Have you ever been madly in love with food and left with no words to describe? Has food made you travel back in time and reminiscence memories?
Well, delicious food ought to give you goosebumps: the smell, taste, and emotions involved create a memory in our brains. Therefore, when having our favourite meal over time, it causes a ‘Deja Vu’, (a French word means flashback).
Food influences culture in many forms; cultural practices and rituals, and family food traditions passed down within generations. However, these features distinguish us from other people within our society, as food can impact the way people eat and practice their traditions. Food sharing brings people together in many shapes and forms, celebrations, family and friend’s gatherings, charities, etc. Besides, food is a crucial part of a culture, as it shapes social identity. Diversity of people lead to existing various types of foods. For instance: foreigners cooking their traditional food away from home is considered one way of preserving food culture. Also, it is a form of cultural appreciation where the main idea is to get closer to home.
Further, the food concept among generations is inconstant and is closely related to human development. Modern food has risen in the past decades, influencing consuming various food ranges both locally and globally.
Besides, the younger generation has shown a significant potential to change their eating habits. For instance, the urge to try new foods and beverages has become a trend nowadays, offering them a generous amount of money in exchange. However, others believe that criticizing food by providing reviews on their blogs attract more people to their circle as it seems more genuine to the public eye.
Wasan Al Malki the owner of ‘Thy Yard’ says that market demand has adapted to significant changes in Oman specifically in the F&B sector. Also, the comparison among the availability of food services now and then is inevitable. Adding to that, the call of diversity has increased among youngsters as they are more out-going, always looking for somewhere new to take a chill pill and enjoy their time with friends.
