Week 6 Assignment Blog Post

From a young age, cooking has always piqued my interest. It was something about the enticing smells that arose from the kitchen, to the way food was able to bring families together in one place. My interest in cooking has never disappeared, in fact, it has only grown as I’ve aged. Asking questions about how a dish was made, from the ingredients to the way it has been prepared, I have been able to learn about many cooking techniques and different types of cuisines. Although the culinary arts are not taught in the American educational system, there were ways I did learn about cooking. In elementary school, we celebrated the diversity of our classmates with a day called Multicultural Day. Each student would bring a dish specializing in their family’s local cuisine to share. I remember waking up on Multicultural Day to an abundance of food placed on the kitchen table, with trays on the side ready to be packed because my father had stayed up all night cooking. The time set aside for Multicultural day, which was usually a science lesson time, turned into a festive session with classmates and their families bringing in food. Everyone worked together to distribute utensils, and students coordinated with each other as they walked around the classroom with their culture’s food in their hands. There were no two dishes that were alike. I was able to see and taste dishes from countries such as Greece, Slovakia, China and much more. I would joyfully walk to other classrooms sharing the food my father had made as well, which gave me another opportunity to see and taste other dishes that have been made. Being able to explore the world from your current location without travelling just by tasting food is something that can be comforting for many.