The ATA Chronicle - July/August 2021 - 28

B
WHAT'S
COOKING
AN INTRODUCTION TO
CULINARY TRANSLATION
Here's a look at culinary translation as a
specialization, including some of the main challenges
encountered and tips on how to develop your skills!
By Olivia Singier Texier
efore the pandemic, part of my
experience of traveling to a place was
trying out the local food, taking market
tours with local guides, or dining in the best
restaurants in town. Food traditions and
culinary arts are huge parts of any culture and
lie at the heart of our cultural identity. Food
is how people express themselves, show their
history, and their story. I bet you probably
wouldn't even be able to name the thousands
of regional culinary specialties to be found in
your country alone.
Globalization has been changing the
food we eat and how we eat it. Immigrants
have always brought food traditions from
their native countries that have then been
assimilated into the local cuisine of their new
home. For instance, according to cookbook
writer and anthropologist Claudia Roden, the
quintessential British " fish n' chips " was
first introduced in Britain during the 16th
century by Jewish immigrants forced to leave
Spain and Portugal.
We're now familiar with many dishes
originating across the world and regularly
enjoy tacos, paella, tiramisu, or brioche! On
the global stage, it's interesting to note that
some food cultures prevail over others. For
example, ordering a latte is much more usual
than ordering fried spiders, a staple rooted
in some local cultures such as Cambodia.
With a greater variety of food and ingredients
available and the globalization of food
production and distribution, there's a greater
need for documents and labels-and a greater
need to translate them.
You may have noticed the increased interest
in cooking and gastronomy during the past
few years, especially during the pandemic.
The volume of food-related material in need
of translation-not only cookbooks but TV
programs and websites-has been hugely
amplified. But words are not enough, and
often a photo of whatever may be on our
plates at a given moment can be posted on
Instagram or Pinterest for the world to see
(a trend called " food porn " ).
28 The ATA Chronicle | July/August 2021
www.atanet.org
The ATA Chronicle - July/August 2021

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