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Food Discourse and Identity Construction: A Case Study of Traditional and

Non-Traditional Culinary Influencers

Abstract

This study investigates the differences and similarities of identity construction on social
media between culinary influencers whose perceptions of food’s authenticity differ. Data were
qualitatively collected through Gennaro Contaldo’s and Joshua Weissman’s videos on Youtube
and were analyzed in the aspects of semantic analysis and narrative inquiry with picture
attributes. Using semantic analysis, the research focused on lexical patterns and metaphor while
narrative analysis concentrated on stories and descriptions.The study resulted as follows;
Gennaro Contaldo’s approach, characterized by sensory-rich language, traditional culinary
metaphors, and nostalgic cultural references, establishes him as a conservator of Italian culinary
heritage. In contrast, Joshua Weissman’s language is more technical and modern, with a focus on
the innovative aspects of cooking. His use of Italian terms is accessible and approachable,
adapting traditional cuisine for a contemporary audience interested in practical cooking.

Keywords: identity construction; food discourse; italian cuisine; cuisine’s authenticity; culinary
influencers

1. Introduction

Food and language are social constructs and cultural traditions. They reflect a society’s
geography, agricultural activities, values, and customs (Pilcher, 2012). On social media, food
influencers act as cultural mediators (Burton, 2016; see also Bloom, 2008), sharing, reshaping,
and preserving these symbols, including concepts of cuisine's authenticity, for a global audience.
This occurrence presents an opportunity to explore how food and language function as
frameworks through which cultural meanings and identities are constructed and communicated.
During the last ten years, food has moved from being an invisible entity that continued to
function in the background of daily life to becoming a centerpiece for debate and teaching about
everything from cultural and social issues (Ashawnta, 2023). Among the many influencing
factors, social media has thrust food into the forefront of people's awareness. Yet, food
influencers take the lead in these conversations by emphasizing, especially, foods that act as
markers of cultural belonging, national pride, and personal identity (Elwan, 2024)). This level of
influence upon the cultural consideration of food is unifying and divisive in the globalized nature
of digital platforms.

The need to acknowledge how different and similar food is presented in language use, in
digital storytelling techniques, and visual presentation, recognizing that language itself is a core
aspect of culture (Patil, 2015). By focusing on how subgenres of different food influencers,
including traditional and non-traditional cooking influencers, this research tries to find out how
they use e-communication to express personal and cultural identity. Such research leads to the
effects of these dynamics shaping culinary influences, considering that with globalization, there
is an increase in cross-cultural diversity. This would be particularly important in the implications
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where the 'authentic' cultural value is either challenged or preserved in the construction of
individual media identities.

To support these broader objectives, the paper examines the following questions:

1. In what ways do food influencers navigate and represent the concept of cuisine's
authenticity and their personal stories in their narratives and picture attributes?
2. How do specific vocabulary and terminology in food discourse used by food
influencers contribute to shaping their cultural identity?

While sociolinguistic studies have extensively explored the border cultural and social
dynamics of culinary discourse (eg., Claudia, 2011; Stanford, 2009) , and there is a significant
emphasis on how identity construction occurs through both food and language in general
contexts, how food features interact with semantic and narrative features in cross-cultural digital
media, as well as how such features shape public identities, has not been in ample focus thus far.
The given research would therefore fill in the gap of existing literature and provide a comparison
in how these elements contribute to building an individual media persona by looking into the
associations of food and language.

2. Literature Review

Food discourse and identity construction strongly interlink, as the very language people
use to refer to, describe, and present food items is often representative of cultural identity, social
convention, and personal values (Burton, 2016). The usage of dialects, terms, and certain
descriptors related to food links an individual to their ancestral heritage, communicates social
association, and displays one's personal or group entities. For instance, food bloggers, family
food settings, and cultural food rituals indicate how food language choices signal the relationship
to tradition, social roles, and shifting values in contemporary contexts. As shown and
exemplified by Pärssinen (2012) in the study of Finnish mother’s identity formation through
food discourse, the result emphasizes the depiction of mothers as knowledgeable and caring
individuals committed to ensuring their children receive adequate nutrition. This view aligns
with the notion that maternal identity is shaped by a focus on health and well-being through
careful food choices. Additionally, food discourse is, therefore, a fundamental tool in
constructing and performing identities.

