Summary
It didn’t take long to choose whom I would interview for this project regarding connections between food and culture. I couldn’t think of anyone better than my Bolivian mother, Mercedes Canonge, who has a strong adoration for her country, family, and the art of cuisine. Through childhood stories and warm memories shared with me in the interview, I captured the strong impact that food has in our lives and the connection it has to the formation of cultural identities. A better understanding of my own culture was achieved after hearing my mother’s detailed explanations of our customs and family rituals around food that I didn’t take the time to embrace fully before this conversation.
Although Mercedes’ cultural identity was only beginning to form while growing up in Bolivia, her traditions and food habits were introduced to new ones when she migrated to the United States at only 17 years old and expanded the development of her cultural identity. In search of better education and opportunities, Mercedes traveled to New York City and joined her older brother, Hector, who studied there for a couple of years. My mother explains that she experienced many cultural challenges regarding language and customs. Still, she overcame them quickly as she considers New York City a culturally welcoming environment that never made her feel left out. Her cultural identity expanded as she lived most of her life in New York City after migrating. She adopted some American traditions and grew very fond of a particular one: Thanksgiving. Mercedes loved the idea of bringing loved ones together and sharing food. Now she can’t imagine not celebrating it every year, hosting the event herself for all her loved ones and preparing the food with lots of devotion.
The project and interview allowed me to understand how food and our cultural customs are essential throughout our lives and relationships with others. The interview with my mother, Mercedes, opened my eyes to new ways to look at our family traditions and rituals. Before I didn’t put much thought into it, but now I realize that these aspects influence who we are and that every little piece of culture that we grew up with, discovered, and engaged with, helps create the unique cultural identity each of us has.
Transcript
Sofia: Hello! How are you?
Mercedes: I’m fine, thank you.
Sofia: Perfect
Sofia: My name is Sofia Canonge. I’m here with my mother, Mercedes Canonge. We will be engaging in an interview focused on learning about the connections between food culture, migration, and the concept of home.
Sofia: I’m currently conducting the interview here in my apartment in Queens while Mercedes–my mom, is connected from Santa Cruz, Bolivia. She will be helping me understand these cultural connections through stories or her experiences regarding the importance of food in her culture and her experience of migration to New York City.
Sofia: With this, we will begin… Are you comfortable mom?
Mercedes: Yes I am, thank you.
Sofia: Great! So tell us about yourself and your culture.
Mercedes: Well, my name is Mercedes Canonge. I’m a designer, fashion designer as a profession. Now I own a company. I’m living in Bolivia, in Santa Cruz. I came back nine years ago.
Mercedes: Well about my culture, it’s a combination of two or more cultures here in Bolivia. Actually my father came from Argentina and he shared an Italian & Catalan background. My mother is from Bolivia, from a city that is called Cochabamba. I was born also in Cochabamba. So I had a mix of cultures. Argentinian and Bolivian and a fusion even in food.
Sofia: Can you describe to us your experience in migrating from Bolivia to New York City?
Mercedes: I graduated from high school at the age of 16 and my parents decided that I had to go to New York. My brother was already there studying, and I had to go to New York and start my studies in the US. So I left my country at the age of 17, always thinking that it would be the best and the better. And yes, I had a good experience in New York. I love the city. I learned so many things. Different cultures that I would never think of, and I've been grateful and very happy to have that opportunity to live in the states, especially in New York, and meet a lot of people meet a lot of friends. Meet a lot of cultures, get in touch with the cultures. Learned their cultures through food, through celebrations, and in dresses and costumes, and all that that you can only have in a place like New York. Especially in Queens.
Sofia: What type of challenges did you experience?
Mercedes: Cultural challenges, maybe not too many. Maybe not too many because I was 17. I turned 18 in the States. Not too many because I was too young, and when you’re young, you adapt easier and faster. Perhaps the language you know, which is not a cultural thing but still was a challenge for my language because I knew a little bit of English, but I couldn't speak or understand clearly. New York, they do have an accent a very heavy one. See, that was one of the things. Perhaps another one was the fact that the school that I went to learn English was actually LaGuardia community college. That's when that's where I learned English and I met a lot of people. A lot of people from different countries and the challenge for me was to accommodate to each culture and try to befriend them and yeah perhaps that was a challenge because so many things happening in their culture which I didn't know. Yeah, that could be.
Sofia: So now we will begin with cultural questions and food questions. Do you have any specific cultural connections to food?
Mercedes: Cultural connections with food yes. Let's start with my mother. Culturally in Bolivia, we didn't connect too much with the actual Bolivian. Food or culture in that. In that part we had our own and our family we were kind of different. But then when my father came we actually enjoyed the food and culture that he brought, which was very different. He cooked and that was the best part of my life. Watching him, cooking and that's where I learned also, and the people that used to help at home; they were people that actually had a culture. Believing culture in themselves and I also learned from them to love my Bolivian culture. Yes, I don't know what else is the question. I don't know, so is that okay?
