week 2

     My family answered the question concerning the customs related to food in Costa Rica by explaining the customs they personally practice in their family.  One custom they revealed was the importance for them to have rice, beans, and salad at almost every dinner, and they usually vary meat or fish.  They described rice and beans as foods native of Costa Rica, because it has become their culture’s staple, and in a way an aspect of their identity.

rice, vegetables, and tilapia for dinner

     Another custom they have is that my tica mom always cooks, even now that her children are grown adults.  The daughter’s reasoning for this is because the mom is the one who is home all day.  Along with that, I feel it is more culturally accepted, or even expected, that the mother, the head of the household, cooks the meals.  I am curious of the significance of the mother always cooking.  I wonder if it represents her role as a nurturer for her family, because, differently, I feel in the US, the mother or woman of the household doesn’t wish to have most of her identity seen as the one who provides the meals.  However, I question why that is.  I feel, in the US, mothers strive to be the best, nurturing mother they can be, but they also desire a greater identity, and an independence or role outside of the home.  However, this value again leads me to wonder if the mother became regarded as such a “supreme being” in the US if the role of always cooking the meal for her family would have greater significance.

    Continuing with the strong role of family I have noticed here, my family said that dinner is an important time for them.  Similarly to my family at home, there is the custom of dinner signifying a time to try to have the whole family together.  It is a time to talk about everyone’s day, maintain close relationships, and enjoy a meal together. The fresh, hot meal in the evening exemplifies this value. 

     In the morning, the smaller meal of coffee and fruit signifies a time to be with one’s self.  While these customs are similar to mine in the US, I feel that it is less rushed in Costa Rica.  Here, ticas wake up with the sun, and take time to get ready for their days.

     While I have found the meals to be bigger here than I am used to at home, I have realized at least with my family, there is no snacking in between meals.  Furthermore, I feel the connection to food and culture is representative of another important custom my tica family shared of having fresh food.  We talked in class about how here the food is fresher and more local.  They buy what they need and they know where it comes from.  In the US we go to the store and buy more food than we need, without a second thought, or enough the ability to understand how it got to the store.  No one thinks about the strenuous work that went into getting something as simple as a banana to our kitchen.  I feel like this idea is so greatly lacking in the US.  We don’t eat for nourishment, we eat when were stressed or bored, or happy or whenever, and we don’t read the labels, and if we did, we wouldn’t even be able to pronounce most of the ingredients.