Guevara – Final Diet Reflection

– November Experiences –

My final month in France consisted of exploring food in other countries that was a slight reminder of home, as well as perfecting the art of eating French food. I have had an amazing experience this semester with trying food from all over Europe. I enjoyed analyzing food portions, time spent eating, and most importantly food waste. Learning about how much variation there is from country to country has made me appreciate food culture at a whole new level.

In November, I traveled to Barcelona, Spain and was exposed to amazing Spanish food. In comparison to France, all the dishes consisted of more flavor and their food portions were bigger. I decided to be an adventurous eater at my first restaurant in Spain and I ordered a typical Spanish meal called ‘Chilaquiles.’ The dish includes small tortilla chips covered in salsa and shredded mozzarella cheese, a large, thin steak, topped with a fried egg, and refried beans on the side. It was delicious!

For another meal, I had chicken ‘Flautas,’ which is like a fried taco topped with salsa, avocado, and shredded cheese. In addition to how amazing they tasted, the visual food presentation made it even better.

Next, I tried the most typical Spanish dish and drink: Tapas and Sangria. Tapas are essentially little snacks made up of different ingredients. It usually comes with a little piece of bread topped with some type of meat, such as ham, sausage, salmon, or fish. The ones I tried were with prosciutto and they turned out to be very addicting.

The sangria is a very common beverage in Spain, somewhat like a wine punch. It is made up of red wine with fruits and a sweetener.

On another occasion, I enjoyed tacos for the first time since my time abroad! They were called ‘Tacos De Alambre,’ which included cut up fajita steak, bacon, grilled onions, and bell peppers.

For dinner one night, I ordered a steak with a side of vegetables that had potatoes, bell peppers, green peas, and mushrooms.

To my surprise, my steak was cooked exactly to my liking: well done. Unlike France, when I normally ask my steak to be well cooked, they bring it back pretty rare. In fact according to Food Expert J. Kenji, “the French prefer their meat cooked very rare (due to) their very lean beef, while Americans, with their extra-fatty meat, veer towards medium” (Kenji). I felt extremely satisfied having a balanced meal of meat and vegetables.

These meals reminded me somewhat of home because I have eaten these dishes in Mexico, so of course I ate everything on my plate with no food wasted. However, by looking around I noticed other customers did leave food on their plate, which aligns with my theory of the bigger the food portion, the more food waste.

I definitely noticed these Spanish dishes were very protein based because they all included some type of meat. As opposed to France, I consume many dishes where carbs are my main source of energy. Personally, I prefer that all my meals consist of meat; therefore I enjoyed Spanish dishes more than French food because I felt I was actually getting my fair share of protein.

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In continuation, other experiences I had in November was in Normandy, France. I took advantage of the several courses within one meal by getting a hot soup on a cold, winter day. The food presentation was exquisite, putting the bowl of warm vegetable soup on top of a plate with little pieces of bread and a napkin for a pop of color. The soup was very good and I could taste the dense creamy texture to it. As a matter of fact, “cream more than any other single factor determines the nature of Norman cooking” (Root 120).

After Spain, I began to crave a good steak so much more so I ordered a well-done filet and surprisingly it came with two sides. I ordered green beans and a baked potato. This is my typical dinner meal in the United States so it reminded me of home as well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

However, when I cut my steak in half, I was not surprised that my steak was red on the inside. I had forgotten I was in France. Instead of making a big deal and being that one picky customer, I decided to try it. It was a hard task for me to do because I am a visual eater, so I had to look away when I would put the piece of steak in my mouth. I overcame a new taboo by trying Filet Mignon – the French way.

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Later in November, I visited Paris, France and had a typical French multiple course dinner. It started off with little peanuts and olives accompanied with a glass of champagne. After, bread was introduced to the table along with water. Then our first ‘aperitif’ was brought to the table, which included fresh lobster topped with different fruits and a sauce.

The waiter poured white wine with the appetizer because the “delicate flavors of a white meat are too easily overwhelmed by the heavy, tannic body of most red wines, but usually deliciously complimented by a softer, more mellow white” (Gabelman).

A little over an hour of arriving, our main entrée was served: filet mignon accompanied with sweet potatoes. Red wine was poured into the other wine glass to pair it with the red meat.

