My essential question of what impact does food have on people’s lives is kind of broad but has a variety of possible answers. It’s important to be because my entire life I’ve always loved food and felt an affinity with it, especially Cantonese food. However, I only know the impact that Cantonese food has had on my own life and not other people’s lives. The desire to understand the impact of food on people’s lives culturally and as a part of their identity has been motivating my project because not only does it allow me to understand the impact of food on their lives, but it also gives me more exposure to various Cantonese recipes. The source that I found last week (the Woks of Life blog) has allowed me to gain some insight on how food has become associated with little memories that become nostalgic.

However, due to COVID-19 and social distancing, it’s become more difficult for me to really understand the impact of food because I think a part of the understanding is being able to cook in person and really interact and ask questions along the way, not just structured interview questions. I realized this when I was interviewing my mom in person and when I interviewed one of her friends over the computer and the interview over the computer felt much more forced and structured, not as loose and free-flowing. 

Other questions I had about identity and food are whether or not a disconnect from a culture’s food has an impact on the identity of an individual and whether or not they feel as much of an affinity with their heritage. Personally I feel that food has been my main connection to my Chinese (Cantonese) heritage, as I attend a predominately white institution and do not have as many friends with the same heritage or background. So throughout this project, I am curious to understand what impact food has on others’ identities.