So Goes Food, So Goes the Nation

Today, we offer a little food for thought concerning the influence of food on the US culture. Readercomments are always welcome, and at week's end, some academics will weigh in...

In 1981, the New York Times ran multiple articles addressing the question of Sushi’s safety; to be exact, the pieces generally focused on the safety of "raw fish", Japanese delicacy, also enjoyed by adventurous "non-orientals" in vanguard cities such as New York and Los Angeles. By 1987, New Yorkers had adopted some Japanese jargon and raw fish was universally referenced as "sushi"; Gothamites also adopted some Japanese tastes and the number of venues serving the food in the five boroughs increased more than tenfold within those six years. However, the opening of a Japanese joint in Bloomington, Illinois served as an anomaly sufficient enough to warrant mention in an article within said publication. Today, sushi is served in Major League Ballparks, and college cafeterias. The Greater Bloomington area features at least ten Japanese restaurants and New York boasts well over a hundred.
The issue raised by the rise of sushi is less a query concerning shifts of the American palate, and more one of cultural diffusion. Why and how did raw fish transition from an immigrant’s oddity to a New York and Los Angeles trend into an integral part of the national dining experience? In our current era of red states and blue states are the large coastal metropolises truly the source of trends? The spread of one simple food provides a template for examination of our national history and zeitgeist as a whole.
In the case in question, several other factors can be attributed to the shift in the American Palate. For instance, the opening of the restaurant in Bloomington, and many of the other first wave of sushi in the midwest can be attributed to the influx of Japanese corporations, particularly automakers in the region. (Think Stir Crazy with Michael Keaton!) Further, small, but crucial advances in refrigeration technology, the proliferation of air freight, and fishing treaties with both Canada and Japan combined to facilitate the arrival of fresh fish in the nation's center.
However, the coastal theory holds sway as well, and we must note that these areas were first introduced to sushi on account of their own large Japanese populations. From there, New York and LA proceded to warm up to the food, and ultimately integrate it into the upper tier lifestyle. Classs envy is as old as the country, and soon the middle class demanded acess; hence, the explosion of restaurants in these cities during the mid eighties did not compete with the existing high end establishments, but offer moderately priced alternatives. Once the middle coastal class embraced raw fish, the media centers based in said cities began including the food in film and television, making it synonomous with big city sophistication, and appending a sex appeal for the rest of the US.
The exercise is interesting unto itself, but fascinating when applied beyond food. For example, a mirror scenario took place between Sarah Jessica Parker and her television identity's love of Prada and Jimmy Choo. More importantly, we can apply the trend to business casual or even politics!