Knowing Culture Through Food: A Social Media Perspective

Social media is becoming more and more popular among the public, people spend a lot of time swiping through different posts, photos, or videos, and Instagram is even more effective in catching people’s attention through visual content. In this study, the relationship between traditional food content, culture, and social media marketing in Southeast Asian countries is explored. National tourism organizations, culinary practitioners, and academics always promote regional and urban tourism through the image of traditional cuisine on social media platforms.

Cuisine, as a typical element of culture, is a direct way to learn about different regions, as other universal experiences such as music, language, dance, etc. Gastronomic tourism has developed into an effective advertising tool, and traditional cuisine plays a pivotal role in shaping the cultural identity of tourist destinations. Southeast Asian countries have a rich historical and cultural background that connects the culinary experience with the cultural experience.

A recent study using Instagram content analytics revealed the dynamic relationship between traditional food and social media engagement in Southeast Asian countries. Using Content analysis in qualitative research by extracting data from Instagram, the findings showed that Cambodia received the most mentions, highlighting the growing interest in traditional food and table manners. Family-style dining emerged as a prominent feature, emphasizing that the cultural context of how food is consumed is as important as the food itself. This nuanced approach to telling food stories on social media provides a platform to showcase the uniqueness of Southeast Asian food culture. The relationship between food and culture can be well presented and communicated through social media, and this is where people who run social media accounts act as a way to spread the word and connect different people and cultures around the world, for example, by trying to attract Western tourists to Southeast Asian food pages through their marketing methods. 

Traveling to Southeast Asia, the dominant flavors and tastes of traditional foods are uniquely “fresh” and “spicy”. Cultural fusion is inevitable, as the 15th century Silk Road brought herbs, and spices, thus much of the food in Southeast Asian countries has Chinese, Arabic, and Indian origins. The naming of the food, the way it is prepared and the ingredients used all reflect the richness and uniqueness of the flavors. ASEAN Tourism Online would like to promote food as an attraction rather than as a regional tourism experience and authenticity. With advanced web technologies, destinations are creating authentic online spaces and social zones based on cultural traditions and their cuisines.

The ASEAN Online Tourism Initiative recognizes the potential of promoting gastronomy not only as a food item but also as a compelling attraction in its own right. Utilizing advanced web technologies, destinations are creating authentic online spaces that promote cultural traditions and cuisines. These digital platforms serve as virtual social zones, inviting global audiences to explore the authenticity of Southeast Asian culture through a variety of cuisines. In short, the combination of traditional Southeast Asian cuisine, culture, and social media creates experiences that transcend geographical boundaries.

Source: https://journalofethnicfoods.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s42779-023-00189-0