Food Taboos

Food is a necessity for all living things. What we eat directly portraits who we are. Since ancient times, food habits and culture are influenced by many factors. Food is life, and life is understood through food. Food habits are developed by the culture that which surrounds you, especially your own family’s culture. For me, growing up as a mixed race of Dominican and African American I was able to eat different foods. I was born and raised in New York as well as my mother and father. However, they separated and remarried when I was very young which lend me to live in two different cultural households. My mother and grandmother is Dominican. Growing up with my mother, I was mainly eating Dominican cuisines. From time to time, when I visited my father I would eat southern American dishes. I understand the view of American as the "melting pot" of many cultures, exhibits many different cultural foods. My experience with food is combined with my two cultures.

In my family, there are several cultures and traditions that play a very important role in defining our family values and cultures. These traditions and cultures have been passed to my parents from my grandparents. The two most vivid cultural patterns that are present in my family have been inherited by my parents from the blending of the culture from my maternal grandparents and my paternal grandparents. Every Sunday I would visit my father where he prepares dinner for the family and makes sure we eat as one family. Before feasting, we would always say a prayer thanking god for the food we were about to eat. During our Sunday’s family dinner, my father dwells on teaching me the way forward regards to behavior and especially the use of courteous words such as, “please” and “thank you”. He discouraged talking when the mouth is full of food as well as placing of the elbows on the table. Also during this time, my father taught me the development skills like literacy skills when story telling during family conversation. Throughout the conversations my family would learn more about my attitudes and interest. From these meals, my father gauge my moods and needs thus helping me solve my problems in the end. Sunday dinners were a big deal for my father. As for my mother’s side of the family traditions was a bit different. The major dinner tradition we shared is Christmas. It’s a time when the good china, and the manners, came out. All the women would be in the kitchen preparing dishes. Traditional dishes for Christmas would include, pork shoulder, lasagna, rice pudding, and a Spanish custard dessert called flan. We would also cook some core and complementary dishes like rice and beans, salad with avocado, and sweet plantains. Usually between one and three in the afternoon, dinner was served. The men food was served first than the children. When