On Culinary Authenticity

Abstract

Recent discussions of culinary authenticity have focused on the problematic sociopolitical implications of Euro‐Americans seeking authenticity in food perceived as ethnic. This article seeks to rehabilitate the concept of culinary authenticity. First, the author relates the issue of culinary authenticity to other philosophical debates concerning authenticity, arguing that the concept of authenticity is value‐neutral. Second, a general theory of culinary authenticity making use of the theoretical apparatus of Kendall Walton's “Categories of Art” is developed and defended against objections. Third, a variety of reasons that authenticity is valued are discussed, with an emphasis on aesthetic reasons. Ultimately, the author acknowledges that some ways of valuing culinary authenticity are objectionable but argues that this should not lead us to abandon our interest in authenticity altogether.

Can Food Be Art in Virtue of Its Savour Alone?

“…27 (Compare the selfreferentiality of the Colonel Bogey march in the previous section.) Matthew Strohl (2019) rehearses some secondary attractors that make cuisine "authentic". He imagines someone who visits "two purportedly American-style restaurants" and finds that one of them serves their burgers with ketchup, mustard, and cucumber pickles, while the other serves theirs with pickled beetroot.…”

Food, Art and Philosophy

“…Recent work in aesthetics on food and taste has gone beyond the questions of artistic status and aesthetic experience and addressed topics such as food and authenticity (Strohl 2019), the interaction of ethical and aesthetic values in food (Korsmeyer 2012), testimony about taste (Meskin and Robson 2015), food appreciation (Ravasio 2018), "terrible eating" (Korsmeyer 2002), and other topics. The essays by Shen-yi Liao and Uku Tooming in this issue continue the expansion of the philosophy of food.…”

Bittersweet Food

“…First, nostalgic foods only partially overlap with comfort foods: some comfort foods are not nostalgic foods, such as indulgence foods and convenience foods (Locher et al 2005); and some nostalgic foods are not comfort foods, such as Abramović's macarons. Second, some nostalgic foods are essentially intertwined with culturally and historically bound notions of culinary authenticity (Strohl 2019), 3 such as Taiwanese han-tsî-muê and Georgian canned red tomatoes, but others stand independently of such notions, such as Next's three-cocktails course.…”