Food That Takes Us Around The World
It doesn't really matter where you are physically...
Or, does it? If the stories about food teaches us anything is that they – both the food and the stories about food – can be very specific to place and culture. Yet, at the same time, it can transcend place. Do you find that your stories and memories about food tie you to a place, to culture, or bring you beyond it?
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Based on the stories in this section and your own experiences, what do you think?
I am Anthony, a young boy from Abia State, Nigeria. I grew up surrounded by the comforting aromas of my mother’s kitchen, where her passion for cooking inspired me. At twelve, my mother encouraged me to prepare my favorite dish, oha soup, a traditional Igbo delicacy made with oha leaves, cocoyam paste, palm oil, assorted meat, stockfish, crayfish, and spices.
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Excited but nervous, I followed her guidance, tackling challenges like stirring cocoyam paste and properly handling the delicate oha leaves. My mother’s playful corrections and laughter turned the cooking session into a warm, memorable experience.
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When the soup was finally ready, my mother praised it with a smile, calling it a mix of "love and confusion." That first attempt sparked my love for cooking, and I now fondly remember the day as the start of my culinary journey.
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Food As a Bridge Into Culture:
Tourtière, known as Pork Pie in the US.
Featuring special guest, Marie-Josée Duquette from the Quebec Government Office
Below is some additional information about Franco Foods taken from the Franco Foods YouTube Channel. Please visit by clicking here to explore more recipes and conversations.
The Franco-American Centre (FAC)/ Alliance Française de Manchester’s YouTube Cooking Channel. The series is hosted by Nathalie Hirte who is an avid home cook and baker, and the Assistant Director of Nathalie Boucher Hirte . Franco Foods is dedicated to discovering the World of the French-inspired food and culture one bite at a time. From the foods we grew up with in North America, the foods of France and other European countries, to the lesser known connection with exotic countries such as Morocco, Lebanon, Senegal. To the surprising revelations from countries such as Vietnam and Mali. Franco Foods strives to celebrate not simply the variety of foods, but also the culture, history and personal stories that go with the foods in our lives.
When it comes to food, South Africa has such a diverse menu with so many different delicacies. But out of all the food that I had a chance to experience I would definitely say that “Milk Tart” is my absolute favourite.
Milk tart (or Melk Tert if you speak Afrikaans) is a South African dessert pie. A sweet pastry crust is filled with a custard filling and topped with a generous dusting of cinnamon. It has a cold sensation to the touch and not only smells lovely but creates a cinnamon like aroma that surrounds the entire table.
Milk Tart
​By Tamai
I remember the first time I had had the dessert, and I was in the mood for some ice cream and my mom suggested I try this instead and oh was she a saint. It not only satisfied my craving for a cold substance, but it also satisfied my sweet tooth. But nothing will ever truly compare to the time my girlfriend at the time made me a specialized cake for my birthday by incorporating my favourite dessert into the mix, she had created a milk tart cake. I was so surprised; I ended up crying because that was the loveliest thing I had ever received. It felt so memorable and so amazing.
With a crust made from tennis biscuits being brittle yet solid, the perfect consistency. The jellylike milk custard that sits so smooth and softly on the tongue, so satisfying and nostalgic. It created a sense of Home, family, care and appreciation that I have never really experienced with any other food. So, when it comes to food I would most definitely say milk tart is my number one.
I was about 16 years old when I tried an American cheeseburger for the first time.
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I had just moved to Taunton, MA, and my family and I were visiting my aunt. While there, we got hungry and my aunt was not feeling well enough to gook. So, we went out with my cousin to get food. My cousin lived next to a Five Guys at the time and I did not know what Five Guys was.
My cousin ordered me a cheeseburger and I had my first taste. My mouth was tingling with sensation. The hamburger was cooked well and the bread was so soft. Ever since then, cheeseburgers have been one of my favorite foods.
By Maleek
I remember the smell of burnt pizza dough. It tasted like chewy steak and a bunch of crunchy sand, which is weird because it brings me a smile every time that burnt sand comes to my mind. During a desert camping trip, we decided to attempt cooking pizza in the traditional Bedouin style, buried in the sand with hot coals. In retrospect, our ambition far exceeded our expertise. The result was a pizza far from what a pizza should ever look like: the bottom blackened beyond recognition, the middle mysteriously undercooked, and the cheese melted into an uneven terrain of peaks and valleys.
Angie's story
Betrayed By My Snack
By Sarah
I had been in Santiago, DR for about three months on a study abroad experience that had deeply expanded my culinary horizons. By now, I had made a decided enmity with pastelon (accent above the o), a disgusting casserole involving sweet plantains, cheese, and ground beef; discovered the joys of real, fresh and tropical fruit; and traversed the full gamut from hatred to full obsession with fresh mangoes. It was on a date with a tall, professional Dominican, that I dug into my snack that I had grabbed from the house. As I struggled to chew my tough, starchy, “banana,” my date began to laugh and point me out to his friends. “Can you believe this Gringa is trying to eat a raw plantain?”
OMG, I’ll never make that mistake again!
My Favorite Restaurant in Dominican Republic
La Calle De Sol
Emilio's Story
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It was August 20,2023 and it was my last week in DR before I go back to the states. I went for the month and was eating scrumptiously throughout the whole trip. Every morning, I would have platano con juevos, salami, queso frito, aguacate y un vaso de jugo (plantain, eggs, fried cheese, avocado, and a cup of juice). I can eat this every day for every meal. During my last week we went out to eat next to the famous monument in the biggest city in DR, Santiago. On the streets around the monument there are many restaurants, one called La Calle de Sol, or “Sun Street.” Over there I ordered arroz con pechuga which is white rice and with grilled chicken.
Now, this sounds like a very basic meal, and that is because it is, however. I can tell you that it was the best chicken I have ever had in my life. I was with my family, the view of the monument was amazing, I left stuffed, and I always remembered the
restaurant name because of that chicken.