Sofia: It's perfect don't worry. Can you share a story about one of those connections?
Mercedes: Yeah, both those people that used to help us at home used to bring their own culture and my grandmother used to allow them to cook for us those foods that represent them you know, and bring their own condiments you know. Especially in products and fruits and vegetables that they eat for example “chuño”. We never had that at home so I used to enjoy having those tastes on my plate and from my father's side watching him Saturdays make pasta from scratch and make all the tucos and bread and all those things that were enjoyable.
Sofia: In your life are there any important rituals or habits around food?
Mercedes: Yes, in my house my grandmother and my mother. My grandmother was the “La Reina de la Casa”. It was my grandmother who used to ask the person that would have the birthday the food that the person likes so they will cook and prepare that food for that day. That was a ritual yes. In the morning before you go to start your activities or to go out and work and go to school whatever, she will prepare this drink that it's “batido de huevo hasta punto nieve” and then you serve it in a glass and you pour “bicervicina”. It's delicious and then from my father's side was that he will invite the entire family. Not only us but cousins uncles everybody 30 people or 50 people at home and he would cook pasta. He would cook pasta and everybody
would eat and all the kids will come and play and that was nice yeah.
Sofia: Okay, can you share some background about these rituals?
Mercedes: Well yes, the background for my mother's side was that my grandmother came from a background that was Spaniard and they have that ritual to do it first thing in the morning and to also cook for them. Now that I’m married I can share some other rituals because they prepare very authentic Bolivian food with “aji” which is chili. For each birthday it doesn't matter if it's an adult or a kid, they make three dishes: aji de cola, aji de lengua, y aji de pollo. And all that is served at a big table full of other guarniciones or little dishes and it's a big celebration and before when everybody's together they give you a drink, made a cocktail made out of tangerine and a traditional drink here which is called singani similar to vodka. And you drink that and you open the celebration. Open the food area whatever and you enjoy that. That's a very traditional way of celebrating here in Bolivia.
Sofia: Perfect. Now, is food part of special holidays and celebrations in your life? Can you describe that particular food and the reason why it's important?
Mercedes: Celebrations well the birthdays as I detailed it's a very good way to have like a holiday. Your birthday it's a holiday in Bolivia and in my house, it's a holiday. Before when I was a kid if you wanted you didn't have to go to school it was a holiday it was your birthday. And a lot of people used to ask for a free day, a personal day because it was a birthday. It was a big celebration and for me it stayed that way. Even now you know my birthday is the most important day in my life because it's one more year for me. And another celebration for me now it's a very important celebration: it's Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving yes, I adopted from the United States that cultural, ritual, celebration which for me is very important because I got the meaning that it's cooking with love for your loved ones and having them together and sharing what you cook. So I learned how to make turkey and I try to do it with so much love so they can feel it when they're eating because that's one thing I learned from my family. My father and my grandmother and my mom that the food has to be cooked with love. Yeah…
Sofia: Are there specific cooking techniques or tools for preparing food that have a special meaning in your community?
Mercedes: Yes they have a lot. They do have a lot but unfortunately, I didn't get to use them or you know to share them but I've seen them in my house. It's one thing that I can describe as a tool it's called a batan. Batan is “una piedra cuadrada que esta tallada y que tiene una base hundida y tiene otra piedra que es ovalada y que se agarra asi y se muelle”. So you put you can put chilis, you can put corn, you can make this traditional spicy thing that you use to spice your food that is called llajua. It's a mixture of green chili and tomatoes and you use these special leaves that only grow in Bolivia that it's called quirquiña. It's the smell and the taste it’s absolutely wonderful. So you mix that in that stone called batan and in my house, the lady that used to help us that she stayed there I think forever, used to prepare that and my grandmother used to get any kind of piece of bread or any kind of piece of boiled egg and used to make me try it. So for me, that stone in my house was the foundation of cooking and I love that batan. We still have that at home. Yeah, those are one of the tools but they have so many other tools and different regions because Bolivia it's multiethnic they have 33 ethnias so each one has its own way of cooking and tradition and culture. So it's so rich and now that I'm living here these nine years I'm enjoying so much those traditions, the culture. I love it yeah like I've never did before.
Sofia: Are there any parts of your identity that are shaped by a connection you have to food?
Mercedes: With my grandmother, connected me to love what other people cook for you you know because they cook with love and my father I remember my father making pasta, making food, and making me feel so happy but so happy just watching him and that's how I also learned how to make pasta and tucos and all that stuff. Yes those were the connections with food. I can smell and remember things in my life.