The food portions were SO French. The size of this Filet Mignon was minute!

Compared to my previous dining experiences this month, France definitely wins by far with the number of courses in each meal, therefore their food portions are very small, which in turn has minimal food waste. Also, by far, French meals on average take about two hours minimum. Overall, the French balance their meals with small portion sizes and a variety of courses.

To conclude that meal, dessert was served and red wine was refilled. I found it interesting that they gave me more red wine for dessert rather than wine white, since it’s sweeter. Interestingly enough, Madame Evelyn from the Château des Vaults did state that the pairing of wine is up to the tasters’ interpretation.

 

Another day in Paris, I went on a three-hour food tour around the city trying the best foods recommended by our food expert guide. He took us to a bakery where they made the best bread in Paris. Bread is an iconic symbol of the French culture, in fact, “nine out of ten people, or 95%, eat bread everyday” (Sykes).

After, we went to market where they had the best cheese and meat from the butcher shop.

What I found extremely interesting was the visual appearance of the animal meat in the butcher shop. There were chickens with their heads still attached and there were pig’s feet! I had never seen that before and was completely mind-blown. In my experience, it’s not common to find that in the United States, so it was definitely something to see.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What truly caught my attention was a deer’s head as a mount in front of the butcher shop. According to the food expert guide, any time one of these is hung in any butcher shop then that means some of their animals were wild game or bushmeat.

Following, I went to a French olive oil tasting for the first time. In fact, “France’s Olive Oil is without a doubt some of the finest in the world” (“French”). It was quite different, but a fun experience that I will always remember.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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– Theme & Reflection –

Every time I eat, I have a new sense of appreciation for my food and food waste overall subsequent to this course. Food waste is a crucial issue happening worldwide all at different levels. Based on my own experience, I firmly believe food portions and food waste are strongly correlated. It’s quite simple, the more food you have on your plate, the harder it is to finish it so you leave it and it essentially goes to waste. Not only are we wasting food every time it is thrown away, but also “labor, water, energy, land, and other inputs that went into producing that food” (“Food”).

France recently passed a law in May 2015 forbidding businesses to destroy unsold food and instead give it to charities in an effort to fight food waste. All large supermarkets must now sign an agreement with a nonprofit charitable organization by this upcoming year (Willsher). This is a huge legislation especially initiating from a country with minimal food waste in comparison to other countries, such as the United States. In 2010, “U.S. supermarkets and grocery stores threw out 43 billion pounds, or $46.7 billion worth of food, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture” (Delman). On the contrary, France only wastes 7.1 million tons of food each year. To break down the waste in France, no pun intended, “67% is wasted by consumers themselves, another 15% by restaurants, while shops and distributors waste 11% of the total” (Schofield). Many who oppose this new law suggest that supermarkets are not even the majority of the problem. However, I applaud France for attacking the problem somehow and taking initiative, as some reduction is better than nothing. France’s new ban benefits charities with the extra donations, hungry people, and of course the environment.

 

“The legislation is one of the world’s first attempts to address the twin problems of food waste and hunger in this manner” (Delman).

 

After France’s success with the petition, efforts are being aimed at spreading it at a European level, through the United Nations. In fact, “a petition launched in seven European countries, including Britain, support the law with more than 539,000 signatures” (Willsher). Hopefully the law can be globalized considering the immense momentum it has been receiving in Europe. I believe this law would positively impact the United States as well, especially given the increasing numbers of Americans without enough food to eat. For example, “one in seven Americans lack reliable access to food and an extra fifteen percent in saved food could save over 25 million Americans” (Delman). Once most, if not all, European nations begin passing this law it will begin to universalize towards the Western Hemisphere. Ultimately, passing a law “similar to the one just passed in France could make a difference in reducing the U.S. food insecurity” (Delman) and reduce the high numbers of food waste at a global scale.

