The evolving definition of ‘good food’

+ devastation from Ukraine dam breach to last years US Edition - Today's top story: How fine dining in Europe and the US came to exclude immigrant cuisine and how social media is pushing back – podcast [View in browser]( US Edition | 7 July 2023 [The Conversation] [The Conversation]( Top headlines - [Not all religions embrace the gender binary]( - [Why China’s Latin America push raises US red flags]( - [Read this week’s news? Take our quiz]( Lead story Today, the hardest part about going out for a meal is often deciding where to eat. Between ever-increasing culinary creativity, the modern multicultural exchange of flavors and the movement toward organic, seasonal ingredients, it’s probably easier today than at any time to go out and find incredible food. Like many people, I often turn to food critics to point me in the right direction. There are the legacy powerhouses – such as the Michelin Guide and Zagat – but in recent years, influencers on social media like Instagram and TikTok have also emerged as important definers of taste. For the latest The Conversation Weekly podcast, I wanted to figure out who or what defines “good food” in the U.S., so I started by looking into the history of the Michelin Guide. But during my interviews with three scholars of food and food culture, [I uncovered a much deeper story]( about how history, Eurocentrism, immigration and social media all play a part in the evolving definition of “good food” today. [ [Get our Understanding AI series – four emails delivered over the course of a week, with experts explaining this confusing topic.]( ] Daniel Merino Associate Science Editor & Co-Host of The Conversation Weekly Podcast Immigrant chefs feel more constrained in how their food is valued. Klaus Vedfelt/DigitalVision via Getty Images [How fine dining in Europe and the US came to exclude immigrant cuisine and how social media is pushing back]( Daniel Merino, The Conversation; Nehal El-Hadi, The Conversation Immigrant chefs and cuisines are often constrained by Eurocentric definitions of what constitutes good food. As immigrant groups become more assimilated into US culture, so does their food. Education - [Why putting off college math can be a good idea]( Forrest Lane, Sam Houston State University College students can benefit from not taking math courses in their freshman year, new research shows. Environment + Energy - [Kakhovka Dam breach in Ukraine caused economic, agricultural and ecological devastation that will last for years]( Susanne Wengle, University of Notre Dame; Vitalii Dankevych, Zhytomyr National Agroecological University Breaching the Kakhovka Dam and reservoir had all the hallmarks of a scorched-earth strategy. 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Politics + Society - [China’s ties to Cuba and growing presence in Latin America raise security concerns in Washington, even as leaders try to ease tensions]( Leland Lazarus, Florida International University The US and China are talking again, but security issues between the two countries linger. - [Affirmative action lasted over 50 years: 3 essential reads explaining how it ended]( Howard Manly, The Conversation The Supreme Court’s decision to ban affirmative action programs reverses nearly 50 years of its own decisions that ruled diversity was of vital national importance. Ethics + Religion - [Nonbinary genders beyond ‘male’ and ‘female’ would have been no surprise to ancient rabbis, who acknowledged tumtums, androgynos and aylonot]( Sarah Imhoff, Indiana University People sometimes assume religious traditions’ ideas about gender have always been conservative and unchanging. 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