Sofia: Have any parts of the food culture in your community changed during your life? if so how and why?
Mercedes: Yeah, I think young people nowadays don't want to eat soups you know. When I grew up they used to make us a lot of corn soup. We have here in Bolivia, we have different types of corn. Color, shape, and we use it in different ways. We have other cereals too like quinoa that we use to make soups so our food was really really rich in nutrients and was very healthy. Nowadays kids and young people don't eat that anymore. They eat other things. But they don't eat that. I think that's what is changing in Bolivia. We're losing that healthy traditional food yes.
Sofia: I remember it was traditional to have first soup, the entree, and then dessert. That used to be traditional.
Mercedes: Yeah and now they just eat one thing and if it is fast food it's better for them.
Sofia: That's very western.
Mercedes: What can I say?
Sofia: Are you concerned about the food culture in your community changing in the future? if so how and why?
Mercedes: I am, I am worried but I believe that everything changes in life. Changes in this world and young people also, change a lot of food habits and rituals and everything and they will somehow make a different culture wherever they are. There will be a lot of fusions of different cultures, of different places, different foods different I don't know and they will create a new one. So that's what I've learned with my kids, you just have to accept the fact that so many things will disappear but some other new things will appear. I hope those new things that appear now as a new emerging culture take little things from the old cultures. You know the best ones.
Sofia: Okay so we are now at the end of the interview. I want to thank you so much for giving me your time. Any thoughts after the interview any comments mom?
Mercedes: Nah, just that I'm so happy that I can help you with this project because I always think that food and cooking it's the most important part of our lives so we have to learn how to appreciate people that cook for us especially. That's what I've learned because whoever is cooking for you is putting too much energy, effort, and love into that food, and you know what? Whenever you eat that food you can actually feel all that in yourself. So as an advice when you cook for somebody never cook when feeling, sad, angry or depressed because you will trespass those feelings to the people that eat so if you feel those things don't cook. Don't feed anybody. Cook and feed when you are happy.
Sofia: Have you seen the movie “Chocolate”?
Mercedes: Yes, oh one of my favorites. I was in New York by the way.
Sofia: When you saw that?
Mercedes: And I loved it, yes and I love it and I realize later with my kids that it's so true. It's very true, yes it is you trespass all your feelings to the people that you're cooking for. My father for example used to sing and he used to be so happy and that's why the food was so delicious that even now I can taste it you know. Yeah, hey my grandmother used to tell the lady that used to help us if you're not feeling well don't cook because we're gonna get sick.
Sofia: I'm gonna leave you with one more question because I'm very curious. What is your favorite Bolivian traditional dish?
Mercedes: My favorite Bolivian traditional dish is something that I love and I really love and it's so easy because it's not something that you have to put so much effort in it you know. It is meat like steak but chunky, it's french fries but not the thin ones like the American ones, but the chunky ones too. It has a lot of tomatoes, a lot of onion and a lot of green chiles which are hot and it has the like frankfurters you know. Then a little bit of cheese if you want to. Boiled egg that is cut into pieces and the best part of it is that you have to get a beer, shake it and “esparcirllo” or “condimentarlo” and then you eat it and that is called “Pique a lo Macho”. Because you have to be a macho man to eat those green chilies with the food.
Sofia: In Spanish what do we call that in Bolivia? Those green chilis...
Mercedes: Locotos! Los locotos verdes y picantosos! Uy! Que rico!
Sofia: That's also my favorite.
Mercedes: Yeah I love it.
Sofia: Where does it come from? What part of Bolivia?
Mercedes: It comes from my city, actually my city Cochabamba is the food kingdom or palace of Bolivia. Why? Because we live eating. We don't eat to live, we live to eat. Because we have breakfast, middle morning dish, lunch, middle afternoon dish, dinner and then late dinner before you go to sleep. Six times and it's not snacks, it’s food food food food food food. We have more than 100 dishes that are cooked every single day in different places and every day they serve traditional food for that day. It's a place where you have to eat and enjoy food with your friends and yeah they drink a lot of beer too.
Sofia: You made me miss Bolivia.
Mercedes: Well when you’re here I'm gonna cook for you okay?
Sofia: Okay so mom, I want to thank you once again. Thank you so much for giving me your time, this really helped me a lot. I think all of your stories, all your experiences are going to help me with my research so thank you so much, mom!
Mercedes: I love you hija and I hope everything goes okay and yes it was my pleasure. It was my pleasure really to talk about my experience with food in New York yeah. I miss New York, I'm going back soon.
Sofia: I love you.
Mercedes: I love you hija. Bye, bye!
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