BLOG ENTERY 2: FOOD AND CULTURE

 

Meals are very important to my family because we are concerned about our health. Food is the only source of energy and nutrition necessary for functioning of our body. Every part of our body from microscopic cells to skin (largest organ) needs energy. Food provides us with lipids (fat), protein and carbohydrate (glucose); which is the main source of energy. My mother makes sure that we start our day with nutritional and hearty breakfast. As it is an important meal of the day. And most of us eat our lunch out at work or at school, five days of the week. Dinner is very important meal in my family because we all prepare it together and share. Diner time is more relaxed and we share our day’s activity with each other. My family strongly believes that health is wealth. Beyond nourishment, food is also important emotionally and culturally.

 

What we eat and with whom we eat can inspire and strengthen the bond between individuals. Every night    we cook and share with each other. We care for each other’s well being and cook food for each other. I love to cook food and feed my loved ones. But most of the cooking at home is done by my mother and all of us help her.  But everyone does the shopping for grocery.  I eat my breakfast and dinner with my family but lunch, I eat alone. And on most weekends and holidays we have our cousins and friends over at our house or we visit them. Food is influenced by the culture, history, tradition and also religion. I was born in India but I am half Nepali and Tibetan, so I grew up in mixed culture and diverse society. So there are varieties of foods my family enjoys. Our diet mainly consists of healthy home cooked food. However rice is the staple food in my culture. And we eat rice two to three times a week mostly with lentil soup and green vegetables. And on other days we eat Tibetan and Indian, most often and then Italian, Chinese and Greek cuisines. The food we eat is of course is highly influenced by Indian cuisine and also other Asian cuisine. Apart from rice we eat varieties of noodles just like varieties of pasta. And dumpling is everyone’s favorite. Food is very important in my culture; the season of harvesting of crops (usually during month of September) is a big festival in my culture. This festival takes place for a week so every day we cook and celebrate with friends and family. Food in my culture is also given as a gift to families, friends and neighbors. We celebrate thanksgiving and Christmas and each of my cousins make special items on such occasions and share with all my family. And some foods like rice deserts are made only during special occasions.

 

Food surrounds us in every possible way. We celebrate life’s happiest moments with food, such as marriage, success, graduation, picnics, etc. Also we socialize with food like going out for meal with friends and family, parties and celebrations. Also food is related with memories. We remember our grandmothers, aunts and uncles who pass down their special recipes. And we always have some great cooks in our families like my aunt who makes delicious. Food in most countries is important culturally. We can learn so much about a culture from food. For example Italian’s use tomatoes in almost everything, which means tomatoes, grow in abundant in Italy. And we know that Italians love to cook food and celebrate. This tells us that food is very important for an Italians. Food is a part of my memory, as when I was in high school, me and my friends used to bring food from home sometimes and share with each other. And we still talk about the things we used to eat in school. Also my parents always talk about the food they use to eat and share with us their childhood memories.

 

Also we can get inspired and inspire someone over food. We share our thoughts while eating, big business deals take place during lunch. Cooking food and feeding spreads love and happiness. We appreciate and thank someone we love by making them food that they love. Cooking has proved to be good learning tool for kids to teach them to appreciate food and its importance. Food brings communities together and living in New York, we get to eat so many different foods of different cultures. And learn so much about each other’s culture through food. Also the food that we eat is passed down from one generation to other tradition. For example like Koreans have kimchi’s we also have special fermented green leaves and soy beans that are passed down by our ancestors.

We can explore the culture though food. Each nation is famous for its special foods. Like Japan is world famous for its sushi’s, Belgium for chocolates and Italy for pizza and pasta. Food is important culturally but its main function is it provides us with nutrition. We show love and affection through foods. Like most people, I enjoy cooking and would like to try food of every country. Every day I am able to work and learn due to the energy I get from eating healthy food. Eating is considered as one of the most important parts of our everyday living. Thus food plays a very important role in my family traditionally, culturally and individually.  Food brings me and my family close.