Helmet Sundaes and Diet Coke

So much of culture is food! These readings made me think about how what we eat really defines our background, schedules, and even our mood. I’ve already noted in day to day life how much of my time revolves around what I’m eating or where I’ll eat next. Most plans I make involve food of some sort; the question of “where are we going to eat?” always comes up.

Ahn associated the Korean food of his childhood with his culture. As he said, he feels like cooking and serving Korean food in his house will instill in his son a sense of what his parents were like and their culture. The food is his culture. Growing up he watched his mom cook and enjoyed the traditional dishes, so when he mixes up his order at the restaurant he wonders if he is losing that background. Being Korean-American he also was defined by his American side, and again, when describing that part of his culture he cites the foods he ate out with his friends. I really connected with the quote “I still think the ice-cream-inside-miniature-batting-helmet remains one of the industry’s greatest inventions.” It’s so true! I grew up going to games at Coors Field, so helmet sundaes are nostalgic for me.

Nicholson has a more personal than cultural connection to the food he discusses. He talks about his mother “eating white.” She liked white foods – milk, cream, chicken, rice, potatoes, bread – and liked them bland. He eats a cheese sandwich and milk in memory of his mother; for him, these foods have come to be connected with her. We associate certain foods with certain people. My mom always drinks Diet Coke with Oreos, and I’m sure I’ll never drink a Diet Coke without thinking of her.