台灣稻米品質與品味的轉變

Abstract

近十年來對稻米之意義層次的關注增加，且稻米已成為滿足人們維生之外之需求的產品，而這種需求為何會成為需求？此一問題涉及了人們的食物選擇，究竟人們是憑藉著什麼判斷原則來決定自己要消費什麼食物？ 本研究針對圍繞著稻米「品質」所進行的建構過程進行分析，以理解其中的編碼工作與競奪行動，藉由「品質化」之概念以理解消費者與產品的互動，並從中檢視消費者的能動與被動，以及飲食品味的形塑。據此，本研究採取文化經濟學取徑重新檢視稻米此一農食在台灣的消費變遷，特別是在交換領域中人們對稻米所建構的感受與認識，最後形成了固著的品味系統。透過此一考察，本研究指出稻米產品在不同階段有不同的品質，其品質化過程中國家與科學家所界定之架構長期以來佔據主導地位，近十年來繞開國家的力量則逐漸浮現，而品質被賦予的環節則逐漸自生產端移向行銷端，以美學化與道德化來建構品質之趨勢亦愈具影響力。在不同歷史階段，不同的行動者掌握主導所謂「好」食物的詮釋正當性，藉由獲取正當性，社會大眾自然而然地接受並持續消費，進而對品味進行了潛移默化的形塑。消費者、產品供應者、國家與科學家在象徵系統與文化系統中進行鬥爭，以形塑內化且固著的品味系統。我們所探究的問題指出了稻米在台灣社會中的物質與象徵意義的轉變，而圍繞著「什麼是『好米』」的認識建構，確實對食物系統之生產與消費具有形塑的影響力。

Concern about the meaning of rice in Taiwan has being increasing in the recent decade. Meanwhile rice has become a product that satisfies more then the subsistence demand. The question of the formation of the demand involves the food choice of people. That is to say, by which criterion people decide to consume what food? This research analyses the construction process of the qualities of rice in order to understand the coding and struggle action in it. Through the concept of “qualification”, the interaction between consumers and products could be understood. Therefore, we could examine the active and passive of consumer and the formation of taste. Accordingly, we adopt the cultural economy approach to examine the consumption transformation of rice in Taiwan, especially the experiences and recognition of rice in the sphere of exchange, in which the stable appreciation system was shaped. This research suggests that the quality of rice had changed in the history. The state and scientists dominate the qualification of rice for a long time until recent decade the influence by-pass the state emerged. The change including the qualification state has moved from the sphere of production to marketing and the more influential of aestheticization and ethnicisation. There were different actors in different periods who dominated the legitimacy of constructing “good” food, which people take it as granted and keep consuming. Further, the tastes were shaped in the internalization process in which the consumer, provider, the state and scientists were in struggle. Our exploration suggests the material and symbolic change of rice in Taiwan and the knowledge construction around “good rice” do reveal the power to influence the production and consumption of food system.