Composition II

Essay Prompt: What is a food/dish that you identify as undervalued or misunderstood? Why does it deserve more recognition? Your reasons should address the specific benefits that could result from more Americans consuming this food/dish.

• Your thesis should clearly state what food/dish is misunderstood or undervalued. 

• Your three distinct reasons should clarify WHY this food/dish deserves more recognition: what specific benefits would result from more Americans consuming this food/dish?

You could consider a dish that is culturally meaningful to you but undervalued in wider mainstream American society. For instance:

• Gefilte fish is commonly eaten in Jewish cuisine but not by most other Americans.

• Tacos have been Americanized and we rarely see tacos de cabeza on menus in the US.

Another approach would be to select a food you don’t have a personal connection to but one that still excites you in terms of health, environmental, and ethical benefits or spreading historical/cultural knowledge, which most Americans are biased against. Consider:

• Dishes made from road-kill

• Rocky Mountain Oysters

• Frogs

• Kelp noodles

• Horse burgers

• Blood pudding

• Insect-based dishes

• Chitterlings

• Organ meats (otherwise known as offal)

For this essay, you'll need to provide three reasons why the dish is undervalued or misunderstood.

To develop your reasons, research the values this food or dish has.

• Does it offer certain health benefits?

• Does increasing the number of people who eat this dish have environmental benefits?

• Does it have moral/ethical benefits?

• Would eating this dish introduce Americans to a specific tradition and make them more culturally aware?

• Would eating this dish help educate Americans on an overlooked history or historical misconception?