09/09/2026
Food is much more than nutrition. Mealtime rituals and ways of preparing food contain the traditions and the identities of a culture, community, family. Food carries symbolical values and is a means of cultural representation and exchange. Through food we can get to know others, it is usually one of the first ways of contact with another culture.
Food traditions are not set in stone, they evolve in contact with others. They become richer and more interesting, taking on new meanings and identities. It is a good reminder that what we think has always been the same and shouldn’t change - actually is a result of change, one that happened many years ago.
For example, tomatoes came from Latin America and became accepted in the Mediterranean cuisine after people made sauce with it - making it something that is easily absorbed into the traditional way of cooking and eating.
For me tomato sauce is connected to childhood summers. One year when I was in Mexico, after some 7 years of living in Sweden, I bought tomatoes at a local market. When I started chopping them - I noticed juice dripping from them into the bowl - it made me cry because I realized I hadnät even noticed how long it’s been since I’ve eaten tomatoes like those. During this period I started becoming aware of all the other things (not only food related) that I had taken for granted and am now starting to miss more and more living in another, very different culture. So I started to make up for all those - in the kitchen. I brought plates and bowls (and textiles), both from Mexico (my husband's home) and Croatia. I started making traditional holidays recipes that my grandmother used to make. Together with my husband we started inviting people over for Mexican dinners. Our kitchen became a place for gathering, creating community and feeling of belonging.
🪡 this is why I am doing Threads&Rituals workshop where we explore traditions, rituals, feelings of home, belonging, nostalgia and how we deal with them... more info on the link in bio! ☕️
(book tip: Montanari, M. The culture of food)
