The flow of food
„I don’t have time, I’ll grab something on my way.. You know, time is money.“ During the working week the only important thing is to finish your dutes, and food has become simply one of them. Instead of using the moment for rest and enjoyment, we have begun contemplating how to finish lunch sooner and thereby save more time to finish other obligations. The curiosity lies in the fact that we need our jobs primarily in order to provide the essential life resource, food; however it is food that we increasingly ignore. Despite this fact, we are in search of a quicker food source every day, and fast food restaurants best fulfill our requirements of availability and speed, while the food preparation process becomes less important. Because of this, Michael Pollan asks ‘How often would you eat French fries if you had to peel, wash, cut and fry them yourself- and then clean up the mess?’[1] Significantly less than before, I’m sure.
However we must accept the fact that the advantages of fast food are necessary nowadays and those advantages are what we should look up to. Taking fast food joints into consideration and their basic quality of speed and availability as a typological paradigm, the process of sale and purchase of goods at Djeram market is becoming more popular, and discovering the food production process offers information on the origin of fast but healthy food which we are offered on these kiosks.
This method of space organization allows us to establish a harmony between two discrepancies. Positioned between numerous stalls, the fast food kiosk does not affect the quality of goods offered on the market; it rather emphasizes them by using them. This way the consumer may enjoy a pleasant walk, and an insight into every phase of the food flow, from the production of the groceries, where he can familiarize himself with the production of fresh fruit and vegetables, through the sale of the observed groceries, and finally to the preparation of the final meal, which by its consummation finishes the food flow. The final result of such organization is a quick, tasty and healthy meal, as well as awareness of the preparation of it by disclosure of the whole food production process. Of course, we must not forget the necessary factors of speed and availability which are achieved by the hollow structure, giving a complete freedom of movement of consumers throughout the entire space of the market.
Although the requirements of fast production and consummation of the meal are satisfied, the bustle of the city to which we are accustomed to is completely different to the bustle of the market. Instead of the frustration for every minute lost, we are offered a 30 minute escape from every-day life, enjoying in the voices of the vendors trying to attract customers with their affordable prices and best groceries, as well as day dreaming for at least a little while about going to the suburbs instigated by the smell of fresh groceries. The continuation of day-dreaming and enjoyment is enabled by the prolonging of the activities on the market throughout the whole day.
[1] Michael Pollan, „In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto“.
TOK HRANE
Marija Petreska
„Nemam vremena, poješću nešto usput… Znaš već, vreme je novac.“ Tokom radne nedelje jedina bitna stvar jeste završiti obaveze, a hrana je danas postala samo jedna od njih. Umesto da iskoristimo trenutak za odmor i uživanje, počeli smo da razmišljamo kako da što pre završimo pauzu za ručak, i time uštedimo više vremena za završavanje ostalih obaveza. Zanimljivost leži u tome što nam posao prvenstveno služi kako bismo obezbedili osnovni životni resurs, hranu, a ipak upravo njoj posvećujemo sve manje pažnje. Zanemarujući ovu činjenicu, svaki dan smo u potrazi za što bržim načinom ishrane, a naše uslove lake dostupnosti i brzine najbolje ispunjavaju restorani brze hrane, dok sam proces proizvodnje postaje manje bitan. Upravo iz ovih razloga Majkl Polan postavlja pitanje: „Koliko biste često jeli pomfrit kada biste sami morali da ljuštite, perete, sečete i pržite krompir?“[1]. Sigurna sam, znatno ređe nego inače.
Ipak, moramo prihvatiti činjenicu da su prednosti koje brza hrana nudi, danas neophodne, i upravo se na njih treba ugledati. Uzimajući kiosk brze hrane i njegov osnovni kvalitet brzine i dostupnosti kao tipološku paradigmu, proces kupoprodaje namirnica na pijaci Đeram se popularizuje, a razotkrivanje procesa proizvodnje hrane nudi nam informacije o poreklu brze, ali zdrave hrane koju na tim kioscima dobijamo.
Ovaj način organizacije prostora nam omogućava uspostavljanje sklada između dve kontradiktornosti. Postavljen između brojnih tezgi, kiosk brze hrane ne narušava kvalitet proizvoda koje pijaca nudi, već ih njihovim korišćenjem ističe. Potrošaču je ovim načinom omogućena prijatna šetnja, i uvid u svaku fazu toka hrane, od same proizvodnje namirnica, gde mu je omogućen kontakt sa načinom nastanka svežeg voća i povrća, preko prodaje maločas posmatranih proizvoda, i na kraju pripreme konačnog obroka, koji on svojom konzumacijom završava. Konačan rezultat ovakve organizacije predstavlja brz, ukusan i zdrav obrok, kao i svest o načinu nastanka istog razotkrivanjem čitavog procesa proizvodnje hrane. Naravno, ne smemo izostaviti i neophodne faktore brzine i dostupnosti koji su postignuti prošupljenom strukturom, davajući potpunu slobodu kretanja potrošača kroz čitav prostor pijace.
Iako je kvalitet brzine proizvodnje i konzumacije obroka zadovoljen, užurbanost grada na koju smo navikli je sasvim drugačija od užurbanosti koju nudi pijaca. Umesto nerviranja oko svakog potrošenog minuta, omogućeno nam je 30 minuta bega od svakodnevice, uživanje u glasovima prodavaca, koji pokušavaju da privuku potrošače svojim povoljnim cenama i najboljim proizvodima, kao i, makar kratko, sanjarenje o odlasku na periferiju podstaknuto svežim mirisima različitih namirnica. Nastavak sanjarenja i uživanja je omogućen produžavanjem aktivnosti pijace tokom čitavog dana.