Eating Around The World

Eating Around The World

By: Zoey Rainey, People Editor

Food is the basis of all human life, it provides sustenance and can be used to show one's culture. While some might not think about the importance of cultural food on a daily basis a study by PubMed.gov identified that, “cultural food security influenced the ability to practice foodways, which tied Second-generation American students to their cultural identities. The absence of foodways led to anxiety and depression among students, amplifying the feelings of identity degradation. Second generation American students discussed that the ability to practice their foodways improved multiple well-being components and led to feelings of happiness, decreased stress, warmth, better digestion, and a sense of belonging, comfort, and safety.” Food contributes to an individual’s physical and mental well-being and expresses one’s cultural identity through preparation, sharing, and consumption (what PubMed calls foodways). The US has become a melting pot for different cultures and foods, including here at PRHS. Our campus has many different exchange students and students that have grown up here but have different cultural foods and ways of life. Many cultures use food to celebrate Holidays, family, and life. “We only eat Osechi once a year on New Year's Eve so it’s special to us and it’s also delicious,” Senior Rana Takada said. During times of division it’s important to celebrate each other and our individual cultures in our own community. In celebration of this fellow students share what they’re eating Around The World.

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Click on each map location to see what each student has to say about their favorite food

Mia Bikle - Ethiopia, Africa Doro WatDoro wat is an incredibly fragrant, spicy, flavorful, rich slow-cooked Ethiopian chicken stew mostly eaten for special occasions and family gatherings. Traditionally Doro Wat is served with an Ethiopian flatbread called injera. It’s kind of a spongy pancake made with teff flour (a grain indigenous to the area), and the batter is left to ferment for up to 4 days before it's used. The injera is used in place of an eating utensil and is used to scoop up the chicken stew. A central ingredient of Doro Wat is Berbere, a fiery, bright red, and flavorful Ethiopian spice blend. It is best made fresh using whole spices that are toasted and ground for maximum flavor.

Menatalla Elsayed - Egypt, AfricaKoshariKoshari is another one of those genius solutions to using up pantry staples. It is a cousin to the Middle Eastern Mujadara. In a nutshell, it is a comforting bowl of simple pantry staples: spiced lentils and rice, combined with chickpeas and small pasta. All smothered in a tomato sauce that's been spiked with vinegar (out-of-this-world tasty, by the way!) Then...wait for it...it's topped with savory, crispy thin fried onion rings.

Willa Wroldsen - Baerum, Norway Smalahove Smalahove is a traditional Norwegian recipe of sheeps head, usually eaten on the Sunday before Christmas. There are different sides that can be served with Smalahove but most common is mashed potatoes and rutabaga, or akvavit.

Justin Zheng - Baerum, GermanyDönerDöner kebabs are a type of Turkish dish similar to the Greek gyro or the Arab shawarma made with seasoned meat shaved from a vertical rotisserie, a style of cooking that dates back to the Ottomans. Either way, the presence of the döner kebab in Germany has served as an important vehicle for the country’s large Turkish population to successfully integrate into European life, and it’s certainly influential on the country’s food culture. Döner is a sandwich made from Turkish flatbread filled with some sort of shaved meat, different kinds of vegetables and sauce.

Rana Takada - Tokyo, JapanOsechi Osechi Ryori is the traditional food enjoyed on New Year’s day in Japan. They come in an assortment of colorful dishes packed together in special boxes called jubako, which resemble bento boxes. Every dish of these traditional foods has a special meaning in welcoming the New Year. Similar to bento boxes, Osechi Ryori is usually packed in 2-3 layers of lacquer boxes (ojubako) and there are many dishes in each layer. The multi-tiered boxes symbolize the hope that happiness & wealth come continuously, like the layers of lacquerware. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Praesent in augue et urna varius sodales. Pellentesque vehicula ut leo et tempor.

Nathaniel Nutt - Mexico City, MexicoChilaquilesChilaquiles Chilaquiles is a traditional Mexican breakfast dish consisting of corn tortillas cut into quarters, lightly fried, sauteed in either a green or red salsa, and topped with cheese, crema (a sweet, thin cream sauce), and onion. Pulled chicken may also be added during the cooking process, and casserole versions of the dish are popular. Beans, eggs, beef, and avocado are among the foods often served with chilaquiles. It is typically eaten for breakfast or brunch, much like the Tex-Mex dish Migas, which is made with scrambled eggs and tortilla strips. Chilaquiles was originally created as a way to use slightly stale leftover tortillas.