The Mill City Times Interview: Dr. Job Ubbink, University of Minnesota Department of Food Science and Nutrition
Monday, June 28, 2021 at 10:34AMArticle by Becky Fillinger
The Twin Cities are a mecca for food lovers and especially for the fusion of cuisines from around the world. Check out this description of pizzas at local favorite Day Block Brewing Company: "Most pizzerias use classic Italian flavors on their pizzas. We also use classic flavors but draw inspiration from all the myriad of food cultures represented in Minnesota. What sets us apart are the Latin American, Vietnamese, Scandinavian, North African, Eastern European, Japanese, American and many other influences that guide our pizza making direction every day."
Dr. UbbinkYou can now study the edible marvels that you’ve enjoyed many times. Dr. Johan B. ("Job") Ubbink, Professor and Head of the Food Science and Nutrition Department at the University of Minnesota, teaches Food Customs & Culture. A new course this past spring, it is getting rave reviews from students. We talked to Dr. Ubbink about food and culture, and the wealth of opportunities in the Twin Cities to experience different food cultures.
Q: In your opinion, how are food and culture related to each other?
A: "Culture" is the identity that you share with other members of your group or community and that evolves from shared social patterns, such as family relationships, dress, meal patterns, religion and many more. "Culture" is thus acquired from others by spending time with them. In the case of food, one very important aspect of "culture" is that it helps to learn individuals from past experiences about what foods are healthy and nutritious, and what food sources are to be avoided, for instance because they are toxic.
Food culture has however evolved far beyond this, and is setting the norms for behavior of a community, for instance on how to prepare or store foods, when to eat, with whom to eat, what utensils we use in preparing and eating food and how we use them (think of knife, fork and spoon vs. chopsticks and spoon), the role of food in celebrations, religious food laws, etc. One example is what we call a "meal pattern": Mostly as a consequence of the settlement of Northwest Europeans, in the US we still conventionally assume that a regular, healthy meal pattern consists of breakfast, lunch and dinner. There are actually many different ways one can eat in a healthy and satisfying manner. Native Americans would typically have two meals a day, and the traditional Mexican meal pattern is five meals a day.
Culture is also dynamic: many people these days skip breakfast (I am always polling my students in class about this!). If this trend is maintained, as a society we will be migrating to a dominantly two-meal-a-day pattern, complemented with the frequent snacking that is so much part of US food habits. Also, with the increasing diversity of our society, we are gradually seeing a higher level of acceptance of wholly different food patterns.
Q: Our local area has provided refuge to many immigrant cultures. Does the availability of food and food memories help with the transition of integrating into a new country and culture?
A: Definitely so. Immigrants will attempt to maintain a significant part of their food culture, and will look for or perhaps even produce their own specific ingredients and initially maintain their food traditions. Gradually, however, almost all immigrants will start to adopt food practices of their new surroundings, often in parallel to them maintaining parts of their original food culture. The availability of diverse foods is thus an important element of welcoming newcomers, and these diverse foods and food cultures are also critical to help us all to engage these diverse cultures.
Q: You've lived and worked in several countries and many US states. How does the Twin Cities food culture rank in your mind, in terms of diversity?
A: Having previously lived in California, I did not know what exactly to expect when moving to the Twin Cities. I am, however, very much taken in by the very active food culture that I find here. From my part Norwegian heritage, I am enjoying for the first time in several decades some Scandinavian food traditions, and via several professors in my department I am learning much about traditional Native American food culture, including the special significance of wild rice and the issues around it. Furthermore, the increasing diversity in the Twin Cities gives me many opportunities to engage with different food cultures, including traditional Southern US food culture, many Asian food culture, Hispanic food culture and many more. I am also much appreciating the great diversity of small food producers and farmers markets, and enjoying their foods and ingredients, including specialty grains and milled flours, bread and pastries, culinary products, dairy products, fresh produce and a wide range of fermented foods.
Q: Does food culture impact health?
A: This is an area that is currently drawing a lot of attention from researchers, including several of my colleagues in the nutrition program at the University of Minnesota. My view is that a deeply lived food culture is one of the essential elements for a flourishing community. We just do not eat because we need certain nutrients, but to maintain our social network, connect with our food system and find a healthy life balance.
Food culture is also essential for emotional and social well-being. Food is one of the main ways by which we build our relationships - think of a date that you are treating to a romantic dinner, the food that you enjoyed as a kid at home and that your parents prepared for you, or the welcoming feeling when as a guest you are invited to share food with your host.
Conversely, loss of food culture is one of the critical factors leading to loss of community and community well-being. A most grave example is the loss of their food culture by the indigenous communities, as forced by the settlement of what is now the US principally by European immigrants. Native Americans faced displacement from their territories, resulting in the loss of their traditional, sustainably managed food systems and their traditional, healthy eating patterns. I find it very positive that numerous, mainly young people of indigenous background are reconnecting to their traditional food background, and reinvigorating their food culture by novel and creative initiatives.
Q: What has surprised you as you teach the course?
A: A very positive surprise to me is the engagement of the students in the course. The students bring up great examples from their own cultures and experiences, and they provide really insightful elements in the discussions. This course is thus for me a true learning experience as well, as every time I am picking up many new things. However, I also often notice that only a few students understand the multicultural basis and the diversity of our US food culture. Beef jerky as we know it now is for instance very close to the original way that the Native Americans preserved bison, venison and other meats. And that Southern-style slow cooked barbecue is rooted in African American traditions. A very personal recent surprise for me, as someone originally from the Netherlands, was that cole slaw is of Dutch origin and came to North America with the Dutch settlements in what is now New York.
Q: Do you offer the course outside of the University of Minnesota? I think it would be wildly popular.
A: As of now, we do not offer the course outside the University of Minnesota. I am however regularly speaking for diverse audiences outside the university, and our college is regularly involved in sessions for high schoolers, alums, etc.
Q: Do you have advice for our readers, as residents of the Twin Cities or as travelers, on how to become more versed in food and culture?
A: Be open minded! Meet people, learn from them, start appreciating their culture, ways of doing things, and perspectives, and start enjoying their foods and food habits!
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