Chinese Prison

So much can be said through a meal. In some cases it determines status and in others it requires ingenuity. It is not necessarily the food eaten, but the people it is eaten with or the situation associated with the meal. Mary Ann O’Donnell and Sandra Cate both discuss the importance of food in two drastically different environments: Shenzhen, South China and the San Francisco County jail.

O’Donnell accounts her experiences with the locals in Shenzhen. She first introduces the reader to the differences between north and south China. In the south seafood is more prevalent. To catch fish, one must be quick and sneaky; this is a way of survival. Contrastingly, in the north, livestock is the main source of meat which does not require as much agility. Just with this difference in diet, two separate types of individuals had been formed. Because food was sparse in China, rice was rationed and the rural communities were often forced to work for their provisions because they were not thought to be contributing to the economy as much as their urban counterparts. As time moved on and the two communities started to join obviously there was some tension. Simple items, such as cornbread, that new generation views as a generic form of sustenance are full of sentimental value and almost treasured by the older generation due to what they’ve lived through. In China, a meal is not just eaten. It determines the social standing of an individual and where they’ve come from which is passed on to their children.

Cate drastically contrasts O’Donnell by talking about “spreads” in the San Francisco jail. With meals served at unusual times, inmates often get hungry later in the evening and make use of various packaged foods to create unique recipes. Usually starting with a base of Ramen Noodles, other ingredients are saved from meals or from “commissary” which get mixed together and then “spread” over chips. Inmates use this as a way to socialize, be productive with time, and to gain variety in their bland diet. Spreads are also way to determine status within the prison because inmates must have the means to purchase the ingredients; however, some inmates who create the spreads are willing to share with others because they would prefer to make it a community gathering than eat alone.

Everywhere in society- trapped, free or imprisoned- food holds an important role. Though it often distinguishes class or origin, it somehow has the power to bring people together, no matter how different they may be.