SOURCED Glossary

People who engage with food and drink professionally approach the industry from a variety of perspectives. The SOURCED Glossary is a constantly growing and evolving reference for people that reflects the conversations we are having about our culinary systems.

Season 1.1: What happens next?: An introduction to culinary systems

Assimilation

A process of generational cultural transformation wherein the dominant cultural narrative takes priority to create a narrative of 'good' and 'bad' immigrants. Officially instituted through measures that criminalise or suppress non-dominant cultural expression (i.e. language, dress, celebration) it is an oppressive function of racism.

SOURCED sees assimilation as a practice of cultural violence but focuses on resistance within the assimilated experience. We believe food can be used as a way to express the hybrid identity assimilation creates and can be used to reclaim erasure experienced through forced assimilation.

Culinary systems

Simply, the way food arrives on our plates. Culinary systems are the web of commercial and cultural interests involved when it comes to what types of food and drink are available to us, and how we evaluate those choices.

SOURCED centres its work around understanding the power dynamics within global culinary systems, and has included both food and drink into the understanding of 'culinary'.

Decolonise

The act of dismantling an accepted eurocentric understanding of a culture and/or system; to investigate assumptions around racial and cultural hierarchy that are perpetuated by dominant cultural narratives.

SOURCED views the process of decolonisation as crucial to creating inclusive culinary systems. We will do this by examining narratives, reflecting and interrogating histories and working with a diverse group of voices.