In the realm of story writing and its comments, there may be compelling textual examples of a cultural dysphasia composed of logical fallacies. The best examples are those who would attack your postings because of the incongruity of one’s titles or headlines rather than actually finish reading the text itself.

Another semantic example of commenter posting which seems more pathological is the random commenter’s inability to be open to appreciating the difference between literal and figurative meanings. 

It’s why I have to simply ignore some commenters.

Similarly, there may be a culinary dysphagia where the diversity of food can be both pleasurable but also culturally confounding. Much like Chicken Tikka embarrasses some Brits as the UK national dish or ketchup on hotdogs in the US (at least in Chicago). Another example would be the use of cooked corn kernels in pudding desserts. 

Spoiled food can be compared to fermented food that becomes a delicacy. This remains difficult for many, but food preservation in different cultural contexts remains problematic for some. Then again odd cuisine choices are about meta-cultural meaning but also about gut microbiota. Sometimes indigestion or food allergies make cuisine experimentation impossible to ignore.

yes. you can skip to the conclusion but eating yogurt and other fermented foods might help: https://t.co/2r5pEcc8ej

Culture, however, is not a term reserved for persons of racial/ethnic minorities only. Understanding, applying, and believing in concepts of culture and its impact on all we do as persons and as professionals is of great importance if we are to be socially and professionally responsible members of this society and this discipline (Riquelme, 2013). This starts with developing our personal definition of culture. The word culture refers to integrated patterns of human behavior that include language, thoughts, communications, actions, customs, beliefs, values, and institutions of racial, ethnic, religious, or social groups (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2001). So, in essence, every individual presents with many cultures (Riquelme, 2007).  If the concept of culture is to be redefined for some, then one must accept that just as we belong to different social, political, and religious groups, we belong to many different cultures. The same applies to the patients, families and caregivers we work with; they too present with many cultures.

Food has served as a rich vein for racist advertising opportunities. During the 1800s, Irish Americans faced heavy social and labor discrimination. Commonly held stereotypes held that the Irish were greedy, selfish, superstitious, perverted and thieving. It’s unfortunate that a children’s cereal brand, the popular Lucky Charms, none-too-subtly plays into these outdated prejudices. This particular commercial is particularly cheery, but the Lucky Charms leprechaun character is in fact reinforcing racist stereotype.

I just want a man who'll look at my Barry the way Obama looks at his waffles. pic.twitter.com/sT02TP9siA

As of January 2022, UNESCO recognises 25 food and drink-related traditions as part of its  Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. To inspire you to learn more and maybe even try them for yourself, I asked a group of travel writers to share their insights into food traditions around the world.

Nsima is a thick porridge made by mixing white cornmeal with water. This is an elaborate process that involves pulling the paste against the side of a pot with a wooden spoon as it simmers. Nsima is eaten in many parts of Africa, and goes by different names in other African countries.

In Malawi, it’s normally eaten with two accompaniments: A protein-heavy dish, and a vegetable dish. The protein dish can be meat, fish or beans, while the vegetable dish is usually a type of dark leafy green, such as mustard or pumpkin leaves.

Young children are taught to pound maize and sift flour to make nsima from an early age, and eating communal meals of nsima is an important way of strengthening family bonds. Nsima’s cultural significance in Malawi is why UNESCO has listed it as a form of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Try it for yourself: Since nsima is the most common staple food in Malawi, it’s available all over the country – though it’s not always served in tourist restaurants. Thomas’s Restaurant, Grocery and Bar in Cape Maclear on Lake Malawi caters to a mix of tourists and locals and serves nsima with beans and salad.

After a long day I rustled up a Saturday night curry! Chicken Balti with extra chillies, spinach & baby-corn. Eye-wateringly hot 🥵 rich, filling & very tasty - it really was delish and still two portions left 🤤 My mouth is still tingling! #lchf #Curry pic.twitter.com/sEnkmKrYXE

Balti, as a food, is named after the steel or iron pot in which it is cooked, similar to a  karahi  from the same region. The word is found in  Hindustani,  Odia  and  Bengali, and means "bucket".[8]  The word developed from the Portuguese  balde, meaning bucket or pail, and traveled to the  Indian subcontinent  via the Portuguese seafaring enterprises of the early 16th century. The word likely made its way into the English language during the time of  British India.

According to  Pat Chapman, a  food historian, the origins of the word can be traced to the area of  Baltistan, in northern Pakistan, where a cast-iron wok, similar to the Chinese wok, is used for cooking. Baltistan shares a border with China. In his  Curry Club Balti Curry Cookbook,  Chapman states:

The balti pan is a round-bottomed, wok-like heavy cast-iron dish with two handles. ... The origins of Balti cooking are wide ranging and owe as much to China (with a slight resemblance to the spicy  cooking of Szechuan) and  Tibet, as well as to the ancestry of the  Mirpuris, the  tastes  of the  Moghul emperors, the aromatic spices of  Kashmir, and the 'winter foods' of lands high in the mountains.

However,  Colleen Taylor Sen  states that the origins of  balti gosht  are unclear, as the food eaten in Baltistan "bears no resemblance" to  balti gosht.[9]  As such, the name of the food may have originated from the fact that  bāltī gosht  is cooked in a pot resembling a  baltī, the Hindustani word for bucket.[9][6]

Another claim regarding the origin of  balti  cooking in Birmingham was that it was first served in 1977 in a restaurant called Adil's. At that time, the restaurant was located in Stoney Lane,  Sparkbrook, and after some time relocated to another area, but since has returned to its original place in Stoney Lane.[10][3]

My cocktail musings were not meant to be metaphorical (sometimes a drink is just a drink), but lunchtime conversation at @sfiscience today centered on power-law distributions in music and whether they could also be found in mixology. https://t.co/m3pwzliQdc