The world is a small place after all. Emphasizing this are the people I was able to track down to question about some of the foods they identify with their ethnic backgrounds. From my mom to a friend on the other side of the planet to our students at MHS, I was able to come up with these countries and these popular foods.

1. America

Burgers and fries for the land the brave and home of the free. Yet when we say fries we mean fried everything – and don’t test us, because those carnival booths WILL try just about anything. Chicken wings, mac n’ cheese, and delicious crispy bacon are as American as apple pie. Or maybe the chocolate chip cookie which was invented here in 1930 by Ruth Wakefield in the Toll House Inn. Summer brings about barbeques, roasting hot dogs and s’mores with signature Hershey’s chocolate smooshed in between graham crackers (which do not exist in England), and gooey, usually-set-on-fire-by-accident marshmallows.

2. England

Across the pond to our favorite graham cracka-lackin’ Brits, we have some more fried foods- fish and chips. Chips (Translation: fries), not to be confused with crisps (Translation: chips). In all seriousness though, England has an interesting cultural food background as it includes Indian influences from their colonization of India, so in England curry isn’t foreign. Other foods include steak and kidney pie, baked beans on toast, toad in the hole, scotch eggs, beef wellington, and mince pies. And this all has to be accompanied by something to drink, so why not a bottle elderflower cordial (a soda) or Lucozade (a sports drink). Plus, they have an amazing assortment of candies not available here such as anything Cadbury (the Crunchie bar is my all-time favorite), Randoms, Jelly Babies, and Maltesers. On the topic of all things sweet, what we think of when someone says “pudding” is very different than what a British person might think of because in England a pudding could mean dessert in general. And the final difference: pancakes. In America pancakes as we know them to be are light, fluffy, golden brown and topped with butter and syrup, however in England pancakes are like crepes and topped with things like powdered sugar and a squeeze of lemon juice.

3. India

India is known for their use of spices and fragrant foods that are just as visually appealing and colorful as they are tasty. Basmati rice served alongside other foods like butter chicken, chicken tikka masala, or lamb chops. Although many Indian foods do contain meat, as about 500 million vegetarians exist in India. And often people eat with their hands or bread like naan or partha as utensils. But the spicy nature of many Indian foods and the hot, humid weather require something to cool everyone down, perhaps with a lassi which is an Indian milk shake.

4. Philippines

The country that is the reason why when taking a test and you must fill in a bubble for your ethnicity, I get to decide between “white” and “Pacific islander”. In the Philippines I will always remember delicious, flaky, whole fried fish and fresh shrimp (with the head and everything for both the fish and shrimp). In restaurants ordering “bottomless” iced teas to go with other favorites like pancit (noodles) and lumpia (like eggrolls). They also have some interesting street foods like taho which is made of silken tofu, arnibal (syrup), and sago pearls (like tapioca pearls). More sweets to indulge upon can be found in your nearest Red Ribbon or Goldilocks where you can find baked goods like mamon, light sponge cakes kind of like cupcakes. And because it’s hot in the Philippines, in order to cool off people eat halo-halo (pronounced hah-lo) which is based on shaved ice and evaporated milk, topped off with things like jello, sweet beans, fruits, and ube ice cream.

5. Italy

The founders of pizza. Yet they offer so many more dishes that would bring happy tears to your eyes. Freshly made pastas in an array of sauces made with colorful ingredients. Don’t forget about the meatballs, which are actually a separate dish. And of course there’s also the most important meal of the day to think of, breakfast. Italians enjoy the crunchy coffee house favorite that is biscotti or bread rolls with jam and a nice cup of coffee. However, it can be argued that when gelato, tiramisu, and cannolis are on the menu, dessert is the most important meal of the day (for your soul at least).

6. Colombia

Colombian food differs depending on where you are in the country and as to what is available there. Often beginning the day with a lighter breakfast such as chorizo, beans and rice, and arepas. Lunchtime is usually more substantial, offering things like arroz con pollo, empanadas, bandeja paisa, and sancocho, a soup or stew. Dinner is also lighter like breakfast and followed by desserts like buñuelos which are fried dough balls often eaten around Christmas.

While there are still the soufflés and pastries of France, sushi and noodles of Japan, and the tagines and spices of Morocco, these are a few of the places some students of MHS trace their various ethnicities back to.

Sources:

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/category/cuisines

http://www.women-inventors.com/Ruth-Wakefield.asp

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_meal_structure

http://www.vegetarians.co.nz/articles/500-million-vegetarians-in-india/

http://www.mycolombianrecipes.com/traditional-colombian-breakfast-calentado

http://www.everyculture.com/Bo-Co/Colombia.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sancocho