"Vegetable carcasses"!  The mind boggles.

Brian Siegel





"Kimmel, Richard H SAW" <[log in to unmask]>@asu.edu> on
03/22/2002 08:47:43 AM

Please respond to HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY <[log in to unmask]>

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Subject:  Re: northern food




 Dan W.: "Just how did all these "parts" meals become societal favorites?"

   My leaning is toward simple tradition and practicality.  Before my
kinfolk came to the US from England and Germany, I am pretty sure they were
already accustomed to eating sausages, meat pies, etc., all of which
incorporated "parts."  Leaving those "parts" out of other dishes may be a
function of having plenty of the "better" parts.  The idea is that you can
forego the extra work and diminishing return involved with getting every
scrap from a carcass (including vegetable carcasses) because you have
plenty of tastier portions that are easier to procure.  As for becoming a
favorite, it is just what you get used to.  My fathers family ate loads of
sardines and other nasty little fish, but I can't get my kids to come into
the same room with a sardine.  I picked up a can of Spam the other day,
thinking that they might get a kick out of trying at least that.  No Sale.
My 11 year old finally took a bite of a very thin fried piece and admitted
that it wasn't too bad, but I don't think there will be a request to put it
on the menu.  And my daughter once announced that she was now a vegetarian!
Except for sausage.

   I guess my point is that food is a cultural thing and, as
anthropologists and historians have amply demonstrated, one person's meat
is another's poison. Now, I am going to settle down with some fried Spam
and a little Marvin Harris.

      Richard Kimmel

           "Chocolate: it's not just for breakfast anymore"

Oh, and I've just got to just take my hat off and give a big atta boy to
anyone who mixes up some chocolate and calls it gravy.  Hmmmm...better add
M&M's to that Spam and Marvin Harris.