“ A grande caramel macchiato for Stephanie!”
My shoulders sagging from the weight of my backpack nearly bursting with the new textbooks that I just bought from the bookstore. From the worries of the new classes, from all the thoughts which cluttered my brain just moments before, I grabbed my freshly brewed coffee.
“ Enjoy!” The barista returned with a grin.
I glanced over the tables and couches. Surrounded by different genres of books, this coffee shop offers a great variety of activities for the customers. Merged with the bookstore, it projected a different picture. Unlike the usual scenario of customers surfing the Internet or exchanging the latest gossips, people were spending their time here reading and sipping their coffee. From reading the No.1 bestsellers to flipping through the latest magazines, the people were lounging in overstuffed couches and wooden chairs with their new favorite books.
I brought back the latest copy of Harper’s Bazaar and sank into the couch. The sweet assuring scent of warm bakery delights immediately drifted my attention from the magazine to the freshly baked scones and muffins that were at the counter. Large screening of tea flavors was shelved next to the pastries. Bottles of flavored syrups aligned next to the espresso machines, ready for the patrons’ customized drinks. The air in the coffee shop was entangled with luscious scents of the pastries and coffee beans. The freshly brewed coffee sauntered through the air and hugged the patrons of this coffeehouse like a party hostess…
My focus shifted from the new realization back to my caramel macchiato. With a tilt of the Styrofoam cup, a warm sensation washed over my tongue, down my sore throat, and spread throughout my body. A surge of calmness filled my mind as the stress in my mind was replaced by the endorphins that got me through the rest of the day.
Anderson, E.N: The food of China
Belasco, Warren: Meals to Come: A History of the Future of Food
Coe, Sophie D. and Michael D. Coe : The True History of Chocolate
Fisher, M.F.K. The Art of Eating
Flynn, Karen Coen: Food, Culture and Survival
Guthman, Julie: The Paradox of Organic Farming in California
Korsmeyer, Carolyn: The Taste Culture Reader: Experiencing Food and Drink
Long, Lucy: Culinary Tourism
Ohnuki-Tierney, Emiko: Rice as Self: Japanese Identities through Time
Pollock, Nancy: These Roots remain: Food Habits in Islands of the Central and Eastern Pacific since Western Contact
Schlosser, Eric: Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal
Watson, James L: Golden Arches East: McDonald’s in East Asia
Wilk, Richard: Home Cooking in the Global Village: Caribbean Food from Buccaneers to Ecotourists
Yasmeen, Gisele: Bangkok’s Foodscape.
Based on just merely looking at the titles, the sources that I found interesting mostly revolve around the food cultures from different countries. This is because I would like to see the different cultures and attitudes toward “Food” around the world. From Fast Food Nation in America to Rice in Japan, every country has its own food traditions and habits. Moreover, the impacts of one country’s food culture on the other also catch my attention. Examples include McDonald’s in East Asia, Food Habits in Islands of the Central and Eastern Pacific since Western Contact. In general, the diversity and exchange of food culture are the two most interesting area that I would like to explore.
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