With respect to above, this research is rooted in Vygotsky’s social constructivism (1978),
positing that language and culture are the frameworks through which humans experience,
communicate, and understand reality, people, in the context of this study, food influencers reflect
the assumption by using language to convey their cultural meanings associated with cuisine.
Vygotsky’s theory highlights that cultural identities are shaped through social interactions and
language, making it a useful lens for analyzing how influencers negotiate the authenticity of
cuisine and spread cultural values through their stories, recipes, and discussions about food.
Vygotsky’s theory also aligns with Lotman’s view of culture as a system of meaningful
information shared through social codes, in this study context, language.
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“all material of the history of culture can be viewed from the perspective of certain
meaningful information and a system of social codes that allow us to convey such
information in the form of certain signs and share it with human communities...connected
with the fundamental forms of public consciousness, team management, and personal
self-organization” (Lotman, 2002, as cited in Medkova, 2020).

Therefore, semantic analysis is essential to analyze the social code, exploring the cultural
cue in language use. Semantics include the meaning of the word, its development, and breaking
down language structures to understand how words, sentences, and texts convey information
(Godddard, 2011). This approach is highly effective in examining how their language shapes
their personal and public image, as well as expresses their cultural identity.

Narrative inquiry is a research method where stories are the primary data. It is used
across various disciplines to explore the culture, historical experiences, identities, and lifestyles
of individuals (Butina, 2015). The application of this method constructively examines how food
influencers present their culinary background, heritage, and experiences to construct authenticity
and identity for their followers.

3. Methodology

3.1 Design

This study uses a comparative-qualitative approach to explore the identity construction of

culinary influencers who present different perspectives of food’s authenticity on social media.

A. Qualitative method to examine how influencers use rhetorical strategies,

storytelling, terminology, and cultural references to build their online personas and
convey their food’s authenticity beliefs.
B. Comparative method to draw border conclusions across influencers’ insights into
the diverse ways they promote distinct concepts of cuisine.

3.2 Data Collection Methods

3.2.1 Data Collection

Two hosts of cooking shows on Youtube are chosen as samples according to the
criteria;
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1. Traditional culinary influencers, for this study, refer to food influencers who share
and cook traditional or authentic recipes, ingredients, and cultural practices that
define a dish or culinary tradition, generally one-way cooking.
2. Non-traditional culinary influencers, for this study, refer to food influencers who
introduce new or alternative interpretations of methods, ingredients, and practices.

This results in choosing Gennaro Contaldo and Joshua Weissman as the samples,
respectively;

Gennaro Contaldo is an Italian chef, born in Minori on the Amalfi Coast. His
Italian spirit and positive personality has made him famous on TV cooking programmes,
regularly in Saturday Kitchen and Two Greedy Italians on BBC2, as well as in his own
youtube channel, Gennaro Contaldo. He has published 23 cookbooks which all are
involved with Italian cuisine with a motto “Discover and cook authentic dishes from the
whole of Italy (Contaldo, 2017).”

Joshua Weissman is an American chef, introduced to the kitchen at the age of 3

and discovering his passion in cooking. He started his profession at a fine-dining
restaurant in the United States.Additionally, he has become popular on Youtube through
his personal youtube channel and published 4 books (Weissman, 2022).

