Cultures Impact on Food

There are so many food options that exist in our world today:
Vine-ripened Vegetables
Fresh-picked Fruits
Marinated Meats
Frequently-bought Fast Food
Scrumptious Sweets

This list only scratches the surface of the many food choices that lay before us each and every day. I find myself, at times, wondering how all of these food items came to exist. There are a variety of answers to this question, but what I have found to be a major driving force in the development of food is culture. The world is filled with a variety of people who, oftentimes, intertwine their cultures, beliefs, and traditions with their food preferences, thus creating the variety of foods we have today.
   

"Green Eggs and Ham"

There are several foods in my family which are prepared as a result of culture and tradition, but the one that I want to introduce you to is called Pear Gelatin Salad or Pear Salad for short. It can also be called Blender Pear Salad, Seafoam Salad, Lime Pear Gelatin or, as I fondly call it, Green Stuff. Whatever it is called, the name might sound a bit alarming and, quite frankly, unappetizing. But do not let the name fool you. This is no ordinary salad. This dish has been with my family for as long as I can recall and has proven to be one of my favorite dishes. As Dr. Seuss might say, “I do like this green pear salad, it is yummy to my palate. I would eat as a side and I would eat it far and wide. I would eat it for dessert, and I would eat it to stay alert. I would eat it here and there. Say! I would eat it anywhere.”
     

The ingredients for this deliciously smooth dish consists of lime jello, boiling water, pear halves, cream cheese, whipped cream, and, as my grandmother would say, “Much love.” The color for this enjoyable dish is green, and it seems to mimic a color similar to that of a parakeet whose wings glisten in the morning’s day. Once the ingredients have several hours to set in the refrigerator, the congealed surface of the dish closely resembles a trampoline, swaying up and down even when lightly touched. The interior is creamy and filled with an indescribable taste that leaves me yearning for more.

The recipe for making such a marvelous creation is as follows:
1)In a large bowl, start by dissolving regular lime jello in warm water.
2)Next, pour this mixture into a blender and then add the pear halves and cream cheese. Blend these ingredients until the substance is smooth.
3)Third, pour this blended mixture back into a regular bowl and add the whipped cream. At this point, the mixture should be mostly smooth.
4)Transfer the mixture into a serving bowl or jello mold and refrigerate for four hours
5)Finally, eat and enjoy
     
Pear salad was originally a more salad-like dish, as opposed to the jello mold I love to eat. It originated in the South and it was most commonly used as a welcoming dish to serve to visitors. This may explain why my grandmother, who lived in Pennsylvania, would make it every time my family and I came to visit from Georgia. The salad was also among one of the healthier food options to choose from. The combination of pears, cream cheese, and lettuce made the dish both delectable and nutritious. Now, the jello part of the dish was not introduced until later. But even without its other half, the pear salad was a masterpiece. The jello gives the dish a sweetness that makes it perfect as both a side dish and a dessert. Jello molds were most popular back in the 50’s and 60’s. Our present society is more into Jello jigglers then Jello molds due to the convenience of the jigglers. But jello molds serve not only as a means for incorporating fruits and vegetables into a yummy dish, but they also serve as a means for me to reminisce about past family gatherings, especially the large gatherings that would take place every time my dad’s side of the family would get together. It was a lively, festive, delicious, love-filled atmosphere. 
     
My dad is the youngest of four children, so when I was younger, I remember family gatherings on his side with my mommom and poppop, two aunts and an uncle, their spouses and nine cousins. And these large family gatherings meant lots of yummy foods, including pear salad jello.  Some of my fondest memories are these visits to Pennsylvania to spend time with my extended family. In most cases, I would arrive to the sweet aroma coming from my grandmother’s freshly baked pear salad jello. She knew how much I loved it and would make it for me every time I would come. This simple act made me feel loved, and important, and special to my mommom. The emotion behind the food is what has made this such a fond memory.
     
