Geography Paper on Food, Wine, and Culture of California

Food, Wine, and Culture of California

Food

It is not clear when the California cuisine came into existence, but when Alice Waters opened Chez Panise in 1971, she introduced new foods to the locals which later became famous across the globe. Alice got her inspiration from the diverse cultural heritage of California and used fresh local ingredients to impress the different ethnicities (Pothukuchi, 2015). Her style of cooking became popular, and together with other chefs such as Jeremiah Tower and Wolfgang Puck, the California cuisine gained global recognition.

California has always been welcoming to the immigrants hence its diverse culture (Baldy, 2013). The various cultures merge their cuisines together to form the California cuisine. However, some of the foods introduced by different ethnicities could not fit the tastes of the locals, but with some modifications, they have continued to evolve and become even tastier (Pothukuchi, 2015). Examples of the most recognized cuisines in California include the sourdough bread which has existed since the California Gold Rush and famous in the San Francisco region. It is popular for its sour flavors coupled with a dense texture. Attempts to reproduce the sourdough bread in other parts of the world have failed since its microorganisms can only thrive in conditions only available in San Francisco and the Bay area.

Cioppino, another California cuisine, is a seafood medley stew introduced in San Francisco by the Italian immigrants in the mid-nineteenth century. The ingredients of cioppino include clams, mussels, scallops, shrimp, squid, and some white fish all mixed in a stewed wine broth. The shellfish remain in their shells after stewing which adds more flavor to the soup. Today, the cioppino broth includes tomatoes believed to make it more delicious. The chefs do not remove the meat from the shells when serving cioppino which makes the meal look messy. Customers will mostly receive bibs when they request for the dish and other special utensils to make the shelling process easier.

Cobb salad is a combination of multiple flavored ingredients used for dinner and invented in Hollywood in 1930s. The first restaurant to prepare this cuisine was Brown Derby. Examples of ingredients of Cobb salad include iceberg lettuce and salad greens such as avocado, tomatoes, romaine, roasted chicken, cheese, and hard boiled eggs. The chef then mixes the chopped ingredients with French dressing which consists of red wine vinegar, mustard oil, Worcestershire sauce, and lemon. The multiple ingredients form into brilliant displays and, once served, the salad shows different shapes and textures as well as contrasting colors.

Wine

California is one of the leaders in production in the US and enjoys a stable economy since 90 percent of all American wine comes from this state. The country experiences favorable conditions for growing grapes with the days being warm and sunny and the nights cool. The weather is ideal for other ingredients used in the production of wine such as Sangiovese, sauvignon, and pinot noir (Santini et al. 2013). The most recognizable regions for growing wine-producing ingredients include Napa Valley, Santa Barbra County, Mendocino, and Monterey.

The Franciscan missionaries introduced wine in California by planting the pioneer vines in the country in 1779. The Mission grape was the primary ingredient in the production of the first wines in California which enjoyed a market dominance for the entire century. In 1847, the US annexed California which gave room for wine growing to spread to other regions such as Amador County. Winegrowing has gained popularity in California with more than 174,000 acres of land assigned to the cultivation of wine-producing vines as at 2001 and 450,000 acres in 2002.

 

Culture

The people of California have their roots in Spain, Mexico, Asia, and the Eastern United States. As a result, the culture is a blend of different values and traditions. The coming together of people from diverse backgrounds has given rise to new cuisines, language, and traditions (Baldy, 2013). The Californians value innovation, for example, they invented the personal computer and blue jeans. People across the globe had admired the Golden State for centuries, for instance, from the times of Gold Rush in the 1850s to the 20^th century when California emerged a superstar in the American film industry. People move to California to search for opportunities in different areas such as leisure, social, technological and economic.

The Californians honor some of the significant figures in their history through holidays. For instance, they celebrate Martin Luther King Day in January where they recognize him as a civil rights leader dedicated to achieving equality for all regardless of race. In some parts of California, the celebrations to mark the Mexican victory over the French (popularly known as Cinco de Mayo), are still alive and conducted on May 5. They mark the Chinese New Year with parades and fireworks besides dancing. During the Old Spanish Days Fiesta held in Santa Barbra, the Californians take the opportunity to teach their visitors the history and customs of the early settlers (Baldy, 2013). Californians nurture artists and have produced some of the prominent filmmakers and artists. The official language of communication is English, and the native dialects include Chinese, Tagalog, and Spanish.

 

References

Baldy, C. R. (2013). Why we gather: traditional gathering in native Northwest California and the future of bio-cultural sovereignty. Ecological Processes, 2(1), 1.

Santini, C., Cavicchi, A., & Casini, L. (2013). Sustainability in the wine industry: key questions and research trends a. Agricultural and Food Economics, 1(1), 1.

Pothukuchi, K. (2015). Review: California Cuisine and Just Food. Journal of Planning Education and Research, 35(2), 221-223.

 

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