Food is a trendy topic nowadays, and the most quoted sentence by scholars is perhaps Brillat Savarin’s famous saying: “tell me what you eat and I will tell you who you are”, or to rephrase it from the perspective of language: “tell me about what you eat and I will tell you who you are” (Harrison Magee, 2009). This paper is on how Koreans talk about Italian food (henceforth ITF). This paper is part of a wider project based on field research conducted in Seoul and in Jonju in 20121. Although my presentation is to be considered a work in progress, it nonetheless intends to suggest that the people interviewed perceive ITF tastes2: 1) on a cognitive level, which is based more on individual or even a group’s knowledge, familiarity and experiences and on their food attitudes, consumption frequency, preference and criteria of evaluation rather than on the “culinary soft power” of the typical ITF image; 2) on a linguistic level, where ITF taste words suggest differences in the taste lexicon and in the perception of food flavour according to age and gender; 3) on a semiotic-cultural level, where ITF taste is socially and culturally constructed according to age and gender differences. I suggest that taste is the salient factor in determining the gender, space and time of the person consuming ITF. In other words, the taste perception is linked to gender, personality and social identity.
Food is a trendy topic nowadays, and the most quoted sentence by scholars is perhaps Brillat Savarin’s famous saying: “tell me what you eat and I will tell you who you are”, or to rephrase it from the perspective of language: “tell me about what you eat and I will tell you who you are” (Harrison Magee, 2009). This paper is on how Koreans talk about Italian food (henceforth ITF). This paper is part of a wider project based on field research conducted in Seoul and in Jonju in 20121. Although my presentation is to be considered a work in progress, it nonetheless intends to suggest that the people interviewed perceive ITF tastes2: 1) on a cognitive level, which is based more on individual or even a group’s knowledge, familiarity and experiences and on their food attitudes, consumption frequency, preference and criteria of evaluation rather than on the “culinary soft power” of the typical ITF image; 2) on a linguistic level, where ITF taste words suggest differences in the taste lexicon and in the perception of food flavour according to age and gender; 3) on a semiotic-cultural level, where ITF taste is socially and culturally constructed according to age and gender differences. I suggest that taste is the salient factor in determining the gender, space and time of the person consuming ITF. In other words, the taste perception is linked to gender, personality and social identity.
Taste Perception: Italian vs Korean Food and vice-verse / Bruno, ANTONETTA LUCIA. - ELETTRONICO. - (2013). (Intervento presentato al convegno AKSE Conference at Vienna tenutosi a Vienna nel 6-9 July 2013).
Taste Perception: Italian vs Korean Food and vice-verse
BRUNO, ANTONETTA LUCIA
2013
Abstract
Food is a trendy topic nowadays, and the most quoted sentence by scholars is perhaps Brillat Savarin’s famous saying: “tell me what you eat and I will tell you who you are”, or to rephrase it from the perspective of language: “tell me about what you eat and I will tell you who you are” (Harrison Magee, 2009). This paper is on how Koreans talk about Italian food (henceforth ITF). This paper is part of a wider project based on field research conducted in Seoul and in Jonju in 20121. Although my presentation is to be considered a work in progress, it nonetheless intends to suggest that the people interviewed perceive ITF tastes2: 1) on a cognitive level, which is based more on individual or even a group’s knowledge, familiarity and experiences and on their food attitudes, consumption frequency, preference and criteria of evaluation rather than on the “culinary soft power” of the typical ITF image; 2) on a linguistic level, where ITF taste words suggest differences in the taste lexicon and in the perception of food flavour according to age and gender; 3) on a semiotic-cultural level, where ITF taste is socially and culturally constructed according to age and gender differences. I suggest that taste is the salient factor in determining the gender, space and time of the person consuming ITF. In other words, the taste perception is linked to gender, personality and social identity.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.