Bites Of Culture: Foods That Define Us
- Naydelin Laureano Merchant
- Sep 2
- 3 min read
There is one thing that unites everyone in the world, and that is food! We all have different tastes and there are all kinds of people that eat different foods based on their cultures. At West High, we have many different cultures and different foods.
Student Culture
Many students share their favorite foods and holiday foods that their families prepare. Here is what they noted.
Starting off with students who have Guatemalan heritage is Yefri Chocoj. Chocojs’s favorite food that his family prepares is Caldo De Res. Caldo de Res. Caldo de res is a beef soup with bone in and with a variety of vegetables such as corn, carrot, squash, potato, cilantro, and onion. Chocoj and his family enjoy yerba. Yerba is a type of herb that has been eaten for millions of years which started first with the Mayans. Yerba is also eaten due to the belief that it helps to cure sickness and also sinuses with its strong herbal flavor.
Next, is Giovanni Valdez. Valdez and his family love to prepare chorizo. Chorizo is known as a type of sausage made from pork with a bold and spicy flavor and the strong aroma that it gives off. Valdez’s family’s traditional dish is tamales. They are made from a corn based dough and filled with one’s choice of meat, cheese, vegetables or even pineapple and strawberries. Tamales have been growing in popularity over time with all the different cultures sharing their different tastes.
Also, Jorge Hernandez shares a taste from Latin America. Hernandez and his family originate from Mexico. Hernandez enjoys tacos! Tacos have become very popular among different cultures and can be enjoyed in many different ways with different choices of meats, salsas and different types of tortilla. Hernandez and his family prepare tortas on the holidays. Tortas are also very versatile with different meats or no meat, cheese, vegetables, spices, and frijoles. Tortas use a thick and fluffy bread layered with meat, cheese, frijoles, spices and mayonnaise. It is mostly eaten during the winter because of the warmth that it brings to the table.
Furthermore Alex Jimenez loves his mothers traditional Mexican rice. Mexican rice is first fried and later is simmered with tomato sauce, garlic, onion, spices and chicken broth and served! It has a very pleasant smell and is a very common side dish. Jimenez’s family also enjoys tamales on the holidays.
Another student, Ashley Jasso’s favorite food is mole. Mole is a combination of chicken , dried spices, fruits, nuts, and sometimes even chocolate. Jasso and her family also prepare tamales on the holidays.
Armani Russel’s favorite food is tacos as well. Russel’s family prepares Pozole on the holidays. Pozole is a hearty, traditional Mexican stew made from hominy (large, dried corn kernels) and meat, typically pork or chicken, simmered in a rich, flavorful broth.
Manny Quientero’s favorite food is Chinese food! Quintero’s favorite spot to go is Akita. Quintero's family enjoys Tamales on special holidays such as Christmas.
Moreover, Naomi Lou’s favorite food is white rice. White rice has been commonly eaten in Asian countries for hundreds of years and also is commonly used as side dishes. Lou’s favorite holiday food is Korean Barbeque.
Also simmering up is Aldriona Orgulica. She has Albanian heritage. Orgulica’s favorite food is pizza. Pizza is also very versatile and everyone can enjoy it. Orgulica’s favorite holiday food is Pita. Pita is a round, soft flatbread and is characterized by its distinctive pocket, formed by a quick, high-heat baking process.
Now, our school loves dishes from the United States. The United States has always been accepting of different cultures and has added their own twists to those dishes. Leo Hull loves chicken casserole.
A chicken casserole is a baked one-dish meal that typically combines cooked chicken, a starchy binder like rice or pasta, and vegetables in a creamy sauce or liquid. As a versatile comfort food, it is known for being affordable and simple to prepare, often using leftovers.
Next is Porter Stuart. Stuart loves pulled pork. Pulled pork is eaten in many different ways and has different variations of it. Stuart and his family enjoy eating duck on the holidays.
Chase Pimenta has an odd favorite and that is sushi and rice. Piementa’s family enjoys ham on the holidays.
Next is Brennan Doffs, his favorite food is fried chicken. Fried chicken is a southern favorite and is enjoyed all over the world in different ways. Doff’s holiday favorite is
turkey.
Food overall brings everyone together and is something that we can all enjoy and in different ways. We all have different variations of foods but everyone is welcome to the table.
Comments