News
Does food nostalgia stand in the way of an ecologically responsible diet?
Food is nourishing and connecting yet it can also lead to tensions. According to development philosopher and journalist Ellen Mangnus, who is a lecturer at the Environmental Policy group of Wageningen University, the latter seems to be taking over. In an essay and podcast in De Groene Amsterdammer Ellen speaks about food, tradition and identity. And does our nostalgia of food compromise an ecologically sound diet?
Mussels with Thai curry
Mussels with Thai curry is an essay by Ellen Magnus published in De Groene Amsterdammer magazine (April 21, 2021).
An introduction excerpt from the essay:
"How personal food is, the Roti incident of the Hema showed well. A few years ago, the Hema had only just presented its new menu with a Surinamese roti on it or an image of the dish was already going viral. Connoisseurs of Surinamese cuisine could not believe their eyes. 'Roti with rice' was at the top of the poster, but the image of the dish lacked the most important thing: the roti plate. What the Hema offered was no more than curry chicken with potatoes and an egg. The reactions weren't tender. 'Tatta's be like, they don't get it.' And, "This has nothing to do with roti." How dare the chain of shops abuse surinamese dish in this way? The store had better stick to smoked sausages, was the thrust of most of the reactions."
The diet of the future
Ellen Magnus features on De Groene Amsterdammer Podcast continuing her discussion of food, tradition and identity. Listen to this relevant and enlightening podcast, The diet of the future, below (in Dutch):