Memories are often connected to certain events, settings, and people but there is one that stands out among these: food. When thinking back to your childhood, I’m sure there’s more than one memory you can connect to when you think about or eat a specific food. In this article, I interviewed some of our fellow Humanities students to talk about what memories that their own cultural foods bring to mind.
Cozonac is a traditional Romanian dessert that involves a type of bread that has layers of filling in it; the most common types of fillings are nuca (nuts, specifically walnuts), mac (poppy seeds), and chocolate. Angelina Risnoveanu, a senior in the Humanities program, connects this dessert with memories of her Grandma even remembering the specific Ralphs shopping bag it was kept in. She knew that “when [she] saw that bag there would be cozonac” and now every time she eats this dessert she is reminded of fond childhood memories of her Grandma.
Tteokgochi is a Korean street food made with rice cakes that are put on a stick and then glazed with chili sauce. These are then fried to make a crispy and chewy outside but a soft center. For Yuna Jeong, this delicious street food holds strong memories of Korea for her. She often got it with her parents from a “street market stall” often “waiting in freezing weather.” Although, this food goes beyond just memories of visiting the street market including memories of her grandparents, apartment and even just a feeling of home. She adds that it is a street food “tied to many Koreans’ childhood” and states that this version and the original version, tteokbokki are always readily available on the streets of Korea.
Dumplings (jiao zi) are a classic Chinese dish that are made from a homemade dough and include a filling that can come in many varieties. Cassidy Cheng links this food to vivid memories of “folding” these dumplings with family and friends and filling them. Her favorite filling of string beans and pork is hard to find in stores so she loves “to make it at home.” She says that in Chinese culture dumplings represent wealth and are a “huge part” of their holiday tradition specifically around Lunar New Year.
