I need help with my essay?

Question

I have an essay to write and the topic is to explain how food plays an important role in my family's culture and to provide examples as to how food defines me, my family, and my ethnicity.

I don't really understand the topic to well. i just don't understand how food can define me. i don't understand what that means.

If you can please help me understand i will probably have an easier time writing this essay.

Answer 1

Well, it would have helped a bit if you explained what your culture IS. But, taking the general route, food is the backbone of a culture (the end point where you can see glimpses of everything truly important). And not just food-- but how it's prepared, who eats it, when it's eaten, etc. Who does most of the cooking? Do you eat with your family, or alone? Do you go out most of the time, or eat at home? How old were you when you started helping in the kitchen? Or do you at all? What is often served in your home? Are guests invited or is it ONLY family? Are there any dishes prepared that wouldn't be eaten in someone else's home? Is food prepared in small separate bowls, or big pots? Are people pre-served, or do they just go at it? Is there talking at your table?

Then, the BIG question. Why? Why to all of those things?

In my house, guests are always invited and the pots are always big enough to feed at least 5 more people than those sitting at the table. It's a loud affair, where we discuss politics, religion, the weather, and sports. Only the women cook, and we start helping in the kitchen at around 5. We do the dishes , shopping, and cooking-- but the men set the table and put out the chairs, etc. We never go out although sometimes we'll bring pizza or something home just for fun. We almost always eat a combination of Indian food, Mexican food, or American food-- but the one staple on our table is rice. No matter what we serve, there's always rice. This is because my parents come from cultures where serving rice is something to be proud of-- my mom from Mexico, my dad from India. They're different cultures (hence the fusion of food), but they have many similarities-- they both believe women should do the cooking (but their american attitude encourages us to participate in the political banter), they both believe dinner time is a time for family (though having many children has inspired them to open their doors to friends), and they both believe that dinner time is a time to take pleasure in what you have and who you have to share it with.

That's all their looking for, except cleaned up for english class.

Answer 2

How one is defined can be sometimes related to money spent on foodstuffs: (a generalization I know. . .)
Poor people in USA eat rice and macaroni cheese, and store bought meat pies (mostly potatoes and gravy) and such like that is cheap and plentiful and filling.
Rich people have great variety in their foods: Meats: pork, beef, chicken, turkey, fish
Cheeses: fancy ones and plain ones
Veggies: peas carrots asparagus and all kinds of fancy expensive veggies.

Now, depending upon your income level (your dad or mom I suppose,) and your ethnic background, which you gave us, you will be eating different things than the person from across your street. You are defined by your diet.

Some people are vegetarians for religious reasons, some are "eat only organic" for health reasons. Some do not touch "white sugar Ugh!" and others will not visit a fast food place because the 'oils are bad for you.'

Diet (not as in getting thinner) is a great marker of people. The doctors around this nation are being visited by obese children because the education system is not teaching about 'good and bad for you' foods. I am not advocating certain foods, but telling that a family is making a statement when their food intake is monitored.

In your essay, mention the foods you eat for different seasonal times: Christmas dinner, T'giving meal, food around the birthdays, ball games and other social events. And tell about who comes from far away and who visits, and all that stuff. It will beinteresting I am sure.

Answer 3

It's a tough essay question for families where food doesn't define who they are... but maybe you can think of at least one family traditional meal that brings you all around the table. Say at Thanksgiving there's a food that would never be left off the table because it's a recipe from a late relative (say a great grandmother or aunt). In our family we ALWAYS serve "pumpkin roll cake" on Thanksgiving and Christmas. We can't imagine getting together on those two holidays without having it as one of our desserts because it was the first thing I ever learned to bake on my very own (and it's delicious!). We also place a dish of cranberry sauce on the table on Thanksgiving - despite the fact that no-one uses it. It's in memory to our maternal Grandmother who always served cranberry sauce at her holiday dinners. I also bake Irish Soda Bread every St. Patrick's Day, because my mother was born in Ireland and it helps me celebrate my Irish heritage.

So, find something that your family enjoys baking, eating, serving that has a memory attached to it - even if you have to use your imagination a bit. I hope this is somewhat helpful?

Answer 4

I guess it's just really asking you how food affects your background and culture. What do you and your family eat on a daily basis? What do you eat on holidays? Where does the foood come from? Who usually cooks in your family? Things like that. Good luck with your essay! :)

Answer 5

I think that what they are asking for is what foods do you and your family eat on a regular and where did those foods come from. For example, people of Germanic descent might like bratwurst or Sauerbraten. People of English descent might like steak and kidney pie. The other part is to explain how this descent from these other places has helped define who you are.
That's my take on it.

Answer 6

i think the idea is to explain about your culture. like i am half puertorican, black, and white. the foods are very diverse in my house because we like the fast foods(taco bell etc)and we like arroz con pollo, and if i get my dad to cook he will make sweet potato pie. as for defining the food explain what you like and dont like. dont read into the whole essay. just do the best you can
good luck

Answer 7

well, i'm not sure what your ethnicity is, but i think it might be easy to think about the food that your family normally eats - especially at holidays or large family meals. would your thanksgiving be a thanksgiving without mashed potatoes and gravy? turkey? a corn dish? etc.
my thanksgiving would not be complete without greens, sweet potatoes and cornbread. i'm black and that's just what we eat.
when defining themselves by food, for example, hispanics may strongly identify with homemade tortillas and tamales....
i hope that helps...good luck!

Answer 8

it probably means that how does the food you eat reflect your culture/ethnicity.

Answer 9

If you don't eat, you die.

The food you make and eat is your identity.

You are what you eat.