It was a swelteringly hot Wednesday morning during June school holidays last year. Mother was reading the newspaper while Grandmother was preparing to go to the market. I sat on my chair with the fan blowing against my face while reading a book. Despite my best efforts to seek respite from the heat, beads of perspiration were trickling down my forehead. “This must be how hell feels like,” I thought. At this moment, my handphone vibrated on the table next to me. I instinctively grabbed it and read the message, “Happy Duanwu Festival!”
“It’s Duanwu Festival? What’s that?” I asked aloud.
Mother put down the newspapers and explained, “The Duanwu Festival is an annual festival that commemorates a patriotic Chinese statesman and poet named Qu
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I never knew there was so much care in choosing bamboo leaves!
Grandmother and I carried the heavy groceries back home. Heaving the groceries in the blazing hot sun was no easy feat. Both of us huffed and puffed as we made our way.
In contrast to my earlier bemoaning, it was a welcome relief to reach home. I took a quick refreshing shower before going to the kitchen to prepare the zongzi. By then, Grandmother and mother were already hard at work in the kitchen. Grandmother told me to soak the glutinous rice, bamboo leaves, Chinese mushrooms and chestnuts separately in water. Concurrently, Mother taught me how to chop the garlic and onion into fine pieces. Grandmother separated the salted duck egg yolk from egg white. After an hour, she took the glutinous rice to cook with garlic and onion. While Grandmother stir-fried the contents in a wok, I added five-spice powder, salt and pepper to bring out the flavour. Grandmother continuously stirred the food, attentively making sure none of the glutinous rice stuck to the wok. In the meantime, Mother stewed pork and the Chinese mushroom in oyster sauce.
When the ingredients were ready, the whole kitchen was filled with heavenly smells. I was brimming with excitement as I could not wait to start wrapping. “Hey, let’s have a friendly competition to see who can wrap the most zongzi!” I suggested. Both
When the assignment was first presented to me, I was really excited because I love to cook even though I am not the best at it. Some dishes I am planning to make for my family are based on Vietnamese dishes my father and relatives have cooked for my family in the past. The stir fried noodles would be my dad’s recipe that he would always make for a party when he needs something quick and easy. The dessert would be this colorful jelly cake that my aunt would always make for my birthday whenever I am in Florida. This connects to my faith journey by giving back to my family for all they have done for me and through that, I am giving back to God, making my relationship with Him and my family stronger.
When my brothers and I were younger, noodles and cottage cheese were a staple food for us. My mom says that they’re a classic in every Jewish household, but she might remember it that way because cottage cheese is another food group for my Bubbie. There’s no telling how much my mom and her siblings must have ate it. But it started a family food tradition, one that my mother put a healthy twist on, as usual: one day, she served the dish with chunks of avocado.
As I added the finishing touches of friend onions and parsley to make it look aesthetically pleasing, I took a step back to stare at the masterpiece I had just created, a luscious and delectable Pakistani rice dish called “Briyani”. Making this dish is the epitome of success in every Pakistani girl’s lifetime. It’s considered an essential quality to add to one’s marriage “resume”. However, to me, it was more than just a future “in law pleaser”, it was my compass for life. A cook must be diligent and attentive to detail, conscious of every ingredient and amount that is being used. A cook is a provider, helping with the wellbeing of the people who are consuming the prepared food. The kitchen is their clinic, and the consumers are their patients. Nine years of cooking with my mother has taught me dedication, obedience, and tested my patience when some recipes would fail. Cooking, as a safe haven from the difficulties of everyday life, has helped me better connect to all my experiences throughout the years and has molded the foundation for my passion and calling, medicine.
Amy’s parents are the authoritative figures keeping their Chinese traditions and cultures alive. Rather than appeal to the American tradition even though they invited the Minister’s family, they decided to stay true to who they are, by making a menu according to their traditions. “What terrible disappointment would he feel upon seeing not a roasted turkey and sweet potatoes but Chinese food?” (Tan, 110). Amy describes how her family will stick to their normal chinese menu rather than cook American Christmas eve food.
It was a peaceful afternoon, and everything in the house was happy because my mom’s sisters had come to see us from our hometown which was far away from the city we lived in. I believe that I was the happiest person in our house because I enjoyed the delicious food which my aunt cooked. However, things do not always go as expected. In this case something happened and broke the peace.
One of the notable aspects of Matsumoto’s history of Cortez is a sentimental relationship that she has established with her subjects in the course of her studies. On the first page, she has named and thanked almost a hundred members of this community, for contributing their time in sharing memories, personal experiences, institutional records, and their warm hospitality. Hospitality of the Cortez community members also shines in Appendix C where she mentioned twenty-four recipes that she got from Japanese women. These recipes ranged from traditional Japanese foods to more conventional zucchini bread to some cross-cultural cuisines like Jell-O mocha.
