Myths and Folklore: Food as Artistic Communication (Folklore)

Another approach to the folklore of food utilizes theories developed in the 1960s and 1970s that define folklore as “artistic communication in small groups” (Ben-Amos, 1972). This definition focuses on how individuals draw upon tradition as a resource for expressing their identities and interests and how those expressions are shaped by both the aesthetics of that individual and the context of the expression. In this sense, food as folklore is used to communicate feelings, opinions, relationships, social status, relationships, and power. Food folklore appears in three forms: material, oral, and customary.