• The introduction

This research explores how urban food culture can build a bridge for young people migrating between different regions or countries, connecting their “home” and new environments. In today’s globalized world, migration has become a common experience for young people seeking education, jobs, or other opportunities. However, this process often brings challenges, such as the loss of familiar surroundings and the need to adapt to new cultures. As a sensory and cultural experience, food plays an important role in this process. It is not only a symbol of home but also a way to understand and fit into new communities. By studying food culture in cities, this research aims to show how young migrants use food to maintain connections with their hometowns while also creating new identities in unfamiliar environments. Hence, the research question is:

How can the exploration of urban food culture serve as a bridge between home and new environments for youth migrating within and across different regions or countries?

• The secondary research process

Before posing the current research question, I explored various theories related to cultural adaptation, cross-cultural communication, food memories, and globalization. These theories provided an important foundation for my research on how young migrants use urban food culture to build a bridge between their “home” and new environments.

First, by studying Henri Tajfel and John Turner’s Social Identity Theory (1986), I learned how young migrants use urban food culture to maintain and express their cultural identity. Food, as a cultural symbol, helps them find a sense of belonging in a foreign country or new city, reshaping their self-identity. The Cultural Adaptation Theory (Berry, 1997) further helps to explain how young migrants find a balance in a new culture. Therefore, by discussing with stakeholders, I could explore how their food choices in urban areas reflect their cultural adaptation strategies, such as whether they preserve traditional foods while also incorporating elements of the host country’s cuisine. This also helps answer if they could achieve cultural integration through food choices, for example, blending their native and new food cultures.

Finally, scholars like David Sutton and Deborah Lupton have explored how food strongly connects with family and past experiences, becoming a source of emotional support (Sutton, 2001, Lupton, 1994). This emphasizes that food is not just a source of nutrition but also a powerful trigger for memories and emotions. This concept supports the viability of my study by showing that food can be used as a medium to help young migrants in urban areas address emotional challenges such as homesickness or culture shock.

• Intervention

In response to theoretical research, I designed an intervention that focused on cocktail-making and spice-themed cooking. This intervention encouraged participants to reflect on how to keep their cultural roots while also finding ways to adapt and innovate in a new environment. This allowed participants to recall and share their memories of hometown and home flavours and to explore new possibilities in an unfamiliar urban setting. During the spice and cooking part of the activity, participants explored the meaning of hometown spices and discussed how these ingredients help them stay connected to their culture in the new city. This approach allowed participants to better understand cultural adaptation and strengthened cross-cultural understanding and respect, which aligns well with the research focus on ‘the role of food culture in cultural identity.’

During the discussion, participants realised that cultural adaptation does not mean abandoning one’s past. Instead, it involves creatively combining elements of the old with the new. Through this intervention, some participants were able to see the value of preserving their own culture while also embracing the new environment. At the same time, this sharing helped participants not only learn about other cultures but also better understand their own sense of belonging. They realised that these ‘cultural spaces’ are not just physical locations but also emotional connections. They are places that make them feel closer to their culture, even in a foreign land. Additionally, this activity showed participants that they share similar cultural elements (like spices and eating habits) despite different backgrounds, which can become emotional connections in new environments. I felt that food culture, especially these familiar elements, helped participants express their cultural identity. This intervention also gave me a deeper understanding of the role of food culture in cultural identity.

• Reflection

In the discussion, participants realised that cultural adaptation is not just about replacing old customs with new ones. Instead, it is a process of creatively blending elements from both cultures. This intervention made them think about how to fit into the local culture while also keeping their own cultural identity. For some participants, it was a chance to reflect on their personal connection to familiar foods, and how these foods connect them emotionally to their culture, even in a new environment. This insight is helpful for guiding people in future activities to explore how food can help them navigate cultural differences and make sense of their identity in a new setting.

Meanwhile, during the intervention, participants observed that, despite their different backgrounds, they share common elements, such as spices or cooking styles, that act as emotional links to home. This realisation highlighted the idea that food can be a shared language for people from different backgrounds, helping them find mutual understanding. This kind of sharing encouraged people to think about cultural adaptation not as losing their identity, but as adding new layers to it.

Most importantly, participants gained a deeper understanding of the role of food in cultural identity. They found that food is more than just a part of daily life; it is also a connection to cultural roots. The familiar tastes, spices, cooking methods and spaces allow people to express their cultural memory and emotional ties. From this experience, I realised that food is an important way to maintain emotional and cultural links, which makes it a meaningful part of their adaptation process in a new environment.

• Conclusion

Overall, this research explores how urban food culture can help young migrants maintain connections to their roots and adapt to a new culture. Through the intervention of cocktail-making and spice-themed cooking, participants reflected on how food plays a role in cultural memory and identity. The study also found that food is not only a symbol of identity and belonging, but also an emotional link that supports migrants in adapting to new environments. Finally, this experiment showed me the importance of including emotional and symbolic aspects of food in future designs, which can deepen cultural understanding and integration.