Summaries of Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern and Martin Yan's Chinatown

                In Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern, the “Sicily” episode, Andrew Zimmern explores the cultural culinary identity of Sicily. He explores the food markets to discover the heart of the Sicilian people within the many stalls of Sicily. His utilizes many “American traditions” to compare how the Sicilian and American customs are not that different. Even in Sicily, there is street food and fancy restaurant food; each culinary aspect pays homage to the central heart of Palermo and Sicily. At al lthe restaurants, the food comes from the local area and local people prepare these dishes in the same essence of the original.

                Sicilians even celebrate an entire festival for a vegetable, artichoke. They fry it, bake it, grill it, and “ice cream” it. Even tradition sometimes changes to new ideas and only creates another way to enjoy those traditions. Along with the same line, Sicilians still cling on to age old recipes and traditions from fish sperm to chocolate rabbit. Zimmern understands the importance, food holds in Sicily as more than just food, but as a connection between family, friends, and home. Then, of course, foreigners should try new foods to immerse themselves into the unique culture Sicily holds from the depths of the ocean to the homes of Sicilian princes.

                In Martin Yan’s Chinatowns, “Chinatown Market” episode, Martin Yan explains the culture of Chinese cuisine in the United States through San Francisco’s Chinatowns. The Chinatowns still hold many of the essence of Chinese culture for immigrants through the produce and butchers that still operate familiarly to their counterparts in China. Chinese food requires fresh produce to the best results which allows for local farmers to benefit from produce Chinese people use. Chinatowns also carry the supplies and material needed to make these traditional recipes.

                The result of Chinatown comes from the success stories of Chinese immigrants in the United States. Chinese immigrants create new opportunities in the US and bring their traditions and culture to their new home. When Martin Yan starts cooking, he uses similar techniques that would be found in Western cooking. This similarity shows the certain knowledge that transcends culture as all people want to make delicious food. Yan’s cooking also highlights the need for balance of flavor as many ingredients are used to create more complexity in flavor using different types of sauces and herbs. Sometimes, Yan uses western ingredients to add flavor like ketchup or balsamic vinegar, so it shows the American-Chinese fusion of traditional Chinese dishes and how these dishes still retain their originality.