These two pieces dug deep into each author’s connection between food and real life. Both authors began their narratives reminiscing about their parents, spurred by a connection with the food they were eating. Ahn, holds vivid memories of his mother’s cooking and its connection with Korean culture. After his parent’s death Ahn reconciled with Korean cuisine that symbolically “filled the void” his parents had left. Nicholson connected “white” foods to his mother because of her peculiar preference for them. While we may find this habit strange, Nicholson writes about it with a sort of detached indifference, as if it were a totally normal condition.
Both authors also connected food with their cultural backgrounds. For Ahn Korean food represented his childhood and Korean culture which he hopes to pass on to his son. When he first moved to America he detested it, preferring his new friend’s American cuisine to his parent’s traditional food. This resentment stemmed from Ahn’s assimilation into American culture at a young age and the inevitable backlash towards Korean culture. For Nicholson white food, particularly Cheshire cheese, symbolized Britain, where his mother grew up.
These essays got me wondering what kind of food I symbolically attach to my parents. I thought and thought but for the life of me I cannot recall any food off the top of my head. As I read though Ahn and Nicholson again before writing I realized that both didn’t know how much a type of food meant to them until they were tasting, smelling and experiencing it. Then they could turn its significance into words. Next time I have a fleeting memory or feeling while eating I am going to take a second, sit back and wonder, what significance does this hold for me?
