The assigned reading that I most enjoyed would definitely have to be “A Guide to Venezuela Arepas.” As I am very interested in online content/media, I found this piece to be a joy to read and just see the animations that must have taken hours to make. The commentary was also humorous, making it easy to digest. There are so many versions of the arepas, and it made me understand that each person makes it their own way. It reminds me of the Japanese savory pancake, okonomiyaki, because like arepas, okonomiyaki is also a dish that is made “your own way.” It was also once a staple, back when Japan was still struggling after World War II. Since reading, the article, it has made me interested in trying out the arepa, and that’s the kind of work that I want to be able to create. I want to make something that gets other people curious about Japanese food and culture so they can try it out for themselves.
The favorite reading that I have chosen for myself would definitely have to be “Rice, Noodle, Fish” by Matt Goulding. Matt Goulding has such great narrative voice as he describes his travels and naturally, as an award winning writer, he is great at describing experiences with food. I didn’t expect for him to make me care about okonomiyaki, as much as I did, but he told Fernando Lopez’s story with such great detail that it made me care. Lopez was pretty much a nobody, an outsider from Guatemala in Japan, until he found his way to an apprenticeship under an okonomiyaki chef. And even being released from his apprenticeship didn’t mean he was successful immediately. He had to struggle to build his top-selling restaurant in Hiroshima. Matt Goulding tells stories about food that I had never read before, and I absolutely love his writing, so check out his books or the website he contributes to, Roads & Kingdoms.
Matt Goulding – yes! My favorite outside reading was Matt Goulding’s article When You’re Here, You’re Famiglia. Roads & Kingdoms is the best! Thanks for showing me that site – it helped so much in writing my final composition!
That’s so interesting that the animations stood out to you too! I also immediately took notice to the animations because how different this illustration/artistic choice was to traditional pictures. I also like your connection of the arepa to okonomiyaki. I have only tried that Japanese pancake once, but learning about its connection to the Japanese people during WWII definitely adds more flavor to the pancake now.
I definitely agree with your sentiments about the arepas piece! Personally, I felt the animations added a great deal to the quality of the piece and made it more visually stimulating, making me want to learn more. I also like your connection to okonomiyaki and your own personal reasons for writing. It’s interesting to hear that this piece was such an inspiration for you to continue writing about Japanese food. The piece made me really interested in trying arepas as well!