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Chapter 3 Gastronomic Identity
INTRODUCTION
Gastronomy has been defined in a variety of ways, including
guidance on proper food and drink, a historical topic,
and a reflection of a society’s culture. 1 For our purposes, gastronomy
is defined as relating to historical, cultural, and environmental
impacts on the ‘‘how, where, when and why of
eating and drinking.’’ 2
The how, where, when, and why of eating and drinking
is important to society and all participants in the foodservice
industry. Knowledge of appropriate combinations of food and
drink is important to those experiencing the combinations as
well as those designing and preparing them. While many of
the Old World cultures have a history of identifying and defining
their gastronomy, North America has just begun to do so.
Only in the last twenty-five years has the idea of culinary identity
been promoted in locations across this large continent.
While culinary identity stresses the use of local ingredients
and identifies the impact of a variety of cultures on food, it
does not provide for a discussion of the additional layering
possibilities of taste, texture, and flavors provided by the ‘‘copilot’’
in this equation—drink.
The concept of gastronomic identity illustrates the influences
of the environment (geography and climate) and culture
(history and ethnic influences) on prevailing taste components,
textures, and flavors in food and drink. The objective of
this chapter is to begin to flesh out the idea of gastronomic
identity, show its value, and provide a jumping-off point for
further discussion.
Why is this discussion important? Gastronomic identity
has significant consequences for successful wine tourism,
culinary tourism, and the introduction of history as a valueadded
feature of these tourism products. Further, as a point
of discussion, it allows us to more clearly articulate the ‘‘product’’
that is provided by firms in the wine and culinary industries.
Danhi suggested that six main elements are critical in
determining a country’s ‘‘culinary identity’’: geography, history,
ethnic diversity, culinary etiquette, prevailing flavors, and
recipes. 3 Geography is a defining factor in gastronomic identity,
as it is critical in determining the definitive pantry of a
specific region—the wine grapes that can be grown, indigenous
food products, and staple agricultural products that are
readily available. Historical events have a significant impact
on identifiable characteristics through the introduction of ad-
ditional ingredients, cooking techniques, traditional methods
of viticulture, and winemaking methods to a region. The ethnic
diversity in a particular location has a profound impact on the
traditional foods prepared and the fusion of cuisines that creates
unique and identifiable products over time. Ethnic diversity
also impacts viticulture and winemaking techniques
brought into the area from home countries. This diversity
changes over time and creates a continuous evolution of wine
and food products based on a fusion of perspectives and cultures.
Danhi refers to culinary etiquette as another identifier
of a regional cuisine, defining it by how and what a particular
culture eats. The four basic taste characteristics of sweet, sour,
bitter, and salty (and what is the fifth to some people, umami)
provide a range of prevailing flavor profiles to identify gastronomic
characteristics and preferences in wine and food items.
Finally, the recipes in a locale or region provide defining elements
through the use of available ingredients, techniques,
and presentations.
Recipes can also be thought of as a winemaking concept.
Winemakers need to consider the proper blend of grapes
both by varietal and selection as well as the preparation techniques
during fermentation and aging. This is the same basic
thought process considered in food recipes—but it may be
more closely akin to baking or pastry production, given its
more scientific nature.
The culinary identity concept has been utilized successfully
in all segments of the foodservice industry, providing
many firms with a ‘‘barrier to imitation’’ from competitors—a
competitive hurdle that is difficult for rivals to duplicate. 4 For
example, U.S. firms have been successful at utilizing a Louisiana
heritage perspective in restaurants ranging from quick
service (Popeye’s Chicken and Biscuits) to fine dining (Chef
John Folse’s Bittersweet Plantation, Commander’s Palace).
This identity perspective has not generally been applied to
wine. Wine is commonly defined by country of origin, climate
zones, or whether the wine’s characteristics are derived from
Old World or New World traditions. 5
While a number of factors influence agri-food systems
in societies, 6 this chapter focuses on a gastronomic identity
perspective to describe the wine characteristics of a region.
Figure 3.1 provides a framework of the gastronomic identity
perspective. To begin the task of sorting out this concept, the
impact of the environmental elements and cultural elements