The anthropology perspective on tourism and food rituals we read for today's reading expanded my scope of the food "science". Most of the things we've read for this class involve the exotic, and whether or not they taste good. Culinary Tourism instead focuses on what is exotic, and what is authentic. The dense text may at first seems like a hindrance, but is packed with a lot of information to savor. I wish the account of folklore and how it relates to food was explored more, although the use of "foodways" was broad enough for me to get a general sense of food traditions. It's also interesting to note that some Thai restaurants would not serve dishes to those if they were "other". The underlying critique on racism in this text, and perceived racism, is also interesting in how it affects self. The view that tourists go abroad to define themselves reflects back to colonialism and the interactions between host and visiting country. I'd also like to mention the types of tourists mentioned, and the high praise given the those looking for a faux-real experience. By having a more related attitude to what is vs. what's not authentic, the author suggests a tourist is able to experience more. I would argue these tourist trap like places are not the ideal they seem to be. I can think of Azteca, a tex mex restaurant, or Disneyland as two such examples. They are not "athentic" and the tourists who flock to them ignore the false fronts they put up. Maybe because I'm a person who wants to know how things work, I dislike such stage magic and illusionism about a culture. I'm also strongly dislike being seen as a country bumpkin who can be taken for a ride.
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