CaucAsian

CaucAsian

Part 2:

A Taste of Home

For most people, there’s a certain nostalgia that reminds us of home when we encounter specific things. It could be a sound or a smell or even a scenario. You hear it or smell it or see it and it brings you back to your childhood home for just a second. It is different for everyone. For me, the feeling comes over me whenever I walk into an Asian grocery store. Some combination of Asian languages being spoken and the smell of spices and seafood takes me back to my paternal grandparents house instantly. My grandfather was always cooking something. It’s a family joke that no one on my dad’s side of the family is ever full. They are always eating something and will always offer to feed guests repeatedly. A trait I inherited for sure. Whenever we would visit Grandpa’s house the first thing he did was feed us, and the last thing he did before we left was send food home with us. Indonesian, Chinese, and Thai food (or some fusion of all of them) are favorites. And there must always be rice. Always.

As I child I remember eating bowls of white rice covered with sweet soy sauce (also called sweet ketchup) regularly for mid-day meals. Or warm rice with milk and sugar. Sweet snacks were nutella on a slice of bread or Dutch chocolate sprinkles on a slice of bread - this was well before nutella became popular and available at every grocery store. My grandfather brought Nutella with him from Holland on his frequent visits to his brothers. My favorite snack was, and still is, krupuk udang. Roughly translated to “shrimp crackers.” Little discs that look like the dehydrated potatoes that come in a hamburger helper box. When you fry them they puff up to the size of a hand and look like pork rinds. It’s the Asian version of a snack chip. I would eat them like potato chips. Absolutely delicious.

Family favorites from my mom’s side of the family include a myriad of “traditional American” foods and plenty of Mexican cuisine (we did live in the Southwestern U.S.). Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, spaghetti, tacos and enchiladas were regulars on my mom’s menu. To this day, whenever I make meatloaf I have to make it with mashed potatoes and corn because that’s what my mom always does. It’s not the same without the whole combination. Just like mom’s apple pie. I use the same recipe she does, and the same type of apple (red delicious) because it’s just not apple pie if it isn’t mom’s apple pie. Little traditions like this are good in my opinion. They keep us connected to home and family. But there is something to say for stepping outside that familiarity and experiencing something new.

The first time I brought a bag of krupuk home from grandpa’s for my friends to try was entertaining. Everyone was excited to try them at first, but when I explained they are shrimp flavored the skepticism kicked in. Why would I eat that? Who thinks of these things? Shrimp should not be a chip, it isn’t a snack! Valid questions to be sure, but I never questioned it. I grew up eating this stuff. I encourage my friends to just try it and see if they liked it. If they like it that’s great, if not, then now they know and will never have to try it again. What’s the big deal? Some friends were happy to try them and even liked them. However, there were a few that refused claiming the idea of shrimp crackers was disgusting. I didn’t push, but I did tell them they were missing out on something delicious. Of course, everyone’s preferences are different, especially when it comes to food and I get that. This instance was one of many I have experienced where I wonder what others are missing out on because they refuse to try something different. Not just when it comes to food, but when it comes to life.

The familiarity of “home” has a strong hold on us all. Those sights and smells that bring us back to childhood impact our entire lives. It’s good to have that foundation, a point of reference to our beginnings. For myself, it reminds me of who I am and where my family comes from. What I’ve realized is that it is also just a starting point. To broaden my horizons, gain experience and perspective, I need to explore the unfamiliar. How can I better understand and appreciate the world around me if I stay within the parameters of the foundation of which I was born?

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