Town Food – City Cooking

If you looked for the typical food for a city, how would you go about it?

So I was thinking these days: What kind of food is typical for a city, a neighborhood, a region? Is it the food that most people know? Or is it the food you see the most when you are there, the signs of the restaurants, diners and food trucks? Or maybe the famous ‘street food’?

And then I thought: But if a city – or a region – is not made up of buildings and landmarks, if it is made up of the people who live there…? What would these people say about ‘their food’, the food that accompanies them through the days and the life of the city, the district or the region?

Let us take, for example, the Neukölln district in Berlin. It is one of the largest districts in the city, with almost half a million people living there. People whose families have roots all over the world. Would typical Neukölln food be a multicultural mix like the district? Or would I look for the most obvious signs along Hermannstrasse, Richardstrasse and Sonnenallee?

I looked at food guides to solve this puzzle. Only to end up even more confused. In describing local food, there were concepts of listing all the different nationalities: Afghani, African, Alpine, Argentinian, British, Chilean, Chinese, East African, Egyptian, French, German, Georgian, Greek, Indian, International, Israeli, Italian, Japanese, Jemeni, Korean, Levantine, Mexican, Nepalese, North American, North African, Austrian, Pakistani, Pan-Asian, Pan-European, Persian, Peruvian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Scandinavian, Spanish, Sri Lankan, South American, Syrian, Taiwanese, Thailandese, Turkish, Uzbek, Vietnamese … .

Or they would list the categories of vendors: Bakeries, Bars, Pubs, Cafes, Delis, Food Court, Garden, Beaches, Wine Bar … . Of course, you can always use the format of the meal to put it into typical boxes: Brunch, Casual Dining, Farm to Table, Fine Dining, Lunch, Culture Cuisine, Soulfood, Streetfood. Not to mention the assortment of standard ingredients or the most popular dish of the place: Fish, Insect Cuisine, Poke, Product Kitchen, Vegan, Vegetarian, Fusion, Bowls, Waffles, Hotdogs, BBQ, Burgers, Chicken, Falafel, Döner, Raquelette, Pies, ‘Kürriehwurscht’ (cut up fried sausage with massive curry spice on top).

But what I really liked most about local food was the stories. The passions of the people who opened certain restaurants, the background to why a traditional dish from France, Italy, Japan, North Africa or Poland is prepared in a certain way here – or there. Legends, oddities and visionary approaches to the future of food. And the affectionate names the city’s inhabitants have given their everyday food. The people of London are really creative when it comes to this: Greasy Spoons or Kaffs are exactly the places that sell the food they sound like.

So food typical of a city, district, area or region is all that: The mix, the spectrum, the stories, the passion of those who make the food, the love of the people who eat it. Every day or on special occasions.

Of course, you can always use the format of the meal to put it into typical boxes …

Side Notes:

• If you sing the title of this post along with the melody of Tina Turner’s famous song ‘Nutbush City Limits’ and get a little experimental with the rest of the lyrics, you’ll have the perfect background music for preparing your favorite local food. Yes, rock the spoon!