Replies

Replied on Kennipark’s blog
With or Without Whip Cream
http://kennipark.blogspot.com/2009/02/with-or-without-whip-cream.html

Replied on Liz25’s blog
Got milk?
http://lizdeharo.blogspot.com/2009/02/got-milk.html#comments

Replied on vycanismajoris’s blog
Frozen Greatness
http://theadventuresinenglishclass.blogspot.com/2009/02/frozen-greatness.html#comments

Sushi

When I was trying to figure out what to write about for my last blog, something dawned in my head. I thought of sushi and i thought it would be perfect. Sushi has become such a large part of our society and it is amazing. Most people you talk to eat sushi nowadays and it is a treat for us. Not only is it delicious, but it also is healthy if you do not abuse it. Furthermore, sushi has become a spot where people come together for business because it provides such a great atmosphere and it is so universal. It is such a gigantic culture shock here because it has completely taken over become a regular answer for the "what should we eat" question. Even the tradition has been brought over here for eating it with chopsticks. Sushi comes in such variety too, you have so many choices for what you can eat, and usually to start off you get the delicious edinami or miso soup which sets the pace for the rest of the course.

As i said previously, sushi is healthy. It is high in minerals, vitamins, carbohydrates and proteins. Seafood is naturally low in fat so sushi don't pose an obesity risk. In addition, sushi is served with vegetables for the most part too and that is what provides most of the vitamins and minerals. It is a safe choice to eat most of the time. Sushi can pose a pretty major risk though. Some fish can carry high levels of mercury which can be hazardous when consumed in high amounts. This isn't a major risk to you if you eat sushi in moderation it is something to be cautious and considerate of.

The culture shock is what is most amazing about it though. Throughout the years it has just become more and more normal in our society today to eat. The japanese tradition of eating it with chopsticks or your hands has even kept up here in America. Most people don't even eat sushi unless they have chopsticks. Which comes as a shock to me is that that people that i know that have visited japan and had sushi there said sushi in America was just as good and even better. If this is true, we are even more spoiled than we already are. Something that interests me though is how much it has become a spot for business interactions. If you ever go out to sushi, look around and notice that there is almost always a couple people dressed up in business outfits, and they are also in their own area a little secluded from everyone. I think this is because the atmosphere of sushi is perfect and it is a richer food so it fits that cliche perfectly.

As Mr. Tsuyuki always says in class to make sure that we always ask the question why, I wrote this making sure that i was going to be able to answer this. Sushi has shocked this culture so greatly that most people don't even notice it which is the why. It has become such a norm to us and relish in it's greatness without even realizing that we have patented it. Also how it has become such a big spot for business interactions is remarkable. That is something most people definitely don't take into account because it has happened so low key.

Smoothies

Since we haven been talking about food and coming up with interesting thoughts on them and how much they have become a shock, I decided to expand on that thought and talk about smoothies. What made me think to choose this in specific was when i was walking on campus earlier and I just had a sudden urge to get smoothie. I headed over to Robeks Smoothies and the line was huge and it made me think of how perfect this would be to talk about on a blog. If you think about all the reasons people get smoothies, it is astounding and this list just goes on. I am guilty too because i do indulge in smoothies very often and utilize them for various reasons.

Smoothies offer so much too people. There are millions of people who start their whole day off by getting smoothies because its a jump start. To make it even more legitimate, the smoothies offer free boosts, anything from energy, to protein, to immune. It is so cool. It substitutes for a meal perfectly. If you are sick you can get one and get all the vitamins from it and get the immune booster, if your tired and just got done playing sports or doing some sort of activity it provides refreshment and you can get the energy booster to renew yourself. To even go beyond those standpoints, Smoothies are just delicious. There are so many different flavors to revel in so its almost everlasting. The most popular of all the places that serve these smoothies to my knowledge is Jamba Juice, it is spread out across California in all sorts of states, but you have places like Robeks and Juice it Up doing the same sort of thing. This enables people to have more access to them also. The thing that is most surprising about this is that I don't remember smoothies being so popular in the 1990's and playing as much of a role in our lives as they do now. 

If you think about the concept of a smoothie, it is quite fascinating. Taking a mixture of all sorts of fruits and even special smoothies with gummy bears in them and things like that and just adding a scoop of ice and blending it, you have a delicious and pretty nutritious drink. You can go as far as calling it a meal because it can totally substitute for one and they are very filling. Think about how many peoples routines consist of consuming a smoothie to start off their day or end their day. 

This just hit me today, all the things I just went over. It astounds me because i hadn't realized what an impact smoothies have had on us Americans. They slowly just took over and have become a part of our lives and I brought this up because I wanted to point that out. People have smoothies and we are reliant on them now, just think about if they took smoothies away from you, how much would this disappoint or disgruntle you at this point.

Tacos

So i recently I have been glancing around and have been looking for any kinds of foods that impact our society greatly whether we know it or not. After a few days of going about my normal day to day routines and working, something dawned in my head; Happy Hour. Everywhere i go seems to have some kind of happy hour and is promoting it, whether the place is mexican food, italian, american, you name it. It might be because of the economy or it might just be because it is a good idea, who knows, but the point I am trying to get across is that Tacos are everywhere now. They have become a phenomenon and I don't think that anyone realizes it. They are so universal that they are made at peoples homes for dinner, grilled for big sporting events, at bars and restruants for meals or for happy hour and there are various taco stands you notice throughout the city. Tacos have become a culture shock. All races and nationalities eat tacos. I have thought about it and I can only come up with one reason; They are simple. The thing about Tacos is that all you need is a tortilla (flower or corn), some meat (any kind) and maybe some cheese, guacamole and salsa if thats your thing. It is so easy and tastes so good. They are also creepers when it comes to filling you up because they sure do even though they might not appear to be filling. 

 They are also an economy friendly food. Businesses sell them for cheap with some sort of drink, usually beer, and people want to come buy them because they are price friendly and delicious. It is a win for both the producer and the consumer. I have been seeing more and more businesses starting to do happy hour and tacos are usually the header on it, and i am not just talking about mexican restruants, I am talking about all sorts of places. I like it though, They are tasty and easy to make and very suitable. It is also nice becuase they are so fast to make if you are on-the-go and you need something quick. I guess if you look at it in a very honest way, Tacos are dominating because they are so suitable for us in all aspects.

Like i was saying previously, at events for activities, or fiestas, or sporting event congregations or even just hanging out and making food, tacos are always their. I went to 3 Superbowl parties, including mine, and tacos with carne asada and chicken were the premier food at all places, and everyone was bragging about how delicious and ambrosial the tacos were, and I must admit, so was I. Furthermore, tacos bring everyone together. They are fun to grill and you get to chat with people and congregate. Tacos add this very serene atmosphere they people seem to enjoy.

Tacos have slowly become a big part of our society in terms of food. Whether you realize it or not they have just become so optimal that they are so accepted as a food.  It is quite shocking if you really can fathom how much they have become a part of our community.