Currently, the United Nations has ongoing programs to address and accelerate the process of reducing food waste. The campaign called ‘Think, Eat, Save. Reduce Your Footprint,’ is a way “countries can help share successful initiatives on these issues and help eliminate wasteful practices” (“UN”). Although this is a global campaign, I believe not many people have heard of this United Nation initiative. Given the statistics of food waste, where more than half comes from consumers themselves, I believe spreading awareness of the issue will cause an awakening worldwide. I most definitely encourage the United States, as well as the entire European Union and other industrialized countries, to follow France’s footsteps in passing the ban on large supermarket’s food waste. However, in order to act on solutions moving forward, overall consumers should be aware of the impact they have with their food waste. When I attended the Milan Food Expo, I learned so many facts about how solely one person can impact the environment as a whole. Therefore, I suggest there be more conferences, events, or programs directly intended to gain consumer awareness. Once you learn about it and it is in your mind, then it becomes just a matter of recognition and practice. Adults can start at anytime if they were not aware about it before and teach their kids proper ways to avoid food reduction. That way the next generation of children will already know beforehand and it will become second nature.

Another solution I propose is that more companies like Bon Appétit exist. Bon Appétit is a restaurant company on the St. Edward’s University campus that separates the trash in the cafeteria from compost, recyclable, and normal trash. According to the Bon Appétit general Manager of Michael Smith, “the compost bins are then emptied into larger barrels located out on the loading docks outside each cafeteria. The waste service company empties the barrels three times a week” (Schenck).  If more services, companies, universities, organizations, and businesses had sustainable composting efforts similar to these, then the world would progress towards better things. All it takes is unity, compromise, and dedication to achieve the same goal worldwide.

 

Throughout the semester, I truly enjoyed writing about my food interactions because I felt my distinct experiences in different countries gave it a unique touch. It added variety to the food, the culture, the traditions of the country, and the food waste depending on location. I observed how many people from different cities in Europe ate their food (or didn’t) and compared it to the United States. When researching the reasons why after, I was astounded to find the several factors that were based on each country’s specific eating habits and health nutrition issues, such as obesity, that correlated to food waste. There ARE ways to reduce food waste and it all starts with social awareness. Let’s get out there and help the environment by not buying what we’re not going to eat, eating what we do have, and broadcast this important issue to our local representatives. As Arash Derambarsh, the individual who persuaded the French government to pass the law banning food waste in France would agree – one person can change it all.

 

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Works Cited

1. Delman, Edward. “Should It Be Illegal for Supermarkets to Waste Food?” The Atlantic. 29 May 2015.             http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2015/05/law-france-supermarkets-food-waste/394481/

 

2. “Food Loss and Food Waste.” Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. N.d. http://www.fao.org/food-loss-and-food-waste/en/

 

3. “French Olive Oil.” Cellar Tours Gastronomy. N.d.  http://www.cellartours.com/france/gastronomy/french-olive-oil.html

 

4. Gabelman, Timothy. “Rule #2: White Meat With Wine Wine…Usually.” The Examiner. 1 June 2010. http://www.examiner.com/article/rule-2-white- meat-with-white-wine-usually

 

5. Kenji-Lopez, J. “The Food Lab: The Secret to Perfect Beef Tenderloin?” Serious Eats. 18 December 2014. http://www.seriouseats.com/2014/12/the-food-lab-reverse-sear-beef-tenderloin-filet-mignon.html

 

6. Root, Waverely. The Food of France. Vintage Books Edition. May 1992. Print.

 

7. Schenck, Kristina. “Campus Dining Services Add Compost Facilities.” Campus Views. 6 February 2013.                 http://think.stedwards.edu/sustainability/sites/think.stedwards.edu.sustainability/files/Composting%20COMBINED%20PDF.pdf

 

8. Schofield, Hugh. “Is France’s Supermarket Waste Law Heading for Europe?” BBC    News. 18 August 2015.   http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-33907737

 

9. Sykes, Selina. “Not A Cliché: The French Love Their Bread.” My French Life. 19 December 2013. http://www.myfrenchlife.org/2013/12/19/french-bread-not-cliche/

 

10. “UN and Partners Launch Global Campaign to Reduce Food Waste.” UN News Centre. N.d.             http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=43975#.VmGm1VPF9PY

 

11. Willsher, Kim. “France Made It Illegal For Shops to Throw Away Food and Now the Rest of Europe May Follow.” Business Insider; UK. 7 July 2015.  http://uk.businessinsider.com/one-mans-plan-to-force-french- supermarkets-not-to-waste-food-is-spreading-2015-7?r=US&IR=T