What’s your favorite part about coming home from college? For most, it’s seeing your loved ones and getting to catch up with them. However, what if you’re missing home before breaks, or the break just isn’t long enough? Well, home isn’t just a place or the people you’re with; it’s also the flavors and cuisine that stick with you.
Each family has their own cultures, routines, and traditions, and in the center of it all is food. Every major holiday and even a small get-together always has food and different kinds of food at that. Take Thanksgiving for example: even though almost everyone celebrates it, the food and flavors you will see differ from family to family; some may make the traditional turkey, while others may make a simple steak dinner instead. There can even be times when, in some families, recipes are passed down generation to generation. These all define your family’s culture and what you feel/remember when you think of home.
When it’s finally time for you to move out, it’s natural for your first feeling to be excitement. However, after that feeling fades, it’s natural to feel homesick; most college students are missing their family or even their hometown. I noticed the homesickness taking effect on me too. I was missing my family, my dogs, but more importantly, I was missing the food. The bland dining hall food no longer felt like home. The flavors of garlic, ginger, and lemongrass no longer had a place in my college diet. The more food I ate, the more I missed home.
To counter this, I started cooking. Although needing to share a kitchen with the rest of the dorm was a hassle, it was worth it. I was able to cook the meals that held a spot in my heart. The flavors that defined my family and culture were in this new stage of my life, and even better, I could share it with the people who I now hold dear. Tasting those dishes helped with my homesickness, and it also allowed others to experience what home meant for me.
While you go back home for the holidays, spend time with your parents in the kitchen. Learn how they cook and the ingredients they use, and don’t feel bad asking for your favorite dish. Whether they teach you or give you the recipe, coming back to your dorm and cooking that dish will give you a little taste of home while you’re away.