Tampopo Revisited

The thematic resonance of food through out Juzo Hami's 1985 Japanese comedy, Tampopo (Dandelion), was captivating not only by the comedic animation but the substantial functions food serves or represents in Japanese society. The interpersonal connection between the Japanese and their value of food is readily palpable - especially as food was even incorporated during the throes of passion between lovers. While Goro and Tampopo's sincere and emotional investment in preparing a sensational soup reciple celebrated the joys of food, I was moved more by the subtleties proffered by Juzo Hami.

A particularly touching moment of this film was the scene in a grocery store where an elderly woman is shown ruinously squishing a shopkeeper's peaches and cheese. While comic relief is portrayed as the shopkeeper fails to catch the mischievous woman, I felt the content spoke louder than the assured audience-issued laughter. As peaches trace their roots back to China and Cheese is widely celebrated in France, I was forced to consider the bane guaranteed by outsourcing during the economic depression. This scene also made me realize our sad dependence in modern times upon the accessibility of imported food really should be re-evaluated as a celebrated luxury. Think of how much international cuisine is available in mall food courts in America. Doesn't familiarity with foreign cuisine make traveling less of an exotic emergence?

While the film specifically centers around Goro and Tampopo's collaboration to create a perfect fast-food ramen restaurant, the subplots are what really struck me. I found it amusing to watch the short-comings of mastication etiquette instruction offered to younger Japanese ladies preparing to travel abroad. The cultural norm of slurping is so deeply ingrained that even the instructor cannot abandon Japanese propriety.

Lately, I feel like I have seen nothing but evidence of the benefits of shopping locally; perhaps surpassing even those of USDA organic. Or perhaps is it just the instinctual human necessity of self-preservation surfacing?