Gujarati Transnationals in New Jersey: A Phenomenological Study of the Effect of Differential Impacts On Local Cultural Food Practices

Objectives This study assesses the eating patterns of a local population of Gujarati transnationals in New Jersey. Methods In this ongoing research, 14 participants, 9 females and 5 males aged 15 to 60 who have lived in the US for a few months to several decades, were engaged in focus groups and interviews. Nvivo 11 is utilized to develop themes related to their eating habits. Results By using adaptive reasoning, a total of 35 general categories were generated from the collected data. From these, 5 themes were inductively developed, which are as follows: (1) Avoidance of Particular Foods: some people avoid eating certain foods such as onion and garlic while others do not. (2) Food Buying Adaptation: participants purchase traditional Indian foods from a specific Indian store and the remainder from places such as Costco and farmers’ markets. (3) Inter-generational Family Food Practices: various foods are served to different generations within the family. (4) Comfort Food: for the majority of them, Indian or Gujarati food serves as a source of comfort. (5) Extra Cultural Food Involvement: outside of their cultural network more American foods are consumed. Furthermore, food consumption behaviors vary among participants due to the effect of age, exposure to new foods, and traditional food practices. Findings indicate that individuals follow specific rules and guidelines to varying degrees when eating special foods during festivals and that gender roles in the kitchen are evolving. Implications This study can assist food manufacturing companies in understanding evolving eating practices of transnational cultural groups and creating new products to meet their needs.