Every culture has deep rooted traditions tied with food, starting out with individual countries eating local verdant that might grow particularly well on their continent; then take a microscopic look at traditional food. Families travel down to small community farmers markets for fresh vegetables to cook in recipes pass down through generations. The food that has had the most cultural influence in my life has been the Korean dish Kimchi. My father would create kid friendly meals incorporating this cabbage like vegetable and this carved my love for my family’s traditional Asian food.
It is no mystery why regions of people on this planet eat different typed of food. We all eat what is most accessible to us, whether it is fish from the surrounding ocean or a buffalo herd in the vast open grasslands. In the U.S.A. this accessible food comes in the form of McDonalds and Taco Bells. Mediterranean countries rely on a heavy seafood diet where in the Amazon, tribes hunt for food in the jungle. These foods vary directly with traditions and shape the many cultures we see today. A Korean may eat differently than someone in Ireland or here.
The food of choice in Korean would mainly be steamed or fried rice, beef ribs from some animal, and a whole mess of side dishes such as bean paste, sea weed, sesame, and Kimchi. Every meal of the day you can expect at least this much, and there will probably be 5 to 6 meals a day when I visit my family in the home land. Not only do they offer you nearly a ton of food but they will take offence and it will hurt their feelings if you turn down a meal.
I believe it is important not only to enjoy the food of our heritage but also to understand how eating these meals are the only real connection between you and your ancestors. Much of the cooking done today is not new stuff. Recipes are taught to grandchildren through generations, maybe tweaked here and there to fit certain tastes, but fundamentally similar. I grew up on traditional rice and Kimchi as a child and I would ask my dad to boil a couple of hot dogs to chop up into the bowl; a little American twist on a classic Asian entrée. My father introduced this vegetable early in my life because it is what Koreans eat everyday. He wanted to instill the significance of food in his culture into me. Today our relationship is based mainly on two things, work and food. I praise this every time we sit next to each other after fixing my Jeep. We share hot noodles with Kimchi and we sweat, not from work, but from meal.
You can learn so much about your family and long rooted cultural traditions. I advise anyone to travel back to their country of origin and embrace the food your great grandparents would have enjoyed or even survived on. Chances are you will enjoy foods from your homelands, I believe it is in your blood. If you disagree or have any comments please comment so this blog form essay will have actually been worth it.
It is no mystery why regions of people on this planet eat different typed of food. We all eat what is most accessible to us, whether it is fish from the surrounding ocean or a buffalo herd in the vast open grasslands. In the U.S.A. this accessible food comes in the form of McDonalds and Taco Bells. Mediterranean countries rely on a heavy seafood diet where in the Amazon, tribes hunt for food in the jungle. These foods vary directly with traditions and shape the many cultures we see today. A Korean may eat differently than someone in Ireland or here.
The food of choice in Korean would mainly be steamed or fried rice, beef ribs from some animal, and a whole mess of side dishes such as bean paste, sea weed, sesame, and Kimchi. Every meal of the day you can expect at least this much, and there will probably be 5 to 6 meals a day when I visit my family in the home land. Not only do they offer you nearly a ton of food but they will take offence and it will hurt their feelings if you turn down a meal.
I believe it is important not only to enjoy the food of our heritage but also to understand how eating these meals are the only real connection between you and your ancestors. Much of the cooking done today is not new stuff. Recipes are taught to grandchildren through generations, maybe tweaked here and there to fit certain tastes, but fundamentally similar. I grew up on traditional rice and Kimchi as a child and I would ask my dad to boil a couple of hot dogs to chop up into the bowl; a little American twist on a classic Asian entrée. My father introduced this vegetable early in my life because it is what Koreans eat everyday. He wanted to instill the significance of food in his culture into me. Today our relationship is based mainly on two things, work and food. I praise this every time we sit next to each other after fixing my Jeep. We share hot noodles with Kimchi and we sweat, not from work, but from meal.
You can learn so much about your family and long rooted cultural traditions. I advise anyone to travel back to their country of origin and embrace the food your great grandparents would have enjoyed or even survived on. Chances are you will enjoy foods from your homelands, I believe it is in your blood. If you disagree or have any comments please comment so this blog form essay will have actually been worth it.
I must ask-have you been taught to make kimchi?
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