can’t imagine the feeling of not having access to healthy options. Eating healthy has definitely been something I have been taking for granted most of my life. In my opinion, the farmers markets are the best options in creating access to fruits and vegetables. The one we visited on our field trip had many options and looked like high quality produce. Their Market Match program is a huge step in the right direction so that now people with food stamps can be incentivized to buy fresh food. I cannot stress enough how important food is to ones health and feel as though all people, no matter what SES, should have the power over their own health choices.

Blog #3: Cultural Appropriation-A Blurred line (Rena Palmer)

Upon seeing that this blog was going to focus on cultural appropriation, I was intrigued and hopeful that I would finally become clear on what the exact definition of cultural appropriation is. Unfortunately, after reading some of the articles and seeing examples of cultural appropriation accusations, I must say that the definition still remains convoluted. For example, I think it is ridiculous to say that someone can’t write or report on something that is not from their culture. Everyone is entitled to their opinion and as long as it is not derogatory or hateful rhetoric, I support free speech. I feel like the real issue people had with Peterson’s article was the fact that it promoted gentrification and was seen as threatening to their culture. While the complaint that Peterson’s article is facilitating gentrification is a valid argument, I found it very disgusting how the locals used such derogatory language to speak about the people (mostly Asians) who flocked to the corn vendor in response to Peterson’s article. Trying to protect your own culture is admirable,however, it is unnecessary to disparage those of another culture in the process. Additionally, the article, “A Food Fight at Oberlin College” was a prime example of the dramatics that often gets the idea of cultural appropriation to be seen in a negative light. The rants of the Oberlin college students were equally entertaining as preposterous to me. After reading the article, I saw the words “traditional” and “authentic” being used in an attempt to justify these students’ complaints. I found this very concerning as we know these are not exactly the most objective ways to describe food. Ultimately, the core student grievance was that their dining hall “has a history of blurring the line between culinary diversity and cultural appropriation.” After reading the article, that line is still as blurry as ever. The complaint of Tomoyo Joshi actually made me laugh out loud. She stated that “the undercooked rice and lack of fresh fish was disrespectful.” Is it now cultural appropriation when you attempt to cook something and it doesn’t go well as in the case of the so called undercooked rice? If failed cooking attempts are now forms of appropriation then I guess I myself have been guilty quite a few times. Additionally, how dare a sushi bar at a a LANDLOCKED midwestern school not have access to an abundance of fresh fish-shocking! This situation reminded me about the substitution of traditional taco ingredients with things like beef, sour cream, and cheddar cheese that evolved due to the lack of accessible traditional ingredients.
Concerning Rick Bayless and the controversy surrounding his Mexican restaurants, I am torn. The one thing that his critiques say that I must agree with is the idea that in the food world it is all about who has money. Im not sold on the fact that he is privileged due to his race, but I do 100% think that he had an easier time building his restaurant empire due to the fact he had the resources. On the other had, I don’t like how the controversy has become muddled into the idea that he shouldn’t be allowed to cook Mexican food because he is white. If I was him, I would also be offended if people told me to “stick to my own food.” That mentality fails to take into account the constant evolution of food and the beauty of how learning and cooking foods teaches people about different cultures. Also, in the podcast, the speaker mentioned how its not as offensive when the non-indigenous chef tries with the upmost effort to immerse his or herself in the culture and become a student of the cuisine. From what I gathered from the readings, Bayless is bilingual and has spent years traveling through Mexico. It seems to me like he has a real appreciation and admiration for the culture. In my own personal experiences, I have been in situations where I have been to Indian restaurants owned by non- Indian chefs. For example, a few weeks ago, Cafe Gratitude was having a pop-up dinner cooked by Chef Om, a cook who has built a brand off being an expert in Ayurvedic (a type of Indian healing that utilizes certain foods and spices) cooking methods. I must say when I found out he was from Columbia and not India where Ayurvedic cooking originated, I felt a little cheated. I also thought that perhaps someone who was actually Indian and grew up utilizing these cooking methods could do a better job at creating recipes. However, after reading his biography, I learned how much time he has dedicated in learning about the Indian cuisine, religion and overall culture and also about how it had positively impacted his life. Instead of being bitter that he was making money off of aspects of my culture, I was actually touched to see how my culture was being so embraced by someone of a different ethnicity.

