No Reservations – Is Fast Food A Window Into A Nation's Soul?
There is no better window into a country’s culture than through its cuisine. New Zealand is no exception. The diversity
of this nation is clearly shown through people’s food preferences.
My first shock was seeing nearly every kind of Asian food including Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Thai available at a
mall’s food court of all places. With one glance I gathered that ethnic cuisine is a favourite of New Zealanders with
Indian topping the list. The presence of a roast stand in the corner also brought to my attention that traditional
English cuisine still holds its place on the menu.
This was a stark contrast to where I come from where the typical mall only offers burgers, steak sandwiches, deli subs,
Mexican, and Chinese food. I must admit that it is an accurate portrayal of my home state of Oklahoma because of its mix
of European, Mexican, and Chinese inhabitants.
I’m not saying that fast food is the best and only indication of culture; however, a lot of thought goes into the
marketing of fast food products and consumer preferences are thoroughly taken into account.
One particularly interesting finding is that pizza, an American icon, has truly been taken to the next level in New
Zealand with the crust serving as a base for a mishmash of flavours. In the US there are a few gourmet pizza shops but
they never extend to nationwide chains like Dominos and Pizza Hut.
After studying the menu at the local Dominos one evening I gathered my courage and ordered the apricot pizza. The meat
pie pizza would have to wait...indefinitely.
What I thought at first glance was the unfortunate love child between a cheese pizza and an Indian dish actually turned
out to be quite good. The chutney brightened the other flavours in the dish and balanced any acidity in the tomato
sauce. Perhaps there is something to fusion cuisine even when it is something as simplistic as fast food.
New Zealand is known as an adventure capital. This is true not only physically but also gastronomically. Those like me
who have reservations about anything involving tramping or jumping from a cage with nothing separating me from eminent
death besides a bungee cord will find the adventurous New Zealand spirit in other not so obvious areas. Visitors need
only to go to any restaurant or fast food stand and have “no reservations.”
ENDS