In preparation for a summer dedicated to all things food, I had meticulously researched must eat places in the D.C. area before arriving. Family and friends’ recommendations, magazines’ top ten lists, instagram’s foodie feeds were all cross referenced with Yelp reviews to make sure I didn’t miss out on the next best thing in the local food world. Walking around the streets, my food bucket list has grown as I add new discoveries. “I just found the coolest new place…” is a recurring line in my conversations.
Last weekend, some Foodwork fellows and I dined at Keren Restaurant for a taste of Ethiopian food. Apparently, Ethiopian food is a must eat when in D.C. The restaurant received 4.5 stars on Yelp with reviews that declare the place: “one of the best authentic Ethiopian restaurants that D.C. has to offer.” Expectations were met above and beyond. I tried tibsi, enjera, and fuhl, all seasoned with spices and flavors completely new to my taste buds. The meal was even more delicious, because I felt like it was tied to a unique place that I could drum up in the mind’s eye.
Trubek’s exploration of terroir has made me question my recent experience. Terroir encompasses the culture, history, and landscape enrooted in place. Meals epitomizing terroir encapsulate the place’s complex narratives, its people’s stories, and the community’s traditions. All of which probably cannot be fully experienced in a 30 minute meal one Friday night.
Turns out Keren isn’t even Ethiopian. With further inquisition, I found out the restaurant actually serves Eritrean dishes. The two types of food are apparently very similar in taste. Yet, there are subtle differences: Eritrean dishes are typically lighter, there are more tomatoes, the spice blends differ.^2 Plus, Trubek’s terroir goes beyond taste. Eritrea has its own culture and history. In fact, Eritrea and Ethiopia have historically been enemies since Eritrean independence.
However, Keren has been branded on Yelp as Ethiopian, probably because it’s good for business. The tourists want Ethiopian food. All of social media is telling the sight-seers of D.C. that they must try it. The tourists come, sit for 30 minutes to an hour, eat the food, and leave feeling culturally fulfilled and empowered to tell their friends that they branched out and tried something different. What they/I experienced was not Ethiopian culture or Eritrean culture, but some new blend created to please the American appetite and instagram feed. This is not terroir.
Are my explorations and obsessions with food discoveries belittling cultures? Am I ‘Columbusing,’ as some are now calling it?[1]
As a counterpoint, isn’t there some value left for discovery? I still tried something new; my tastebuds still exposed to distinct flavors currently lacking from my diet. Or how about fusion restaurants? The spirit of cooking lies in innovation, and cultural fusion dishes (like Mexican Korean tacos from Kogi as an example) have often led the way in American culinary discovery, expanding the recipe realm of possible tastes. Do small French coastal towns miss out by guarding their community too closely from new influences? I suppose the best thing to do is eat consciously and thoughfully. Mindful eaters go forth!
[1] http://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2014/07/06/328466757/columbusing-the-art-of-discovering-something-that-is-not-new
2 http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/articles/36663/mild-frontier