Hispanic Food Choices: A Cultural Affair
| July 31, 2012 | Posted by Marisol under Cooking, Recipes |
Photo courtesy of The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
I was reading a blog that described the cultural contrast between Hispanics’ food preferences and American’s food choices by saying that Hispanics prefer heavier food, like rice and beans, over a sandwich at lunch time because it’s a cultural tradition passed on through family generations. I felt so identified and connected with the Hispanic author’s description, because no one can take away from me my rice and beans over a sole sandwich or a salad. It is how I was fed while growing up and I love it!
I think that in some Latin American cultures the salad gets replaced by delicious fried carbs or starches like yuca, plantains (tostones), ripe bananas (maduros); seafood or corn fritters and boiled tamales to name a few examples. In other Latin American countries where salad is regularly served with meals is usually the simple lettuce and tomato with some cucumbers and carrots added occasionally. And of course there are Latino family preferences that include more steamed or raw vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, green beans or corn on their salads.
When I moved to northern Florida I became more aware about the nutritional importance of consuming more fruits and vegetables, as it’s the American cultural environment that surrounds me. So I admit I’ve become somewhat acculturated. I’ve developed a friendlier approach to eating salads for lunch more often, I now accept the existence of collard greens and sometimes I switch pasta for spaghetti squash for a change.
Evidently, nutritional education and awareness has far more outreach and effect –worldwide- nowadays. But, I wonder if other Latino immigrants acculturate to American food trends that are related to consuming fruits and vegetables? Would they include more produce on traditional Hispanic recipes? Here are a few examples:
