The Final Table by Gabrielle Planas https://padlet.com/planasg1/1pzl7y4je5m8 Exploring the possible presence of genuine diversity within the culinary arts as seen on Netflix's new series: The Final Table en-us 2018-12-19 07:45:20 UTC 2018-12-19 15:01:06 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/icons/Pizza.png The Final Table planasg1 https://padlet.com/planasg1/1pzl7y4je5m8/wish/315792232 A breakthrough "global culinary competition" hits Netflix. ]]> 2018-12-19 08:41:09 UTC https://padlet.com/planasg1/1pzl7y4je5m8/wish/315792232 The Evolution of Cooking Shows planasg1 https://padlet.com/planasg1/1pzl7y4je5m8/wish/315793189 The Final Table labels itself as a “global culinary competition” with many factors adding to its unique presentation. While the show is individual in some aspects it does keep in time with other cooking competitions by including relatively traditional components like a show host, food judges, competitors, plate challenges, and elimination rounds. What sets the show apart from the rest is its emphasis on global cuisine.]]> 2018-12-19 08:45:39 UTC https://padlet.com/planasg1/1pzl7y4je5m8/wish/315793189 Keep your eye on the "Prize planasg1 https://padlet.com/planasg1/1pzl7y4je5m8/wish/315793876   The Final Table brought the greatest living culinary artists from around the globe to one stage for a chance to win practically nothing.

The grand prize for the winner of this competition was a "seat final table" among the great nine culinary legends.  It is not a physical table with seats and place settings but rather a figurative placement among the current culinary trendsetters from those nine countries: Mexico, Spain, The United Kingdom, Brazil, India, The United States, Italy, Japan, and France. 

The question is, why? 24 already acclaimed, extraordinarily successful chefs participate because they desire that global reach that the current nine legends have. They are in this for greater recognition as chefs.]]> 2018-12-19 08:48:47 UTC https://padlet.com/planasg1/1pzl7y4je5m8/wish/315793876 Cultural Representation planasg1 https://padlet.com/planasg1/1pzl7y4je5m8/wish/315795784 There is a rich presence of diversity in the culinary arts and this essay will go in further in depth of just how The Final Table accomplishes this through: a focus on cultural respect and understanding, acknowledgment of various nations individual influences on a global scale, and showcasing a communal passion for one of life’s most universal entities: food.]]> 2018-12-19 08:58:44 UTC https://padlet.com/planasg1/1pzl7y4je5m8/wish/315795784 Cultural Capital > Knife Skills planasg1 https://padlet.com/planasg1/1pzl7y4je5m8/wish/315797188  Unlike other cooking competitions, the show is less concerned with the technical skills of the chefs and instead their ability to utilize those skills to showcase their individual style while also preserving the essence of what makes any given country’s dish so spectacular. 

Part of how this is done is through understanding what the significance of the dish and in turn what the dish represents. Chefs are then expected to use that knowledge of history to recreate an elevated, but still true to form, version of the original cultural dish. ]]> 2018-12-19 09:06:54 UTC https://padlet.com/planasg1/1pzl7y4je5m8/wish/315797188 Adding a Face to the Food planasg1 https://padlet.com/planasg1/1pzl7y4je5m8/wish/315798129 One of the most crucial aspects of the show is the focus on the chefs ability to evoke human emotion through their dishes. This series has given a sense of humility to the relatively exclusive world of fine culinary arts. It does this by featuring chefs that are not typically seen in the spotlight of Hollywood cooking shows but instead those who rule essentially from behind the curtain. Along with this newly discovered humility comes the expectation to feel something when tasting a culturally specific dish. ]]> 2018-12-19 09:12:40 UTC https://padlet.com/planasg1/1pzl7y4je5m8/wish/315798129 Real People planasg1 https://padlet.com/planasg1/1pzl7y4je5m8/wish/315799199 The judges, referred to as "Ambassadors", for The Final Table are a genius blend of natives from one of the big nine. They change with each episode as they are considered experts in their own right solely for their native country’s cuisine. 

During judgement, these ambassadors are not necessarily tasting with the critical palette of a seasoned chef but rather as a person who has enjoyed the original dish time and time again. They are looking for the recreated version to invoke an emotional reaction and for the flavors to be similar to that of the original dish.


]]> 2018-12-19 09:18:53 UTC https://padlet.com/planasg1/1pzl7y4je5m8/wish/315799199 Diversity in Culinary Arts planasg1 https://padlet.com/planasg1/1pzl7y4je5m8/wish/315800976  For years there has been a large issue with lack of diversity within the culinary field as most famous chefs are predominately white, males. This show features a star studded cast of 24 highly skilled and critically acclaimed chefs from around the world ranging in level of experience and recognition.

They compete as representatives for their own country. While some chefs represent the country in which they were born and raised, there were a handful of competitors who did not represent their home countries but rather those where they have mastered a cooking style or where they have built their reputation as a professional chef. Thus encompassing the show’s globalization component even further by highlighting the diversity within the culinary realm. 


]]> 2018-12-19 09:28:17 UTC https://padlet.com/planasg1/1pzl7y4je5m8/wish/315800976 Global Food Culture planasg1 https://padlet.com/planasg1/1pzl7y4je5m8/wish/315804808  Each episode of the show is dedicated entirely to one country at a time as to allow the focus to be solely on the dishes, the commentary and contribution from ambassadors, and to feature the legendary culinary chef who represents the best of the best from that country. Each of these countries has extremely specific qualities that make their cuisine stand out in comparison to others. Their  flavor profiles (heat, acid, fat, salt), food cultures, and their traditionally used, indigenous ingredients add to the individuality of that cuisine.]]> 2018-12-19 09:46:33 UTC https://padlet.com/planasg1/1pzl7y4je5m8/wish/315804808