Food and its Connection with Sociocultural Background

Food and its Connection with Sociocultural Background
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Food and its Connection with Sociocultural Background
It is said that "food is the heart of all cultures." Therefore, with the growth of different cultures, man utilized different ingredients to develop different recipes. Besides the growing awareness about nutrition, with a huger array of food types around the globe, it began to appear as a theological, social, and, sometimes, political consideration. Hence, a globally known food like a hamburger is a matter beyond satisfying the appetite. It is one of the most loved fast food in America, Canada, and many other western countries and eastern countries with a change in ingredients. It has much controversy regarding its nutritional aspects and its deep connection with social, cultural, economic, and theological values.
Hamburger is iconic food in many countries like the US and Canada. Every day Americans eat millions of this food. There is no city in western countries where hamburger lovers are not living. Despite the health issues associated with this food, every age group is a fan of this item. It is a sliced bun or bread stuffed with minced beef, cheese, onions, tomatoes, and, sometimes, tomato ketchup and mayonnaise. It has many stories about its origin. A few researchers agree that it was originated by Louis Lassen in 1900, who was an American. After that, four generations from the same lineage have been serving minced meat in bread slices at New Heaven, which was the original form of this food (Ozersky, 2008). Another research shows that it belongs to Germany, where it was named after a German City, Hamburg, the city of burger lovers. As people in Hamburg loved minced meet, they brought the trend from their country to the US through migration (Barksdale, 2014). The arguments around the history of this iconic meal go beyond these two stories. However, these are the more popular and cited tales to confirm its invention. Nonetheless, various researchers agree on various other origins through various means.
Hamburger is a deeply culturally constructed food. It originated from a culture of eating minced meat; it significantly impacted American culture and economy. Studies show that food and anthropology have an unbreakable link; every food has to do with cultural, economic, social, ecological, religious, and sometimes political context and its nutritional values (Mintz, 1979; Wiley, 2015). This is what this iconic food has developed after becoming popular in all western countries, with a few modifications, in Asian and African countries. However, its nutritional values bear multiple arguments regarding its side effects on human health. Particularly, the teenage class is more prone to these health problems as they habit eating it daily.
Hamburger, carrying different stories about its history, is connectable to both Germany and the U.S – the two countries where meat is a favorite food. Although the U.S and Canada have multiple races, the more significant percentage of people is racially, culturally, and theologically love beef, particularly in minced form. Therefore, the item has been gaining popularity from generation to generation, as New Heaven claims to have been preparing and selling these burgers for four generations (Ozersky, 2008). Beef may not be a part of all cultures, but sandwiches and buns are a part of many cultures worldwide. Therefore, many fast-food icons like McDonald's sell beef burgers similar to hamburgers in eastern countries according to their beliefs and traditional values. There are still a few ethnic groups like vegetarians who never order a hamburger while visiting a restaurant in any country.
To talk more about Hamburgers and culture, its impact on eastern and western culture is noteworthy. Earlier, the Americans used to include hamburgers in their barbecue gatherings. Sometimes, Americans use it as a part of ceremonies, but it is not a preferred food at festivals and is overshadowed by other popular ceremony items. Still, teenagers, and sometimes, aged people enjoy it when they plan gatherings and parties. After that, the growth in the selling of the item empowered individuals economically. It also allowed them to experiment with its ingredients and fascinate their customers with something new and delightful. Besides, the famous food brands got economically invested in selling these sliced buns stuffed with beef patties and other essentials. Studies show that in the age of Discovery, the new food items have broadened the eating culture of Asia, Africa, and the New World within the sphere of European influence, something which has entered the list of famous food brands can regulate the culture itself (Mitz, 1979). It goes true for hamburgers; because their sales on international platforms like McDonald's or KFC have introduced them to every part of the world. Thereby, it has influenced more people to try and appreciate a food item prepared in the west for the first time (Ozersky, 2008). Besides, the economic growth of individuals and franchises selling this food has motivated them to launch new variations with solid marketing strategies to spread its influence. The mouth-watering pictures and video clips of hamburgers with special, appetizing effects on television, social media, and restaurants in every part of the world greatly influence the food purchase decision. Also, this meal is included in deal packages on restaurants for dining and takeaway, which is another powerful strategy to market this product (Fang-yi, 2005). In other words, both hamburgers and culture regulate each other, impacting this food's overall economic and socio-cultural value at short notice. Hamburger is a food strongly influenced by culture, initiated by minced meat lovers, with its more substantial influence on the culture around the world undertaken by well-known economically empowered hamburger sellers.
The most traditional recipe, coming from the fathers of hamburgers, includes a sliced bun, which can be replaced with two bread slices, a minced meat patty, and a few salad items like onions and tomatoes. The meat is usually beef, and ketchup and mayonnaise are not essential (Ozersky, 2008). However, it is available with ketchup, mayonnaise, and additional salad items in different parts. It is available with different types of topping in many other parts of the world, which are right according to...