Pictured above: Chef Om who creates innovative recipes based of Ayurvedic principles, even though he is NOT Indian and instead from Columbia.
Ultimately, I also feel as though if I had read these articles before I read Anderson’s Food and Borders piece, I may have seen them differently. Now, when I see the phrase “is it okay to cook other people’s food,” I can’t help but wonder what “other people’s food” even means. Where does one group’s cuisine end and another’s begin? Anderson made it clear that ever since the beginning of trade and travel we no longer have cultural purity and therefore it is hard to define a cuisine. So much intermingling and borrowing has occurred that you cannot say one culture owns a type of food.

Tacos: The Perfect Vehicle for Culinary Globalization (By Rena/Blog #2)

In a world of Asian-Latino fusion restaurants like Roy Choi’s Kogi Truck or Ricardo Zarate’s Mo-Chica, Revolutionario Tacos stands out as a North African-Mexican fusion, the first of its kind. Only a few blocks from USC, I had never heard of this restaurant and was automatically intrigued at its “African-Mexican” fusion label on Yelp. The owner and Chef, Farid Zadi, was trained in Southern France and born to Algerian parents so he has grown up balancing multiple culinary cultures and has clearly become an expert at it as seen in his success in creating a connection between Mexican and North African flavors (Bennett).

If you were to look up “fusion cuisine” in the dictionary, there should be a picture of one of Revolutionario’s exotic tacos. The food offered at the restaurant exemplified the blending together of two very different cultures and cuisines. On the menu you will find many interesting taco options such as Shakshouka tacos made with sweet peppers, tomatoes and egg or even a black eyed pea falafel taco. I decided to get a Chickpea tagine taco made with spinach and sweet potatoes, a mixed veggie taco, as well as a falafel taco. Upon receiving my plate, I was surprised as the Chickpea tagine was a stew-like concoction that one would never think to put into a taco. The two falafels were also a unique filling for a taco. Surprisingly, both tacos were delicious and my eyes have been opened to the endless possibilities of what can be used to fill a taco. The major thing that stood out to me was the flavor of the food. The spices were so powerful, but in a good way. While researching the restaurant, I found out that a staple of North African cooking is “ras el hanout,” which is a mixture of 25-30 different spices. Chef Zadi explained how this spice mixture which utilizes paprika, coriander, turmeric, nutmeg, cinnamon, anise seed, cardamom, and many more, is what makes his cooking North African (Margolis). I found this statement interesting as the “Everyone Eats” readings stated how a possible way to define a cuisine may be through its use of signature spices (Anderson). However, also mentioned in the readings was the con of this method as many different cultures may have used or currently use similar spices. I can see the fault in this definition because in India we have a spice mixture called garam masala which utilizes many of the same spices as ras el hanout, such as coriander, turmeric, and cardamom.

From my research, I also discovered that African-Mexican fusion makes more sense than it may seem. The North African Moors ruled Spain for centuries so when Spanish explorers came to the New World, they introduced things like rice, cattle, and cheese to Mexico. In turn, Mexican ingredients such as tomatoes, chilies and corn made it back to North Africa where they were incorporated into dishes there. This rich history of reciprocity suggests that African and Mexican fusion is not such a shocking and outlandish pairing. (Bennett). Additionally, this historical analysis is a perfect example of how “food and foodways have been internationalizing for centuries and have been defined on a world scale” (Anderson). As seen in the “Everyone Eats” readings, the relationship between African and Mexican cuisine is only one example of the mixing and borrowing of cuisines due to globalization. The intermingling between countries detailed in the reading also supports the fact that the beginning of trade and travel was the end to cultural purity. Since there is no longer cultural purity, we must stop judging whether or not our food is authentic (Portnoy). The term “authentic” is socially constructed and does not account for the evolution of cuisines which has been happening for years and will continue to do so.

