6. “From kindergarten through seventh grade, my abuela packed my lunch. (My family is from Spain and Cuba.) While most of my meals weren’t outrageous, they weren’t regular PB&J sandwiches or Lunchables. There was one But that was like orange soup. Some kind of animal fat made it greasy. I don’t remember much about it other than it was orange made from congealed fats, smelled strong and tasted amazing. Of course not. Win friends by opening a unicorn Lisa Frank thermos full of this spicy, strange soup. I asked my mom to help me figure it out, but we don’t know what it was. I would give anything to try Abuela’s cooking soup more day.”
“I don’t have kids, so it’s easy for me to be an armchair quarterback, but I think the variety of foods is great. I also think there are a lot of processed foods out there. I can’t judge anyone who packs this for themselves.” Children; I don’t know their circumstances.
But if I had the opportunity, I would continue to share different foods. Food is a human need and a great way to learn from each other. I also enjoyed visiting my friends’ homes and tasting dishes from their culture. I still make the bitter melon soup that my Taiwanese friend’s mother made when it was hot outside, and my Arab friend brings a lovely spiced rice and lamb dish every Nochebuena.”
–Anne