Food and Geography Research Project

Introduction

Food is a compulsory element for survival of humanThe only fuel known for the body is food.By knowing what someone eats you can easily tell their geographic origin The importance of a given food cuisine may fade with distance from the origin or from the region it is used most.

regions

A confined area on the earth’s surface with unique characteristics is termed region.Every region has its food cuisine.Due to this someone can be identified by region if they tell what their main cuisine is. Let us see how this works. vegetable’s soup This will be from Italy.

Regions cont..

Ugali, a dish made from maize, or mixture of cassava, millet and sorghum flour or a mixture of all the four maize mixtureEast Africa and Southern Africa

Regions cont…

Kharkhog, a barbeque dishMongolia.

diffusion

Is the movement Of information from one place to another.In the same breath food has also moved from its place of origin to other places, diffusion of food.This food diffusion is as a result of interaction of people from different places through various activities.Colonialism and trade were the major influences of food diffusion.The below are some foods that have diffused across the globe.

Italian foods diffused to United States.Pasta, pasta and subs are now common food in USA yet their origin is Italy. America, Asia, western Europe, Australia, and South Africa has been flooded with Chinese food for example Fujian cuisine.

Diffusion cont…

Cultural landscape

characteristics of combined work of nature and man can be termed cultural landscape.cultural landscape can form from food items as a result of man and nature.Ifuga high rice fields of Philippines are designed by man to follow the contours of the mountain forming a spectacular cultural landscape.

Cultural landscape cont..

Natural landscapes have also been formed by corn plantations.Planted at a spacing of 25 by 75 meters. Maize plantations makes a plantation of their kind. millet and wheat can as well when well designed by man during planting form a unique natural landscape.

Distance decay

As distance widens from its place of origin. Its importance may fade with this distance and hence food distance decay.Some foods may be considered staple food in one region but as one moves a way from that region. That food’s importance decreases,Such decay may be caused by difference in ingredients from one region to another, as this may change in food cuisine to match the locals available ingredients..Or culture difference can also be a major contributing factor to distance food decay. for example; Indian lentils.

Distance decay cont..

Indians prepare lentils with a lot of ingredients.But in Italy lentils are prepared differently.Fewer ingredients with meat on top is common in Italy.

Distance decay cont….

In Nepal rice and not meat is added.

references

Quizlet, AP Human Geography. (n.d). Key terms chap(1-2). Retrieved fromhttps://quizlet.com/353186/ap-human-geography-key-terms-chap1-2-flash-cards/Diffusion of Italian Food.(n.d). Transcripts of Diffusion of Italian Food. Retrieved fromhttps://prezi.com/nkoljuvkd9eo/the-diffusion-of-italian-food/