Some assorted, unrefined thoughts (it’s 12am and I don’t have a coherent view of the world atm)
Agree on restaurants being the best place to start promotion because you can generate both supply and demand while maintaining control. Have you done case studies of how people have approached restaurants, developed dishes, managed launch and press? E.g. with the restaurants serving cultivated meat in Singapore. There is almost certainly a handbook on how to get your product into restaurants. I know a bit about getting products into supermarkets.
East Asians LOVE a food trend. These trends tend to stay within the community though, bubble tea/boba is an exception. But possibly with deliberate marketing there can be some positive impact of targeting Asians in the US?
(I say this as someone of East Asian ethnicity)
Disagree with this bit—‘I don’t think cultural appropriation is as big an issue in food as other spaces of society. No one boycotts Thai food for using American chilies, or Mexican food for using European wheat flour tortillas, even though those ingredients originally came from a different culture.’
First of all nobody is boycotting these in the US context because they are global South / majority cultures using Western ingredients.
Second of all, I don’t think there is a moral difference between cultural appropriation of food vs. clothes, spiritual practice, language. I think the appropriation of food is less ‘condemned’ because it’s harder for an individual to avoid it if they’re eating at restaurants, following recipes written by Americans, etc. And people are less likely to see something as wrong if they are participants.
The food pics look absolutely delicious and fascinating and I wish I still had some of your tofu in my freezer!
I agree, but I think it has to be a consideration when trying to market something widely these days. That said, my general impression is that it’s less of an issue with food than in other areas.
What do you mean? I’ve not heard of critical social science before and just googled it. Are you saying that EA should ignore ‘social conditions that contribute to relations of domination and oppression’?
Fab post George!
Some assorted, unrefined thoughts (it’s 12am and I don’t have a coherent view of the world atm)
Agree on restaurants being the best place to start promotion because you can generate both supply and demand while maintaining control. Have you done case studies of how people have approached restaurants, developed dishes, managed launch and press? E.g. with the restaurants serving cultivated meat in Singapore. There is almost certainly a handbook on how to get your product into restaurants. I know a bit about getting products into supermarkets.
East Asians LOVE a food trend. These trends tend to stay within the community though, bubble tea/boba is an exception. But possibly with deliberate marketing there can be some positive impact of targeting Asians in the US? (I say this as someone of East Asian ethnicity)
Disagree with this bit—‘I don’t think cultural appropriation is as big an issue in food as other spaces of society. No one boycotts Thai food for using American chilies, or Mexican food for using European wheat flour tortillas, even though those ingredients originally came from a different culture.’
First of all nobody is boycotting these in the US context because they are global South / majority cultures using Western ingredients.
Second of all, I don’t think there is a moral difference between cultural appropriation of food vs. clothes, spiritual practice, language. I think the appropriation of food is less ‘condemned’ because it’s harder for an individual to avoid it if they’re eating at restaurants, following recipes written by Americans, etc. And people are less likely to see something as wrong if they are participants.
The food pics look absolutely delicious and fascinating and I wish I still had some of your tofu in my freezer!
I agree with the third point. Cultural appropriation involves a power dynamic.
I’m all for diversity of thought, but I really hope EA doesn’t become a vehicle for the ideas stemming from critical social science.
I agree, but I think it has to be a consideration when trying to market something widely these days. That said, my general impression is that it’s less of an issue with food than in other areas.
What do you mean? I’ve not heard of critical social science before and just googled it. Are you saying that EA should ignore ‘social conditions that contribute to relations of domination and oppression’?
Appreciate the signal boost on point 3!