ITAL376 Noodles

Although Korea is a small country, each region has its own signature dish. I tried most of them, and I am telling you they are really good. If anyone has a chance to visit Korea, I recommend trying as many of these as possible.

In both Italian and Chinese food cultures, food sharing/offering is important. This article takes a more psychological approach in explaining the effects food sharing/receiving has on people.

Researchers put dozens of patients with major depressive disorders on a Mediterranean-style diet, and after 12 weeks, 1/3 of participants reported improved mood and symptoms. Pasta only plays a small role here, but it's fascinating to learn more of the myriad ways in which the Mediterranean Diet improves lives.

This is a WebMD article about Italian cuisine and health. The article starts by mentioning that, second to Mexican food, Italian is the most popular ethnic cuisine in the United States; however, it points out that there is a lot more to Italian foods than our Americanized favorites like pasta drowned in Alfredo sauce, pizza, cheesy garlic bread, and spaghetti and meatballs. These popular Italian dishes are typically not considered healthy, but Italian cuisine can be healthy. Italian cuisine also includes a variety of seafood and fresh vegetables. Many Italian pastas are actually much lighter than what we are used to in the U.S, with many herbs and spices for seasoning rather than just cheese and sauce. Italians are also used to much smaller portions than our American mega-sized plates. Furthermore, a major source of added sugar in American diets, sweetened beverages like soda, are not as popular in Italy. Other things that may not seem like a big deal, but can contribute to overall healthier eating habits are the Italians' emphasis on family-centric meals, taste and nutrition maximization, preparation, and presentation. All of these aspects of Italian cuisine has contributed to lower rates of obesity and other diseases in Italian people. I thought this was a really good resource because it clearly explained why different elements of the cuisine contributes to better nutrition and health in a group.

Recently I developed my interest in risotto. This page helps me understand it more deeply. It tells me that the risotto in restaurant is different from what people make at home.

When it comes to spicy Chinese food, the first thing that pops into our mind is always hotpot. Hotpot is originated from Sichuan and the people there love spicy and hot food in spite of the hot and stuffy weather. This article is an general introduction of Sichuan food. Enjoy!

As we start our unit on Italian food, it may be interesting to think about how Italian food is defined. This article tracks the new policy of the "Made in Italy" logo in order to verify genuine Italian foods. While the government believed it could only be beneficial, protecting and promoting Italian foods, it has sparked a debate as to what should be considered truly "made in Italy." For example, under their guidelines, Italian sourced food packaged in another country would not qualify while foreign ingredients processed in Italy would.

I feel like this video is very relevant to our class right now. There's definitely a theme of sports and food present in this country and I believe this video shows an American version of food traditions. The football players in the video are experiencing a new culture and learning to enjoy foods native to other countries.

Talks about getting close as a family by eating dinner together! I thought this would be a great resource to post due to its similarities to the two movies we recently watched. All three demonstrate the wonders of food on relationships.

This is a page about a substitute for traditional noodles. If someone is on a diet, or just simply loves vegetables, zoodles are a great way to incorporate a healthier version of regular pasta. It goes great with pesto!

A study of 23,000 Italians showed that pasta consumption negatively correlates with waist size/BMI. So for some reason, people who eat more pasta tend to stay leaner! With the many variables involved here, it is difficult to pinpoint a causal relationship, but this is still fascinating and worth looking into more closely.

Good to know! Hong

So cool. Thanks for sharing! Hong

This is a summary of a study held by UC Berkeley. They studied weather smell will effect your metabolism.

Thanks for sharing! This is so interesting. Hong

This article connects our class to the current political moment, emphasizing how important food is for creating and maintaining a culture. It also introduces the Slow Food Movement, which started in Italy, and brings into question the roles of fast food, foreign food, and "authentic food." Of course, we know that the noodle did not originate in Italy, so what happens to national cuisine when outside influence is not allowed?

Thank you for sharing this. Very thought-provoking! Hong

This is an introduction of a famous breakfast dish from Wuhan, China. It was created for preventing noodles from being rancid in hot days.