One of the lovely things about travelling is discovering new things to eat. Sometimes the new food is a bit challenging for you. Butter takes on a whole new meaning in Brittany, France. The butter there is beyond amazing. The first time we were there on holiday marked the end of margarine in my refrigerator. I want to live in a world where I always have butter from Brittany in my fridge. If you cook with good ingredients, your food will automatically be better. The buttery pastries from that part of the world send me into raptures.
You know you're in the American south when sweet tea and grits are on the menu. In Iowa you will see a pork tenderloin on the menu. A good one will be way bigger than the bun it is served on. Really excellent Mexican food in Mexico (of course) and the Americanised version that you'll find along the southern border of the US. I'll try it all! Some people will eat nothing but hamburgers and fried eggs until they can get back home. I feel pity for them.
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| American breakfast |
I have discovered some life-changing taste sensations when I am on holiday. I try to replicate it when I get back home if I can. I have also had food poisoning. You roll the dice and you take your chances. Fish in North Africa was a gamble too far.
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| Fish n chips |
When I moved to the UK all those years ago I was eager to try new foods. The first place we lived was within walking distance of a chip shop. So much winning! I put the blame on fish and chips for the 20 pounds I put on in the first year I was in the UK but I also had a baby.
There were different things in the supermarket. There are some stupid things that I miss. Graham crackers, root beer and wint-o-green lifesavers are biggies. Some other things I just get over or make my own self. I have made root beer in the past. I may do this again some day. The apple butter I make is better than any that is available in a US supermarket. Apple butter isn't even known over here.
Language is the first adjustment that is made when you move to a new country.
Changes in manners, dress and language happen over time. Some changes happen immediately as we struggle to assimilate. Other changes happen gradually over years.
Even though I have lived here since 1992, I still sound like a foreigner to somebody new.
"Where are you from?"
I will explain that I have lived here for over 25 years. Originally I am from Iowa.
"Oh, you haven't lost your accent!"
I have lost a bit of my accent and the volume at which I speak has lowered. My American accent is going around the edges, but for the most part I still sound American.
I am still doing volunteer work. I have been asked to help two Syrian families that have moved into the community. One family has only been here since December. They are trying to get up to speed quickly. Their English is coming on leaps and bounds! The little ones may outpace their parents as soon as things open up again and the little ones are in school again.
The other family has been here a year. Their children are already fluent and the family are due to have a new baby any minute!
The last thing to leave us when we immigrate is the food. Food that we loved from our former home stays with us. We hold old recipes dear. These recipes and food traditions stay with us and are passed down as a legacy to the next generation.
2 comments:
I don't think I would ever miss burgers and fries! When we've visited you or traveled anywhere outside the US, our kids loved trying new foods. It holds some of our favorite memories. And you're right to point out that it isn't just the food itself, but who made it, who you were with that cements the experience.
Indeed! Some of my favourite vacation memories are the new foods! I remember us going through about a kilo of cheese per day in Normandy. :-)
I know someone who is such a fussy eater that he only eats cheese sandwiches or McDonalds when he is away from home. He never wants his own children to be so restricted.
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