New York is an amalgamation of cultures and communities that are brought in by the migration of people, domestically and internationally. This creates an environment where multiple cultural traditions thrive, especially through restaurants, food vendors, markets and other food related sites. The traditions change depending on where the locations are and how they are presented. Some food sites stick to tradition and allow the rituals to reach out into other parts of society, while other sites commercialize and change the traditions of culture.
Puerto Rican and Islamic culture, which are largely prevalent in New York City, are an example of adhering to traditions. The Puerto Rican restaurant Don Coqui takes the typically cheap eat, and presents it in a way that raises the value of the cuisine. Aesthetics are taken into account in a way that is rarely incorporated into Puerto Rican food. Tradition foods are displayed next to more American style food cooked up with Latin flair and seasoning. La Marqueta, a Puerto Rican food market, on the other hand, is a more casual site located in Harlem, where people go to buy Spanish food, traditional Hispanic medicines, recordings of latin music, and supplies for charms and curses. Though not as popular as it once was, the Hispanic community still sees it as an incredibly important place in New York City.
Islamic culture is prevalent in the various halal carts found in almost every corner of the city. These food trucks began as a way to serve street food to the city’s large Muslim population while still fulfilling the religion’s dietary standards. The popularity of halal food not only serves food to non-Muslims but also began the debate of whether or not public schools should offer halal food to its Muslim students. On a more domestic level, soul food allows for the African Americans of New York to connect back to their roots. These roots are based in southern traditions that have been adapted to not only someone’s personal taste but also their environment. This can be seen through the ever popular Sylvias in Harlem which maintains the heart of soul food while adding their own spin. The main spin that Sylvia’s accomplishes is through the unification of several soul food dishes. Through this it represents the whole of soul food so anyone who decides to eat it will understand a wider view of the south instead of the specialties of a region.
The Italian food market, Eataly, displays a commercialized and mass produced version of the traditions in Italy. In Italy, people typically buy food from neighborhood bakeries, butchers and other small food markets. Eataly, which has multiple locations, two of which are located in NYC, is multiple floors of food vendors that sell Italian products. These products, advertised by Italian celebrity chefs diverge from Italian traditions. The assortment of food offered appeals more to the the customers Americans tastes than appeal to those who search for Italian tradition.