During the course of history, the Gullah has protected their heritage through language, food, and customs. The Africans that were enslaved bought many of their recipes, foods, and cooking styles to the low country of the Carolinas and other coastal communities. Of the many recipes, brought to America one pot dishes, proved to be very instrumental in providing nutrition to the unbalanced rations that they received from their masters. Deep-frying, rice dishes, seafood, boiling, and steaming, baking in ashes, basic and natural seasonings, and an consistent use of rice provides a distinct taste when Gullah people are cooking. “Simply speaking, Gullah food is about ancestral ties and American living, adaptability, creativity, making do, “livin’ ot da waddah and on the lan.”” (Grantt. 2005, p 145) Cooking for the Gullah yields passion and creative expression that can only come from their strong ancestral connections, making Gullah Cooking a cultural
Jenkins shares involved the things her family did when she was younger. Mama Nan, her grandmother, grew fig trees in her yard, which was near a field of berries. She would get her fruits and vegetables from the local farmers’ market in Luling. Mrs. Jenkins remembers canning figs and peaches with her mother. When Mrs. Jenkins moved to Houma, her mother would go to Dugas, the local market place, located on Division Street, to purchase her fresh fruits and vegetables. Mama would make a rustic vegetable soup with her fresh cabbage, shallots, corn, parsley, and snap beans; adding a little tomato sauce for color and some noodles for extra starch, Mama’s soup was the ultimate get well dish. Aunt Ducky made homemade pies: apple, lemon, and sweet potato; her pies made for the best of desserts. These days many fruits and vegetables are shipped internationally to our supermarkets, where we can find frozen pies and canned goods including fruits, vegetables, and even readymade soup. Though commercialization has helped save time, the quality has diminished and the title is still held in the traditional preparations. It is as if you can taste the
Shortly after our visit to the Lofgren’s, I married my fiancée, which concluded my six-month long residence with my grandmother. Subsequent to my moving out, Grandma resided alone in her house for several years and on nearly every Sunday, “just in case someone might drop in after church,” made a delicious roast beef dinner with mashed potatoes and gravy. During the first years of our married life, Kathy and I frequently dropped in after church to dine and visit with my endearing
Complied during the Warring States Period, the Daodejing is widely known as one of China’s famous philosophy literature. This text reflects the general lament of a civilization that has been worn down from war and seeks to find peace by teaching people how to live by “the Way”. From a war-torn perspective, the Daodejing deems war and government corruption as evil and traces them back to greedy and power-hungry motives. As a successor to Confucius, it still carries some of his ethics. Because of its mystical overtones, it has acquired a large variety of interpretations. Its main teaching is if a person does nothing, then peace will be restored; it is the concept of non-action or 无为。When a person does not try to interfere and allows things to
Inside would be an outfit so stylish that it begged to be worn. Accompanying the clothes would be a small white box with a red rose bow that flopped over the sides of the box. Inside this box would be a ring from her collection or another piece of jewelry she had picked out for me. However excited I was for the presents, the excitement quickly turned toward thoughts of the upcoming meal she had prepared for the family. It did not matter what she had prepared for the meal; the kitchen always had such delectable scents that wafted through the air and just settled over the house. My mouth was in a constant state of salivation and my stomach waited expectantly for what was sure to be another meal that left my stomach uncomfortably full and yet yearning for more. And yet, no matter what she made, the best part of the meal that you always took thirds or fourths from came from the salad bowl. A simple salad served with homemade Italian dressing and fresh crumbled Roquefort cheese, it was what reminded me best of grandma.
A cultural event that I have attended in the past that has had a memorable affect on my life was a Native American Powwow. This event takes place every year, Thanksgiving weekend in Tucson, AZ. I arrived in the late afternoon, as the sun was going down. I remember seeing many different types of people, from tourists to the different Native American performers. The physical setting of this particular celebration was outside, and based around, one main circle. Drums were beating so loud, you could feel the pound inside your chest. Different activities were going on all around, such as dancers, vendors, and a huge variety of foods to choose from. The circular dancing arena is known as the arbor, this area is blessed before any of the events
The family I visited consisted of a mother, father, and daughter. They all greeted me very warmly. I followed their lead and made observations as to whether I should take my shoes off or leave them on. They provided a shoe rack where everyone already placed their shoes. I took mine off and placed them on the rack. After greeting me, the mother and daughter disappeared into the kitchen. The father guided me to the dining table and explained that dinner was almost ready. We sat at a round table that had a large wall hanging of Buddha. The daughter brought out some tea which she served first to her father and then me. The daughter went back to the kitchen. After a few minutes the mother and daughter emerged carrying large plates of food. The mother placed a plate of chicken, beef, and shrimp in the center of a flat glass wheel located at the center of the table. The daughter placed a bowl of rice, saucer, and chopsticks (including a fork just for me) in front of every place
China has about five thousand years history which is a very long period of time. Also, the Chinese civilization was growing with these periods of time and it will continues greater than ever. Many wars and unhappinesses were happening during this period. Although, the time has passed, the histories and the civilizations have not passed. These family virtues, serious, working attitudes, sense of justice and the great Confucian tradition have been deeply assimilated into the Chinese people. Some Chinese traditions are different from North American’s. The Chinese culture has many special characteristics which are very interesting for people to learn.
Chinese New Year is the most widely celebrated tradition in Asia. The tradition is usually celebrated on the first day of the first month on the Chinese Lunar calendar. This tradition is rooted in centuries-old customs and is one of the most popular public holidays in China. Apart from China, this tradition is also celebrated in many Asian countries like Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, and Japan. There are many values and rituals tied with this tradition. For example, people would wear red clothing, decorate the house with red paper, and give children "lucky money" in red envelopes. According to legend, it is said that red can drive away bad luck, which is why the color red is highly emphasized. In myths, our ancestors would