3.2.2 Data Collection Process & Analysis

After considering their videos, two videos of Gennaro are chosen while Joshua’s
is one due to the completion of Joshua’s video which allies with all of the research’s
requests, including narrative techniques, picture attributes, and linguistic features
collected as follows:

1. Narrative techniques and picture attributes

I. Personal story and experiences

II. Food description

III. Ideas of food’s authenticity

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VI. Screenshots of the chosen hosts’ kitchens

2. Linguistic features
I. iLexical choice
II. Metaphor

Next, the videos are transcribed and pictures (of their kitchen) related to their
narratives are screenshot.

Finally, the data is analyzed and compared regarding the study’s purpose,
referencing the relevant academic readings.

4. Findings and Discussion

4.1 Findings

4.1.1 Semantic Framework

Categories Gennaro Contaldo Joshua Wissman

Descriptive language frequently uses positive rarely uses the descriptive

descriptive adjectives in a wide adjective and mostly uses
range to describe the ingredients them with the equipment
and the dish
EX. “beautiful saucepan.”
EX. “perfect,” “lovely,” and
“beautiful.”

Sensory language appear frequently on both influencers

EX. “crispy,” “light,” “velvety,” and “fresh.”

Cultural references Code-Switching: uses English Borrowed words: several

and his native language in Italian borrowed words,
dialogues as in stating specific mainly from Italian
culinary terms like
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regional ingredients and ingredients and cooking

exclamation points techniques

EX. "Parmigiano Reggiano” EX. “Calcutta marble” and

and “Pasta Con Limone” “Burrata”

Metaphors describe the ingredient as

illustrated “24 months in the none
cheese is between a teenager
and a grown up man.”

4.1.2 Narrative Inquiry and Picture Attributes

Categories Gennaro Contaldo Joshua Wissman

References making “perfect Offer ingredients and cooking

and simple pizza” methods that are easily found,
easily done and innovative
Culinary and Expresses expertise in
instructional traditional cooking, using As shown in the video, he offers
narratives traditional equipment– the fire three alternative ways to make a
oven– and regional pizza and each way presents the
ingredients. evolution of recipes along the
video as common Margarita
pizza, Margarita pizza with pesto
sauce, and Pepperoni pizza.
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0:07 from Tagliatelle with 0:18 from The Easiest Pizza Ever
Lemon & Parmigiano (3 Ways) | Joshua Weissman
Reggiano | Gennaro Contaldo

In this video, Gennaro talks Joshua shows his new kitchen as

about his childhood’s kitchen an accomplishment, mentioning
Personal storytelling in Italy as he stands in the the designing, building, and
and visual middle of the frame. functions of the kitchen.
presentation
“Believe me or not? This is a “After three years of waiting, a
kind of a kitchen when I was year of designing , and a year of
born in Italy. Something cozy, building and putting together, we
small.” finally have an amalgamation of
a design of my creation exactly,
and I didn’t know it was ever
gonna happen, and I’m gonna tell
you that it was possible.

This isn’t just some kitchen set,

it’s a real kitchen from top to
bottom, nothing in here is fake.

Solid Calcutta marble,

refrigerated drawers, built-in
dry-ager, all of the home stuff
that we need, but also all the
fancy stuff.”

4.2 Discussion

The analysis of Gennaro Contaldo and Joshua Weissmanas representatives of traditional

and non-traditional culinary influencers, respectively, underlines the complex ways in which
linguistic features and narrative techniques along with its visual presentation communicate
reflection of perception of food's authenticity and construction of identity of an individual.
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Semantic analysis-lexical choices describing and sensory adjectives in food

discourse-semantically indicate the emotions that the influencers have toward the dish. Gennaro
Contaldo often uses positive descriptive adjectives like "perfect," "lovely," "fresh," and
"beautiful" that enhance the sensory appeal of dishes he prepares and create a warm and inviting
atmosphere. This wide range of adjectives helps him create a vivid sensory landscape which
conveys the experience of the dish on a deeper emotional level. By great contrast, Joshua
Weissman uses the adjectives mainly associated with cookware much more judiciously, pointing
to another focus-maybe technical aspects of cooking rather than emotional connections with the
food itself.

