\Te-mā-to, Te-mâ-to\

Culture and Food Cannot be Separated. In fact, food is an expression of Culture.

I happen to work with a lot of "Latinos". And since a few of my Latin compadres have befriended me, during lunch they offer to buy my lunch. One of their favorite meals is chicken tamales. To try describing this dish to those who may not be familiar: It's chicken, chili peppers, and seasoning rolled in cornmeal dough, wrapped in corn husk; and steamed.

How does it taste - to me? For starters.....the one I had was bland. Also, the texture of the cornmeal dough reminds me of some leftover grits that has congealed. It wasn't nasty....it was...just something to eat. I definitely don't desire it again 😁

How did it taste to them? Great!! 😁 To me, this difference in perspective is bigger than simply having different taste buds.

My chicken tamale experience brought back to mind an experience I had over a year ago with two groups of chickens I hatched and raised. The first group of chickens were fed with bread because I didn't have chicken feed initially. The second group of chickens weren't raised on bread at all. They were raised on store bought chicken feed. As they grew, I observed that the chickens raised on bread still loved it, even though they ate chicken feed as well. However, the chickens that were only raised on chicken feed may have pecked on the bread to see what it was, but would quickly leave it alone. Once again, my observation is this difference in preference between the chickens of bread versus chicken feed also is more than a matter of taste buds 😁.

I grew up on wheat bread and just about every fruit and vegetable available. I was also raised on turkey bacon, navy bean soup, lentil soup, bean pie, eggs-n-rice, and salmon croquettes. I still love these dishes til this very day!! But I also know others who find each one of these dishes undesirable. Is it their taste buds, or mine?

When people typically use the phrase \te-ma-to, te-ma-to\, they are comparing the two pronunciations of the one word tomato. Basically saying that either pronunciation is correct and doesn't change the word itself. Meaning and simply put, that depending on where you grew up and how you spoke, your culture, will determine how you pronounce the word.

My argument is that food preferences have less to do with taste buds than it has to do with the memories, exposure, familiarity and customary practices involved.

So remember: the next time you eat food from a culture other than your own and don't like it, or they eat food from your culture and don’t like it, no need to take it personally ... just think \Te-mā-to, Te-mâ-to\

Much Love

Soul