Food can evoke such strong feelings and emotions and can transport one to a certain time or place. Food is tangible and has the ability to trigger memories.  For some, these memories might be of a family reunion and a flavor-filled dish cooked at grandma’s (After all, “Nothing is better than grandma's homemade _________”). For others, it might be a trip that you have taken and the yummy dishes that you tried that stirs up memories. Food might take you to a specific location or perhaps a point in time. For me, I associate pear salad as a holiday dish because that is often when my family would travel to Pennsylvania and my mommom would make it for me. But it is different than the traditional holiday treat, such as Christmas cookies. It is a versatile dish that can be eaten wherever and whenever, not just on a holiday like Christmas.  For example, imagine the crackling noise coming from the luminescent fire and the warmth surrounding you while enjoying this jello. Picture the floral designs filling the room with life as you hear the spring rain beating on the window while partaking in this dessert. Feel the refreshing breeze flooding the entire house during a hot summer day while devouring this cool and refreshing appetizer. Or perhaps you are enjoying a picnic on a hill filled with leaves of various colors while adoring the creative goodness of this dish. The memories I have from eating this dish and cherishing “family time” are plentiful.
   
However, it was not until recently that these experiences began to fade. About two years ago, in 2017, my grandmother, who seemed to always fill the world with fun and adventure, passed away. The dish that had been so near and dear to my heart for a number of reasons now serves as a reminder of what happened, not just a joyful and expectant memory of things to come. Through this experience, I have learned that, while food does bring about gladness, it can also evokes sadness and pain. Perhaps it’s not family gatherings or a trip to Venice that stirs up happy food  memories. It could instead be memories of an illness or time spent in the hospital and the meals you ate there or the food you would eat to help calm your stomach or get the medicine down. Or maybe you have served our country in the army or navy and certain foods bring back memories of war and being far from home and feeling lonely and scared. Just as food can transport you to a happy time and place, it also has the power to flood you with sadness and fear and more heavy memories. Ever since my grandmother’s absence, it has been my family’s tradition to occasionally make the jello in memory of her, as well as to fill our bellies with its yummy goodness. But it is not made with the same feelings or with the same frequency with which my grandmother made it.  Oh, how I miss her and miss eating this dish prepared by her hands but I am left with a bitter sweet memory that will last forever.
     
Memories are the result of experiences and many experiences come from traditions which are steeped in cultural influences. Culture is defined as “a total range of activities and ideas of a group of people with shared traditions, which are transmitted and reinforced by members of the group.” It is “the artistic and social pursuits, expression, and tastes valued by a society or class.” So, how does my narrative tie in with culture and its influence on food? Food is a part of one’s culture. The gelatin dish which I described throughout my essay quickly became a traditional dish for my family. And in the same manner my family adopted the “green stuff” to be a part of our cultural heritage, so has every single person embraced their own cultural foods and given value and importance to that part of their heritage. As a matter of fact, culture has left an impact throughout all history. Food was able to bridge a cultural gap between the European colonists and Native Americans through a holiday known as Thanksgiving, which we still celebrate today. Food was used as an illustration to display God's unending love for his disciples during the Passover, which is also still observed by some religious groups today.  Both examples demonstrate traditions that have been rooted and innately transferred from one generation to the next.
     
More often than not, traditions are passed down from our ancestors. The preservation of any traditional food item is a huge influence in maintaining one’s culture. It is true that different foods awaken different thoughts and emotions from different people. Although the foods, emotions, and memories will be different, the fact that remains constant among individuals is that we all share a love for food and that food stirs up these feelings and emotions and memories in everyone. Food is a powerful thing. One might say that food makes the world go round. It reminds us of the past while also setting our sights on future things. It brings people together and encourages harmony.  In many ways culturally and traditionally, food has largely shaped the reality we live in today.


     


   
     

"Green sh*t!"by Angela de Março is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0

"No Carbs!"by Joe Shlabotnik is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0