Potluck

For other uses, see Pot luck (disambiguation).

Not to be confused with Potlatch.

An assorted spread of dishes at a potluck in Alberta, Canada

Potluck are events where attendees bring a dish to a meal. The only traditional rule is that each dish be large enough to be shared among a good portion of the anticipated guests. Guests may bring in any form of food, ranging from salads, the main course to desserts. Casseroles dishes such as chop suey, spaghetti bolognese, and tuna casserole, commonly feature.

Names for potlucks vary. In the Western United States, potlucks are known as "basket meals", and in the East, "covered dish suppers". Other names include potluck dinner, pitch-in, shared lunch, spread, faith supper, carry-in dinner, fuddle, dish party, Jacob's Join, bring a plate, pot-providence and fellowship meal.

History

The first known use of the term is from the late 16th century, likely from the words pot and luck. The term does not reference the practice of Potlatch, which was named later.

Potluck in its original meaning referred to pots on communal fires, and the notion that one had to try their luck with the unknown quality of their contents. In North America, the meaning evolved to reference an event where attendees contribute dishes. The same dynamic was present outside of the US, in early forms of picnics and the pre-19th century smörgåsbord. Early American potlucks were held by Protestant churches, permitting a venue for matchmaking, building group cohesion, preventing juvenile delinquency and fundraising.

Social structure

The only traditional rule is that each dish be large enough to be shared among a good portion of the anticipated guests. Other social norms include timely arrival, light socializing without drawing too much attention, and contributing a dish in accordance with expectations. Sociologist Alice Julier writes that while all social dining experiences rest on assumptions that what is provided will be reciprocated, potlucks are unusual in the immediacy at which this occurs.

The potluck in contemporary America serves as an outlet for socialising, with the fact of each dish being contributed by attendees permitting the event to proceed unencumbered by roles of host and guest, as well as other status considerations. The main source of conversation, according to sociologist Joseph Gusfield, is the food, giving people a shared reference of likes and topics, including skill and identity. The events are among the least formal dining experiences in American culture, and are stereotypically associated with lesbians. Julier writes that the main themes of a potluck are abundancy, uncertainty towards the menu, and variety. In Britain, where the potluck is not culturally embedded, these at times bring consternation, with perceptions that the hosts are being "stingy and inhospitable."

Various Korean dishes at a potluck

See also

• Buffet
• Free lunch
• Pampa mesa

Sources

• Davidson, Alan; Jaine, Tom, eds. (2014). The Oxford Companion to Food (3rd ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780191756276.
  • Davidson, Alan (2014a). "Casserole". In Davidson & Jaine (2014).
  • Davidson, Alan (2014b). "Smörgåsbord". In Davidson & Jaine (2014).
  • Davidson, Jane (2014c). "Picnic". In Davidson & Jaine (2014).
  • Jaine, Tom. "Potluck". In Davidson & Jaine (2014).
• Fieldhouse, Paul (1995). Food and Nutrition: Customs and Culture (2nd ed.). London: Chapman & Hall. ISBN 0-412-58110-8.
• Julier, Alice (2013). Eating Together: Food, Friendship, and Inequality. University of Illinois Press. ISBN 978-0-252-03763-4.

External links

• Media related to Potluck at Wikimedia Commons
• The dictionary definition of potluck at Wiktionary