After eating at Revolutionario tacos, I wondered why fusion cuisine thrives in Los Angeles especially. The “Everyone Eats” reading suggested that “LA is the capital of the third world” and how it is a city where you can walk down the street and see restaurants representing over 20 different ethnic styles (Anderson). Los Angeles’s large immigrant population and diversity makes it an ideal location for the creation of fusion restaurants. Being that there are so many different cultures coexisting within one city, it is highly likely that two will come together and create a new blended cuisine. Additionally, LA’s deeply rooted street food culture plays a role in the creation of fusion cuisine. When it comes to street food, people do not come for the ordinary, but are instead attracted to the idea of a unique culinary experience that is exotic and intriguing, thus resulting in the creation of hybrid restaurants.

Additionally, Revolutionario tacos got me thinking as to why Latino-fusion cuisine often has something to do with tacos. In an audio interview with Chef Farid Zadi, he explained how amalgamating North African and Mexican cuisines via taco was “simple” (Margolis). While the taste of his exotic tacos were anything but simple, I can understand how the process could be intuitive. The taco itself is a relatively straightforward dish as it is essentially vegetables and a protein held by a tortilla. The taco’s basic foundation allows it to be a perfect vehicle for creating fusion cuisines. For example, put chicken tikka masala on a corn tortilla for Indian-Mexican fusion, or, as seen in Roy Choi’s Korean-Mexican fusion, fill a tortilla with Korean BB. The possibilities are endless!

Bennett, Sarah. North African Tacos Are an L.A. Ethnic Food Mash-Up That Actually Makes Sense. LA Weekly, 2015. Web. https://www.laweekly.com/restaurants/ach-du-lieber-its-time-to-celebrate-oktoberfest-987951

Margolis, Jacob. How one LA Chef Invented the North African Taco at His New Restaurant Revolutionario. 89.3 KPCC, 2015.Web. https://www.scpr.org/programs/take-two/2015/07/10/43595/how-one-la-chef-invented-the-north-african-taco-at/

My First Taste of Latino Los Angeles by Rena Palmer

 

Mariscos Jalisco

Our first stop was Mariscos Jalisco, a lonchera owned by chef Raul Ortega, which is known for their tacos dorado de camarones. After watching the Ugly Delicious episode assigned for class, I made sure to arrive hungry as the tacos served there are delectable enough to have wowed the renowned food critic Jonathan Gold. Although everyone (even the regulars waiting in line) raved about the shrimp tacos, I decided to go against the grain and order “The Poseidon” as I can never resist a good ceviche tostada. The Poseidon tostada consisted of a bed of fresh and tangy ceviche layered with chunks of tender octopus and topped generously with avocado, cucumber, and aguachile. Unsurprisingly, the food did not disappoint, and all my classmates were equally satisfied. As an added bonus, Chef Raul set aside some time to talk and answer questions about his business. He expressed how Mariscos Jalisco serves traditional Mexican cuisine in that it exhibits a very specific regionality. Raul hails from San Juan de los Lagos, Mexico, where before moving to the US he sold tacos de cabeza. He said that he opened his first truck in the Boyle Heights area because there was a large population of people who came from his hometown. His truck gained popularity quickly because the people of the community were finally able to enjoy the tastes that reminded them of their home. In my opinion, the food served at Mariscos Jalisco is “authentic” as there is no reinvention. I would also say that there is no need for reinvention as the tastes of the cuisine served from the truck are those I have never experienced in any other Mexican food. This may be in part because of Chef Raul’s unique aguachile salsa. True to his roots, his aguachile salsa is specific to his hometown. He explained to us that “If you go to any other Mexican restaurant, the aguachile salsa will be green, but ours is red.” Chef Raul also expressed his gratitude to Jonathan Gold for putting his business on the map and helping his restaurant grow. Eating at Mariscos Jalisco really put into perspective how monumental of a figure Jonathan Gold truly was. Without his reviews, places like Mariscos Jalisco may never have been made known to people outside the area. As I looked around, you could tell that there were certainly the regulars in line waiting for their tacos, but also hipsters and people wanting to venture out of their comfort zone. Chef Raul also expressed to us how his goal is for people to be kind to one another and come together over food. I think this goal is extremely fitting as the lonchera atmosphere really allows for a sense of togetherness and community. While eating at Mariscos Jalisco you will see people who have been coming there ever since it opened waiting in line alongside people who have traveled from distant places, all coming together for a common mission: amazing tacos.