Both influencers make use of sensory descriptions, like "crispy," "light," and "velvety,"
that appeal to the senses, suggesting texture and taste. This is common ground in that it shows
how the same scenario can occur with a similar understanding of the use of senses in food
discourse, but these differences in their choices of lexis hint at divergent approaches in culinary
communication.

While the connotative languages stand for emotions and personal attachment to the dish,
cultural references are markers of identity within their culinary narratives. Gennaro Contaldo's
code-switching-between English and his native language when it comes to naming regional and
specific ingredients-attests to a close linkage with his Italian heritage. It is such words as
"Parmigiano Reggiano", "Pasta Con Limone" that not only authenticate his cooking but also
create a sense of cultural pride and continuity. This hybridity of languages enables him to
connect his identity with the broader cultural meaning of the prepared dishes. By contrast, Joshua
Weissman resorts to Italian culinary terms. While he acknowledges the influence of Italian
cuisine with terms such as "Burrata" and "Pomodoro," his culinary method appears more
innovative and relatable to a modern audience that does not deeply understand the practice of
traditional cuisine. The difference proves how cultural references construct the formation of
identities within food discourse, framing each influencer's culinary philosophy against his
respective background and intended audience. Other than cultural markers, the culinary
metaphors could reflect the cultural identity as stated "metaphor is a mode of thought." (Khalid
Berrada, 2007).

Cognitive linguists have shown that metaphors are rooted in our experiences (Wu, 2009).
In the context of the current study, "experience" designates how experiences of life external to
the individual influence an individual's knowledge grounded in those experiences. This agrees
with the social constructivism theory, which is the theoretical framework of the study; hence,
Gennaro Contaldo used metaphor as "the cheese is between a teenager and a grown up man," that
explains the importance of tradition in Italian cuisine and time in making quality food, which
implies the respect of culture for artisanal processes. Regarding the narrative analysis,
conversational imperative narration is applied by both influencers to demonstrate their cooking
expertise while being friendly enough to engage modern audiences on social media.

Secondly, via narrative inquiry, against the perception of cuisine's authenticity that the
influencers Gennaro Contaldo preserve, Joshua Weissman challenges it. To put it another way,
Italian cuisine is rich in terms of regional ingredients and traditions that are perfectly maintained
in Contaldo-for example, the use of traditional kitchen and equipment-while Weissman advances
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the cooking methods and equipment, reflecting his innovative ideas. Analysis of personal
storytelling explains how both influencers employ culinary narratives in the construction and
positioning of their identities.

Gennaro Contaldo introduces a sense of nostalgia and authenticity with his memory from
the kitchen of his childhood in Italy, immediately positioning him as a guardian of traditional
Italian cuisine. His portrait of a "cozy, small" kitchen underlines an intimate relationship between
food, memory, and cultural heritage. By contrast, Joshua Weissman speaks of his new kitchen as
an accomplishment, a piece of modernity. The minute details he provides about how his kitchen
is designed and how it functions speak volumes to a modernist culinary ethos that lends itself to
creativity and ease of access. That could tell much about how the audience values practicality
and personalization of space for cooking-something that may further mold him into the identity
of a culinary influencer.

Conclusion

This work underlines the complex interaction between language, culture, and identity in
the world of food influencers. Against the backdrop of the approaches by Contaldo and
Weissman, the development of an understanding of how personal narratives and linguistic
choices construct cuisine authenticity and cultural heritage in a digital platform is created. By
and large, the analysis significantly contributes to both the academic debate on food studies and
the practical implications with respect to understanding contemporary culinary communication.
This would most likely open other further explorations, such as an assessment of the influence of
audience engagement on the identities of influencers, discussing the thin line between cultural
appropriation and cultural appreciation, understanding how changes in the current social media
trends may impact, studies tracing changes in narratives over time, and doing cross-cultural
comparisons that can shed light on different ways in which food discourse is constructed.

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