Every Sunday after church, my family and I would go to my grandfather’s house for lunch. Each week he would come up with some big menu filled with delicious meats and a variety of different side dishes. I didn’t grow up as an adventurous eater, but as I got older I became more and more fascinated with food. I found myself cooking more and more. While I was growing up, my father had always been the one to prepare dinner. We often ate as a family and one designated day a week where we would go out for dinner. My dad loved to cook. I think he loved not only getting to experiment with different foods, but also loved getting to share those experiments with his family. I used to love getting to try his different creations. He would buy cookbooks and we would go through them and put sticky notes on each recipe we were going to make.
As I entered highschool, I found myself cooking dinner on a much more regular basis. Similarly to my father, I found a love for it. When I was in highschool, I loved getting to host dinner parties or cook for my friends. I was so fascinated by different ingredients and methods of cooking. It has been such a great way for me to connect with both my family and my friends. I loved getting to cook with my dad. It definitely made the clean up easier when I was cooking with someone else. I think that food is a great way to connect with your culture. I have several very fond memories of cooking with my Chinese grandmother. I always enjoyed getting to cook those dishes because it made me feel more connected with my culture. When I was overseas this summer in Taiwan, I got to experience that there as well. I have so few opportunities to really enjoy Taiwanese food, so getting to enjoy it there is an experience that I really treasure.
While I grew up as a picky eater, I can confidently say that that is no longer the case. While there are some foods in my life that I do not enjoy, I would say I have grown to be a very adventurous eater. At this point in my life, I will at least try anything once. I find myself curious at how different exotic foods taste, so when I receive the opportunity to eat them I do. Cooking and food itself is a huge part of my life. It has been something that helps me connect with my family and culture. I am incredibly grateful to have grown up in a situation that has afforded me the luxuries of being able to cook and eat as a luxury.