Identity & Food

The past few weeks of writing this food blog I have been able to more closely analyze my food patterns and understand how they resonate with my regional, national, racial, and ethnic identity. I come from a mix of different backgrounds including Italian, Irish, English, Dutch, and Swedish. My dad’s side of the family is mainly Italian, while my mom’s side of the family is mainly Irish. My family does not strictly follow a religion, so food preferences were not influenced by religious beliefs. I would say the food we chose to eat and cook was derived from a combination of my regional, national, and ethnic identities. New England cuisine, such as lobster, clam chowder, coffee milk, coffee ice cream, Dunkin Donuts, Hoodsie cups, and seafood, are just a few examples of foods I grew up eating. Dunkin’, lobster, and seafood are still consumed by me and my family to this day. I will always remember by grandfather making us coffee milk the minute we stepped into his home. It is a food memory I will never forget and one that brings warm, happy memories.

The majority of what I was raised on, and what I have continued to eat throughout my weeks of writing this food blog, is rooted in my American-based ethnicity. The typical cuisine of a protein, vegetable, and starch- with protein being the main dish- is how I tend to structure my meals. America is well-known as a “melting pot” in which many different peoples all live in the same country. The mixing of all the cultures and histories has allowed America to be known as a mixture of different food cuisines. While my meals do follow an American-based style, I have incorporated various food cuisines and styles into my cooking. As I mentioned in a previous post, I love to use soy sauce, ginger, hoisin sauce, and teriyaki in my fried rice recipe. I am also a big fan of sushi, which has Japanese roots. My food habits fluctuate as I age, collect more recipes from family members and friends, and travel to new places. I am a huge fan of trying foods I have never tasted before and I love to try new foods. I will always give something one chance, even if I don’t think I will enjoy it. I can see my food habits altering in the future, but I do know that I will always find comfort in the foods most familiar and relatable to my regional and national identities.