Connecting with culture through cooking

At the beginning of this semester an Indian friend gave me her traditional butter chicken recipe to try. Initially I didn’t think much into it however as I embarked off into the adventure of trying something new, purchasing the special ingredients, hearing stories from her culture and creating the recipe in the kitchen, I really got an understanding of the influence food and culture can have on a person due to the sense of belonging it can make you feel. I began to appreciate that it was special to receive a traditional recipe which had been passed down from her ancestors in India.  When talking with her about the herbs and spices I learned about the nutritional values and antibiotic properties they can have to benefit your immune system and well being which I had no idea about before. When cooking the recipe I found myself following the instructions precisely, following each method to the best I could where I didn’t want to miss a single step or moment. I felt more connected and in control when cooking on this occasion where I didn’t want to miss out on a single taste, smell or texture as I gained a new perception of this culture. 


The experience opened up a door of opportunities where I discovered treasures of hidden passions that I was not aware I possessed. Cooking recipes from another culture was something that I had never taken the time to do so the experience has enabled me to view this aspect of cooking through a whole new lens and I now endeavor to continue trying recipes from a variety of cultures in the future. Perhaps I could share some kiwi recipes that have been passed down to me from relations…

I am thankful to my friend for providing the motivation, vision and support I needed to progress my cooking skills and understanding to a higher level.

I want to share this quote from Jungersen (1994) which relates to my experience of connecting with culture, where it symbolizes how an individual connected with culture through occupation. “The arts and crafts is a subject that I feel passionate about and relates directly to my own explorations as a weaver over the last 25 years. This work also represents a stage in my own  somewhat tentative journey into my Ngai Tahu ancestry, which since I have come to my ancestral home of Dunedin has provided me with the opportunity to attempt to integrate my extensive academic exploration into “things Maori” with direct experience of “things Ngai Tahu”. For me, weaving has been the thread that has linked me to my Scandinavian origins (where several of the women are weavers), and now more recently, my Ngai Tahu origins”.

I want to finish of with a quote I find represents how culture can bring people together which is something I have learned to appreciate through this experience: “You have that handle of the basket, I have this handle of the basket,Let us together uphold the Mana of weaving"                                                                                          (Puketapu-Hete, 1989).

References:

Puketapu-Hete, E. (1989). Maori weaving. Auckland:Pitman.

Jungersen, K. (1994). Te Whare Pora (The house of weaving): Reflections on weaving and Occupational Therapy. Occupation, 2(1), 35.