So now--hoping--that you all have read the article on those delicious Nabisco delights we have all grown to dunk and devour, I wanted to begin a discussion on food traveling. No, not us going out to find food, but food traveling from around the world to arrive in our own country and/or town. For this foodventure I wished to explore how food translates from one culture to another in terms of where it goes to be consumed. Basically, what happens to food's presentation, recipe, taste, etc. when it is prepared outside of its original culture.
For our purposes, I present to you Chicken Schawarma:
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| Ta-da. |
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The first time I had chicken schawarma, it was served much like this, on a bed of yellow rice with a tangy, spicy pickle on the side. My father and I nabbed a pair from the local Mediterranean market in Naperville a few years back, where they would prepare it right behind the counter and you could see them cooking and shaving meat for future meals. It was nice--even if I was the only white guy in there--and you could pick up any number of authentic ingredients while you grabbed your sandwich. While I know it seems a bit off track, I wanted to convey the closest experience I have had to 'authentic' schawarma.
In Kalamazoo we have a few places to eat schawarma, but where better then the self-proclaimed "Kings" of the food? Schawarma King and Schawarma King (both under different owners with no relation to each other, apparantly) both serve their eponymous dishes--but in different ways.
Schawarma King #1 Near Western's Campus:
Hummus (appetizer), served with fries and fried cauliflower.
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| You can kind of see the pita in the top left... |
Lunch Chicken Schischawarma (some unholy mixture between schawarma and other mixed meats)
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| It was a biggun. |
Overall atmosphere:
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| The counter where we payed (with the humble Amanda Geer) |
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| Sort of reminds me of a Vienna beef. |
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Schawarma King #2 Down Westnidge:
Hummus:
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| To go! |
Chicken Schawarma:
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| Good ole Jacob (photo credit for the driver) |
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| With a twisty tie. |
The decor:
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| I wish I had those drapes. |
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| Buffet-style. |
So what I want to ask you is what sort of impact does culture have on food when it travels? Anything significant? We so often talk about our travels to food, but not its journey to us.
~Mumbling and meandering.
