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preparation and consumption
N. Ishak & M.S.M. Zahari
Faculty of Hotel and Tourism Management, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Shah Alam, Malaysia
ABSTRACT: A social interaction with other people is very important in a society. Through social inter-
actions with others, people begin to develop relationship, understanding and establish an identity. Social
interaction among various ethnic groups either directly or indirectly through social events when food is
present is believed to influence each ethnic to prepare and consume each other food. Furthermore, when
interacting with each other through event ethnics not only learn the appropriate social behaviors, respect-
ing the culture but as well understand their food. This study evaluates the extent to which social interac-
tion among the Malay, Chinese and Indian through food event is giving impact to the preparation and
consumption of each ethnic food. Using questionnaire survey among the individuals who experienced in
preparing and consuming the three Malaysia major ethnic foods, namely Malay, Chinese and Indian some
useful insight obtained from this study. Social interaction through event gives the exposure and the ability
of ethnic groups to at least prepare an acceptable each other foods.
Keywords
:
Social interaction, Malaysian ethnics, food, preparation, consumption
1 INTRODUCTION
& Tomiuk, 2001; Shalom & Horenczyk, 2004). In
fact, the precursor that takes place in the process
of constructing the nation food identity within
ethnic groups in the multicultural/ethnic countries
is reflecting all the way through sharing a common
accepted cuisine.
As the central focus of this study, social
interaction among various ethnic groups either
directly or indirectly through social events when
food is present is believed to influence each eth-
nic to prepare and consume each other food.
Furthermore, when interacting with each other
through event ethnics not only learn the appro-
priate social behaviors, respecting the culture but
as well understand their food. With this notion,
this study aims to evaluate the extent to which
social interaction among the Malay, Chinese and
Indian through food event is giving impact to
the preparation and consumption of each eth-
nic food. The objectives are to a) perception of
social interaction toward food preparation and
consumption, b) comparison between ethnics'
perception of social interaction toward food
preparation and consumption. In addition, it is
hypothesized that:
Food holds the key to any culture and people
make many assumptions about other people's
diets based on who they claim to be and people
also make many assumptions about who people
are, based on what they eat (Counihan & Van
Esterik, 1999). Mintz (1996) noted that prepara-
tion and consumption is always conditioned by
means that the food we eat and the manner in
which we preserve, prepare, and serve them and all
devote with meaning at some levels. Consumption
or eating in all cultures is an expression of beliefs,
systems and social distinctions that exist within
groups and society. The food that we eat closely
links to cultural codes, and it is precisely enables
it to become a good indicator of identity (Crouch
& O'Neill, 2000). Kittler and Sucher (2004) claim
consumption and preparation of food gives valu-
able insights on community that performs the acts.
Food through its preparation and consumption
work like a sign system as of language that can
transcend time and space.
Scholars believed that besides others, cross-
culturing in food preparation and consumption
among ethnic groups through food knowledge,
food media and social interaction or events are
unavoidable in multi-racial countries (Cleveland,
Laroche, Pons & Kastoun, 2009; Kim, Laroche
H1: There is a significant relationship between
social interaction and preparation, consumption of
each other ethnic food.
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