Albala argues against authenticity because it denies professional chefs the opportunity to exercise their skills and vast experience creatively. He argues that the idea that a person’s genetic composition makes them more able to understand and enjoy a cuisine is untrue. While he acknowledges that it is suitable for one to claim their heritage, it is one’s experience and research to obtain the necessary skills that make one more predisposed to prepare a given cuisine. He proves this claim by saying, “I teach Italian Renaissance history not because I have a single drop of Italian blood, but because I studied it for many years” (Albala para 19). Authenticity denies people the opportunity to advance these cuisines innovatively. He further states, “I do believe that constantly borrowing ingredients, techniques, and recipes from everyone else, with respect and economic equality, is the only way to gain a real understanding of each other” (Albala para 20). In the new world, people would like to feel how it would taste to have a hybrid of two or more cuisines, which in the context of authenticity, would be against cultural appropriation. Thus, authenticity should be banished to enable chefs to use their skills and experience to invent, use new ingredients and play with techniques.
Moreover, Albala argues that the concept of authenticity in cuisine is against the world order of cultural integration and exchange of various cultural aspects. He claims that the cuisines have resulted from various cultural exchanges of ingredients worldwide. We owe every treasured cuisine we aim to preserve to the movement of people, plants, and animals despite the atrocities of colonialism, slavery, and exploitation. For example, “there would not be Mexican cuisine had not Spaniards brought cattle, wheat and an enormous array of European and Asian plants, spices included” (Albala para 9). Similarly, “there would be no Italian cuisine as we know it had Columbus, and those who followed, not brought to Europe tomatoes, peppers, chilies, corn, squash, beans, and so on” (Albala para 9). Authenticity in cuisine defies efforts to create an all-inclusive and integrated world in which one is allowed to enjoy and feel the attributes of a culture that is not theirs. Food being an essential cultural aspect is the least that should be debated in a way that seeks to hinder people from enjoying it from wherever place or country they are in. His argument against authenticity thus comes from the fact that every cuisine in the world results from mixing various cultural aspects, as seen from the cultural exchanges that continue to occur.
Works Cited
Albala, Ken. “Food “Columbusing” and the Debate Over Cultural Appropriation.” Wondrium Daily, 2019. Web.