I love food, and lately one of my favorite things about trying new foods is learning the culture and history behind them! Today I wanted to share a couple of my favorite foods recently, and the cultures inspiring them!
Japan
Onigiri or rice ball is a Japanese food made from white rice formed into triangular shapes wrapped in nori (seaweed). It is traditionally filled with various types of fish, however, after becoming popular around the world, the most common ones are filled with spicy chicken, shrimp tempura, brisket, and spam. Before using chopsticks for sushi, rice was often rolled into balls. Deemed as the first traveling food, Onigiri is typically served for a snack or lunch with my next favorite boba!
Taiwan
Boba, Bubble Tea, or Milk Tea is a tea-based drink originated in Taiwan in the early 1980s. I find this beverage’s culture to be most interesting, because most people believe boba originated in Korea. However, Taiwanese immigrants brought it to the United States in the 1990s, and it has now become very popular across the world largely in East Asia. My personal favorite is Matcha, which is the drink on the right, and the drink on the left is brown sugar flavored. If you’ve never tried it, there are a plethora of shops, specifically around USG, that sell boba!
Perú
Of course, I had to throw in some Perúvian dishes simply because I am half Perúvian! Perúvian food will always be one of my favorites, and there is so much to choose from! Lomo Saltado is a popular traditional Perúvian dish that actually has a history of Chinese origin. Lomo can be described as a stir fry or dry stew, and typically combines strips of steak with onions, tomatoes, and french fries. It is also served with white rice and usually sits in a soy sauce based juice (Chinese fusion). I have eaten this dish a lot growing up, and it is the perfect dinner for the whole family!
The picture to the right is a famous restaurant in D.C. that serves a traditional category of food called Chifa. This combines Japanese, Chinese, and Perúvian dishes. Chifa started to inspire a lot of dishes because of Chinese immigrants residing in Perú during the 19th and 20th century.
Perú
Salchipapa is a South American fast food dish commonly known as street food. Salchipapa translates to sausages and fries. It typically consists of pieces of sausages or hotdogs served with french fries. This dish is from the streets of Lima, Perú, but has expanded because of popularity among Latin America, such as Colombia, Bolivia, Argentina, and Ecuador. I ate this dish a lot growing up, as well because it’s so simple, and I was a very picky eater as a child!
Now that I’ve grown up, I am happy to try anything new! What are your favorite dishes? Do they have an interesting story behind them? See you guys next time!
Ashlynn
Aisha Sowe
Chelsea L
Kaitlyn Davis
kodonne4
melanyclaros
mnur2
rachelfadaka
shriyakoneru
ssarahowusu
USG
The Universities at Shady Grove (USG) 