According
to the two articles, “Eating White” and “Home Run: My Journey Back to Korean
Food” written by Geoff Nicholson and Roy Ahn, I see a close link between food
and family, or food and hometown. Even though Nicholson and Ahn live in
different places and have different experiences, both of them believe that the
significance of home meals are to in memory of their parents as well as to
inherit a specific culture. Food always tell others who you are.
In
the first article, Nicholson was born and grew up in Sheffield. He cooked a
memorial meal himself in order to seek an association and recall things about
his mother. His mother lived in England all her life and had experienced WWII,
“a time when milk and cream were among the many foods rationed in England, a
time when there were bigger things to worry about than cholesterol (Nicholson
22). Historical associations or maybe the time of widow led Nicholson’s mother
like the white food, such as white milky coffee, milk puddings, creamy soups,
and vanilla ice cream. In Nicholson’s eyes, white food, or food in color white,
embodies his mom’s idea of comfort food and comfort life. His mom tried to find
a comfortable lifestyle and persisted a white soul in her lifetime. Nicholson
emphasizes the relationship between white food and purity, “white food meant a
white soul (22).” We have to recognize that sometimes food has connected to
one’s cultural identity and religion pursuit.
Indeed, food is
not only embodies a period of specific experiences and your cultural identities,
but also means a connections to your close relatives and a record of your
growth. In the second article, Ahn describes he was confound himself when he
was confusing galbi-tang and galbi-chim in a Korean restaurant. Ahn is a
typical Korean-American. After his parents passed away, he was afraid of the
loose of connection between himself and Korean culture. He recalled his different
pursuit of food, which reflected his unique growth stages. For instance, he used
to in opposition to his parents when they asked what food he like in his
childhood; As a teenager, he tried to obtain a same identity in school and thus
eat same food with his friends. However, after his parents’ death and his child
were born, he began to wake up to the meaning of Korean food in his life and
his son’s life. Tha is, the food reflect their ethnic roots.
It’s always true
that our favorite food is always the taste of home. Food sometimes not only
means a cultural identity but also means a connection to close relatives. I try
to remember my childhood. Like Ahn, when I was a little girl, I was looking
forward to eating outside everyday and in opposition to my parents. The reason
was I thought my grandparents always cooked the same thing, such as fried rice,
fried bean sauce noodle, or dumplings. However, I cannot describe how much I
miss these home dishes after I study abroad. Two years ago, I could not imagine
that to eat a Chinese meal every week would become one of the happiest things
in my life. There are few Asian in Denver and I have to drive a long distance
to find a Chinese supermarket. Last quarter, I wanted to eat mom’s noodles and
buy all materials I need. My mom taught me how to cook step by step in Skype,
but there was still miss some flavors. I guessed what I lose is the taste of
home. Even though I can eat Michelin three star restaurants in America,
whenever I am tired and hungry, the most I want to eat is my parent’s cook at
home. I know it combines their love and my sense of belonging.
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