“Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you what you are.” ~ Jean Brillat-Savarin
No study of a culture is complete without a study of the culture’s diet. When a person arrives at the 74th street stop, he or she will be engulfed in a sea of street vendors – namely two halal stands set up next to each other (one which is Afghani, the other being Pakistani), a Mexican-run peanut stand, and a Mexican fruits and vegetables stand.
Across the street from these Halal stands is an Indian buffet restaurant, which is an example of a “fusion”. The label is self-explanatory as a “fusion restaurant” is an intermediary restaurants of two different cultures. The concept of “buffet” is originally western, but at the restaurant, Indian culture is fused with this concept along with American culture foods such as fries, soda, etc. This appeals to the needs of both cultures. One of the most popular restaurants throughout Jackson Heights is the famous Jackson Diner. Jackson Diner also offers a buffet style option, offering cuisines of Indian and American fusion.
Also on Jackson Heights, we see a Korean restaurant and a Vietnamese restaurant that also incorporates this idea of fusion. This provides customers a taste of Asia, while appealing to some dietary concerns of Americans.
Walking towards 82th street, Mexican taco bars, Columbian, Costa Rican, Peruvian, and Ecuadorian bars and restaurants become ubiquitous. The dishes of many of these Latino cultures may resemble each other much like the South Asian foods resemble each other; however, the subtle differences and how the dishes are prepared within each of their own cultures may separate these dishes into their own category. A taco, which is an umbrella term that basically encompassing any meat atop a piece of bread, from Mexico competes with a taco from Ecuador which also competes with a gyro (which is practically a taco) except from South Asia, hardly any different from an East Asian pork bun (aside from the religious and cultural issue dealing with meat). These foods from different ends of the world are so different with such unique tastes and flavors, yet on the most fundamental level, they are the same thing – meat on flour. But the number of ways to prepare this meat-on-flour combination is limitless, and that’s what sets the cultures apart drastically.
One of the more popular Columbian restaurants around is “La Abundancia”, which offers authentic Columbian food – breakfast, lunch, and diner – and doubles as a bakery.
Throughout Jackson Heights we see “fusion” groceries appealing to both American dietary customs and that other cultures. Among those are New Pacific Supermarket, Chong Hap supermarket, Patel Brothers supermarket, and many other smaller grocery stores. Though these different grocery stores appeal to different cultures, they still maintain groceries that appeal to customers of other cultures.
Only a culturally-diverse neighborhood rich in cultural can offer such an array of cuisines.
– Chapter Two –
The Story Untold
– Chapter Three –
The Cultural Mélange
– Chapter Four –
Snacks N’ Bites
