A
Lifelong Safari
When
I was a child, I was quite the firecracker. If there were opportunity for any
sort of adventure, I would charge toward it without consideration. The greatest
adventure I have ever begun is an adventure I’m continuing to this day—and it
all started when I was nine. My father took me to an Asian restaurant named
Wasabi and introduced me to sushi. I decided against asking what it was,
considering I was a bold and fearless little rebel. Good thing I didn’t ask
(typically younger children are turned off by eating raw fish.) After my dad
taught me how to properly hold the chopsticks, I took my first bite. So many
flavors were captured in this tiny roll, and suddenly the moment was gone.
Thankfully, I had seven more! After I finished and we left, I knew that
exploring foreign flavors was more than a quick adventure; it was a continuous
safari I would be on for the rest of my life, accompanied by my family.
My
family and I have always treated dinner as a scared practice; we strongly agree
with Thomas C. Foster that “the act of taking food into our bodies is so personal.”
However, not everyone agrees with us. Over time, American families have
displayed acts that belittle dinnertime, such as eating frozen dinners for the
sake of saving time and eating separately. We do the opposite; we craft our
meals from scratch and then enjoy those meals in each other’s company. Mervyn Claxton
states, “People who eat different foods […] are often thought to be different.”
Well, we are different and proud of it. We don’t stick to traditional American
meals either; we believe that dinner should be an experience, a safari. As we
open up various different types of cook books, our means of transportation into
the jungle, we explore the pages as explorers would. The exotic flavors are
shown through the recipes, and after we create these meals those flavors mingle
in our mouths in perfect harmony.
Though
my family and I love all types of food that originate from different cultures,
we have a specific preference for Asian foods; often we make Thai dishes. They’re
easy, quick, filling, and “healthy” as in there are vegetables, but the
nutrients remaining are pretty slim. And, of course, we cannot get enough
sushi. When I decided to stop eating meat, I became a pescetarian instead of a
vegetarian because I knew I could not give it up. We love sushi so much that we
decided to learn how to make it. Though it’s usually not as good as sushi in
restaurants, it’s cheaper in price and richer in experience. I prepared a
California roll today to avoid serving real raw fish, but we also make spicy
tuna rolls.
My
family doesn’t need a spectacular vacation to knit us closer together; we can experience
safari-like bonding through dinnertime. Regardless of if it’s a busy week or
laid-back weekend, we will always try to prepare proper and exploratory meals. Ruth
Reichl feels “that if you watched people as they ate, you could find out who
they really are.” If you watch how my family and I eat, you’ll find we are true
explorers. I intend to continue this safari throughout my adult life. I owe so
much to my parents, especially my father, for introducing me to this lifestyle
of eating at such a young age.
