Cheaper Than a Plane Ticket

Sarah Hoyos - www.sarahhoyos.com

There is nothing like the smell of Mama’s cooking. Where ever you were

raised, the things you grew up eating always bring back vivid memories.

What I grew up eating inspired a love of cultures.

I am white (get me out in the sun for too long and I turn pink), but the Bay

Area where I grew up was very diverse. My mom had grown up in

Brooklyn, NY, and my dad was born in Oakland, CA. So my parents also

grew up with an exposure to many cultures. When Mom was deciding

what to make for dinner the answer was often the name of a country:

thai coconut curry, german spaetzle, chinese chicken salad (this is actually

a Californian invention), italian sausage and peppers, mexican tacos with

homemade corn tortillas. I think my mom would have loved to take us to

authentic restaurants but the budget didn’t have room, so when she was

craving something ethnic she tried making it at home.

This early exploration of cultural foods is what helped pique my interest in

other cultures, eventually leading me to travel. The taste of samosas and

tandoori chicken haunted me until I finally made it to India. My mother still loves

connecting with people over their comfort foods. I am married to a Puerto Rican.

For his birthday my mother bought him a Puerto Rican cookbook, telling him that she

wanted to cook some Puerto Rican dishes but she would need his help translating. It delighted her to think about making foods that were dear to his heart and part of his

culture. I love this about my mama; she loves the adventure of cooking something

unfamiliar especially when it lets her connect to people in a deeper way.

If you want to start exploring the world, first pick up a book. If you want to

take that exploration to another level but can’t afford a plane ticket, food

is a perfect venue. Ethnic cuisine is a great way to expose your children

to new cultures too. You don't have to go to an ethnic restaurant or buy a

ton of expensive ingredients. We have the world at our fingertips with the

internet. All over the world, food bloggers are making their home cooking

recipes accessible to anyone. So throw a dart at a map, pick a country,

get googling, find an international grocery store, make a shopping list,

and start exploring the world from your kitchen.

Click here to follow Sarah's intercultural lifestyle and musings!

A HUGE thank you to our guest author and blogger this week-thank you Sarah Hoyos! Please visit her website to get more glimpses into her world travels and cross-cultural family!

xo, Jules