Rule #21: "It's not food if it's called by the same name in every language. (Think Big Mac, Cheetos, or Pringles.)"
Personally, I can think of exceptions. Pasta. Sushi. I'm sure there are others, but I'm not going to nit-pick him. It seems clear to me that Pollan's trying to convey a message about mass-produced "foods," typically American, that appear everywhere in the world. They keep the same names because they are brand names. Things that are made in big factories receive brand names.
2 comments:
Actually, Vern, sushi can be just as fat and calorie-dense as Pringles and other junk food, depending on what you order. Not to mention from a green perspective, it's responsible for a lot of our fish disappearing from the oceans. I've cut way back on my sushi consumption since watching The Cove and reading Tuna's End in the NY Times.
(And I love Pollan's books!)
Anne, since going vegetarian, I haven't been eating fish, so sushi hasn't been on my menu anyway.
I haven't read Tuna's end, but I hear a lot about species depletion from overfishing. Like you, I was sickened by the dolphin slaughter in The Cove. I've also been watching the the "Whale Wars" series on Animal Planet and think whaling is an outrage.
Post a Comment