Prompt: Think about a food from your own culture that you find disgusting, unusual, or simply refuse to eat. What is the food, and why do you dislike it? Is it something that other people in your family or culture enjoy? Explain why you think certain foods can be considered delicious by some people but disgusting by others. Be specific and reflect on how personal experiences and cultural traditions influence our food preferences.

 One food from my Spanish culture that I dislike is caracoles chupaeros (snails). I find them disgusting because of their slimy texture and the idea of sucking them out of their shells, However, some people in my family and culture love eating them, especially as a traditional dish. I think food preferences depend on what we grow up eating and our personal experiences, because something that can be disgusting for some people can be delicious for others.

Prompt: Think about one of your favorite memories involving food. Who was there, what were you eating, and why has that particular moment stayed with you?

One of my favorite memories involving food was eating Migas at my uncle's house. My family was there, and we enjoyed a traditional rainy day meal together. What made that moment special was not just the food, but the feeling of being at home and spending time with the people I love. Migas is a dish that reminds me of my Spanish roots and family traditions. That memory has stayed with me because it reminds me that some of the best moments in life are the simple ones spent around a table with family.

Today in class we worked on our Canva presentation.

Prompt: If you could share one dish from your culture or family traditions with someone who has never tried it, what would you choose? What would you want that person to understand about you or your culture through that dish?

 I would choose churros with chocolate on a cold Sunday morning with their families. In my culture, this is more than just a breakfast, it is a tradition that brings everyone together. I would want someone trying it for the first time to understand how important family and spending time together are in my culture. To me, the smell of freshly made churros with a hot cup of chocolate brings back memories of home, comfort, and happiness. It represents the simple moments with family that become some of the most meaningful memories in life.

Prompt: Different cultures have different customs surrounding food and eating. Describe a food-related custom you grew up with or have experienced. How does this custom reflect your family's values or cultural background?

 A food-related custom I grew up with is no electronics on the table. As a child, if I tried watching anything on my tablet during lunch or dinner with my family, they wouldn't allow me to, they would just take my tablet. They would also purposefully make the TV face away from the dining table so we didn't even ask about eating while watching TV. Some people may see this as strict, but I see it as an efficient and harmless way of teaching your children to enjoy the company of others at the table. Not to mention it also teaches good manners, encourages healthier eating habits, better communication and stronger family relationships.

Prompt: Write about a time when you realized that your perception of a particular food was based on a stereotype. Explain what the food was, what you originally believed about it, and where that belief came from. Then describe how your perspective changed after experiencing or learning more about the food. Be sure to include specific details about the moment your thinking shifted and what you learned from that experience.

 One food I had a stereotype about was Indian food. Before trying it, I thought Indian food was dirty and unhygienic because I had watched videos on Instagram and TikTok showing street vendors in India preparing food with dirty hands, old oil, and unclean cookware. These videos created a stereotype on me that made me believe Indian food was prepared in poor sanitary conditions. My perspective changed when I went to an Indian restaurant and actually tried the food instead of judging because of some videos I saw online. I was surprised by how delicious everything was, the mix of spices and flavors was phenomenal and my experience was completely opposite from what I expected from the videos I had seen. This experience taught me that social media is really good for creating single stories. Social media can sometimes only show one side of a culture which creates a fixed stereotype for the whole culture. It taught me to not judge based on what others say or what I see but rather on my own experiences, and if I don't have an experience, to simply just not judge.

Today in class we finished the worksheet from the Netflix documentary based on the food diversity in New Orleans and started working on a Writtable assignment and watched a short film on Chinese influence on the Mississippi Delta cuisine.

From the short film I was really surprised seeing these people from Chinese heritage that had been living for a few generations in the southern USA and had a really deep southern accent but still continued to celebrate their Chinese heritage through family gatherings cooking Chinese food but also embracing where they now lived, Mississippi and adopting it's cuisine by blending it with their traditional Chinese recipes.

Prompt: Today, we started our discussion about culture and food. What is one dish from your culture that is a must-have as a representation of your culture? Identify the dish and explain what it is and why it is significant.

A dish that represents my culture is Arepas, a traditional venezuelan food made from cornmeal. They are round, flat breads that are typically grilled and filled with ingredients such as shredded beef, chicken, cheese, avocado, ham or really anything. Arepas are significant because they are a big part of Venezuelan daily life and they bring family together, It doesn't matter whether it is for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Arepas represent Venezuelan culture, tradition, and the importance of sharing food with family and friends.

Prompt: Writing about an offensive encounter can bring up different emotions, even when the story is imagined. What emotions did you experience while writing your story? What part of the writing affected you the most, and why?

 While writing my story, I felt angry because the insult wasn't disrespectful only to me, but also to my mom. The part that affected me the most was when I stayed calm and asked him why he said it instead of getting angry and acting on my emotions. In the end, he apologizes properly and I walked away feeling good and satisfied because I had handled the situation pretty well without loosing my temper. It also made me realize that most people insult because they're unhappy with themselves or insecurities and it may not actually be personal.

Today in class we continued our version of the he stuck his tongue out and called me a... story.

Writing today made me realize how people don't always insult because they have something personal against someone else but because they have things going on themselves and it's their way to help cope.