I began my rhetoric of food journey without a map. I signed up for the course because I love food and I generally like writing. After looking at the syllabus, I figured we’d be learning how to effectively critique food, food writing, cookbooks, food blogs, so on and so forth. Of course I was wrong, and thankfully so. I’ve come to understand how food can be an entry point into larger talking points like power, politics, history, conflicts, and so much more.

Food goes far beyond satiating hunger. It defines cultures. It brings people together. It can pull people apart. The rhetoric of food helps us understand food’s connection to our world and how other people view it through different lenses. Who is talking, what they’re talking about, and who they’re talking to all have major impacts on writing on both sides of the spectrum. As a reader, one must be conscious of who the author of a text is and whether or not they are a qualified speaker. As a writer, one must be aware of who he or she is speaking to.