“The Poseidon” Tostada

 

Kernel of Truth

Out of all the places we visited on our class excursion, Kernels of Truth Tortilleria was by far my absolute favorite. Kernel of Truth is a tortilleria that uses non genetically modified corn to make their tortillas from scratch. As a pre-health major, I found the field trip equally interesting as tasty. In my day to day life I practice extremely healthy eating and while I was not shocked to find that most tortillas are made from genetically modified corn, I was surprised to learn how many preservatives and additives are in big brand tortillas such as Guerro and Mission. I was under the assumption that the tortillas I had been buying my whole life were being made from honest ingredients. Perhaps my favorite part of visiting the tortilleria was hearing one of the owners speak about his business. He was so enthusiastic about teaching us about his vision and you could really see the passion he has. He explained how while his company supplies many upscale and trendy health conscious restaurants such as Gracias Madre and Café Gratitude, the overall goal of Kernel of Truth is geared towards giving back to the community from which it was founded. The owner touched on the issue of food insecurity and how he wants to find better ways of making his organic tortillas more accessible to people of lower socioeconomic status. With such an admirable goal, however, there is a risk as Kernel of Truth chooses to use more laborious methods to create their tortillas. Additionally, non GMO ingredients are more expensive and less predictable than spoil-proof genetically modified ingredients. However, from visiting the tortilleria, it is clear that all these extra techniques come together to form a product that is so much better than its big brand GMO counterparts. The tortillas made at Kernel of Truth blew the ones from Mission/Guerro brand out of the water. These tortillas had the distinct earthy taste and smell of actual corn. After tasting them I ran home and promptly threw out my stack of Mission tortillas as I will surely never be able to go back! Ultimately, going up against the GMO dominated industry is no small feat so I wish the best for Kernel of Truth and hope it continues pursuing its admirable goal of bringing deliciously honest tortillas to the people!

 

 

Mercadito

During the visit to the Mercadito, my senses were completely overstimulated. There was so much to see, smell, and even taste. Everywhere I looked, there were items that I rarely or never see. Aside from food, there were traditional Mexican dresses, cowboy boots, trinkets, and various herbs and vitamins. I was most intrigued by the food ingredients as most of them would never be sold at your local supermarket. There were pre-prepared moles for sale, corn masa for tortilla making, dried shrimp and small fish, and much more. We even got to taste-test some of the many cheeses that are used in traditional Mexican dishes. Additionally, seeing all these ingredients really solidified how diverse and rich the Mexican cuisine truly is. Many people only think of Mexican food as the basic taco with cheddar cheese, ground beef, and sour cream. This misconception is understandable though as in the past it was difficult to find such exotic ingredients in the US. As a result, many substitutions had to be made, such as cheddar cheese for queso añejo (Portnoy). In my opinion ingredients play a huge role in people’s perception of whether or not a food is authentic so markets like the Mercadito preserve traditional cuisines by allowing people to cook with the same ingredients as their ancestors.

 

Bar Amá

Being that Bäco Mercat is one of my favorite restaurants, I was eager to try chef Jose Centeno’s other restaurant, Bar Amá. The food is modeled after tex-mex cuisine and adds a unique flare while utilizing fresh ingredients. I would say that Chef Centeno is apart of the “alta-California chefs” as he reimagines traditional Mexican cooking. For example, on the menu you can find crispy pork belly with poblano, fennel, and pickled grapes or quesadillas with pineapple and escabeche. As summarized in Food, Health, and Culture in Latino Los Angeles, these chefs are “not trying to recreate the traditional dishes their mothers and grandmothers made” and instead “are creating innovative dishes that are influenced by Mexican cuisine but rooted in Los Angeles”. Bar Amá is a perfect example of the idea that food is constantly evolving which makes the labeling of food authentic or not extremely convoluted (Albala). Perhaps my favorite aspect of Bar Amá is its catering to all types of eaters. There are copious amounts of vegetarian options and many of the dishes can be made vegan. I cannot eat dairy, but I was still able to enjoy hot enchiladas with queso made from cashews, garlic, and onion. While I cannot say that it topped Bäco Mercat, Bar Amá is a great place to enjoy drinks and delicious nachos with friends and I will be back soon.