This is incredibly beautiful. Thank you so much for sharing. Food is such a prominent in our memories of how we grew up. All of this is delicious, by the way.
What a beautiful story. And yes, I do agree that food is often a reminder of home. I think meals are a central part of most countries in Asia (it certainly is where I'm from and I see it a lot more in other countries too). When we have friends or family who have migrated abroad and come back here, the first food we always with them is local food. And it always brings tears to their eyes because, for them, it's a welcome back home, a memory of their lives growing up here before they moved abroad.
Yes! Food is tied to how we grew up, no matter the circumstances. I think that's why the food our mother cooked for us is the best (for so many of us). I'll take it over any Michelin-starred restaurant (although those are nice, too, of course).
Thank you, Marianne, for leaving this comment. That's exactly how I felt. Even as a child, I remember feeling guilty for being so worked up...but I was still upset for a while.
This story brought me to tears - not only the content, but a reminder that my grandma was also a great cook. Growing up, we always had company and guests staying with us, mostly because my grandma would offer them a taste of home (China, and later Taiwan) through her cooking and her hospitality. I took all of this for granted & assumed that it was easy cooking fresh meals from scratch everyday. Although I helped my grandma with the cooking, I didn't really pay attention to how she did everything. Now that my grandma has passed, I wish I had spent more time in recording her recipes and her stories.
Thank you for your lovely comment, Swan. I empathesize with your feelings. My mother never encouraged me to cook - just study. I truly think I would've been better off studying less and cooking with her. 💜
I had only one such moment with my paternal grandmother, who enlisted me to slice vegetables for “lumpiang hubad”. But she always loved to cook for her large extended family.
On a side note, I’m fascinated by how broad Chinese cooking is—and I say this as a guy who lives almost next door, in the Philippines! And my favorite part of my two visits to Taipei is eating in between stops to wherever. And in those stops as well, haha.
What a beautiful story—nice way to start my Saturday. But also, I felt the pain of having your lunch taken away from you. Unknowingly.
Home-cooked meals do make a difference, huh? I myself cook, and it’s one of the things I leaned into after a difficult (on one side) break-up. Just told myself I can now cook whatever I want without thinking of the ex’s many, many allergies... I suppose I coped.
Thank you so much, Niko. And home-cooked meals really do hit differently. I am not a great cook by any means, but my son says that my cooking is his favorite (next to his grandmother's). It's because he's accustomed to it. And I'm sure when he goes off to college one day, he'll miss even the simple things I had made for him. I hope you have a lovely weekend!
This is incredibly beautiful. Thank you so much for sharing. Food is such a prominent in our memories of how we grew up. All of this is delicious, by the way.
Thank you, Kyunghee. I can still visualize all the food on the table and it takes me back to that time.
What a beautiful story. And yes, I do agree that food is often a reminder of home. I think meals are a central part of most countries in Asia (it certainly is where I'm from and I see it a lot more in other countries too). When we have friends or family who have migrated abroad and come back here, the first food we always with them is local food. And it always brings tears to their eyes because, for them, it's a welcome back home, a memory of their lives growing up here before they moved abroad.
Yes! Food is tied to how we grew up, no matter the circumstances. I think that's why the food our mother cooked for us is the best (for so many of us). I'll take it over any Michelin-starred restaurant (although those are nice, too, of course).
Your story showed how kind your mother is; our perspective of your mother’s friend changed drastically after hearing her story.
Thank you, Marianne, for leaving this comment. That's exactly how I felt. Even as a child, I remember feeling guilty for being so worked up...but I was still upset for a while.
This story brought me to tears - not only the content, but a reminder that my grandma was also a great cook. Growing up, we always had company and guests staying with us, mostly because my grandma would offer them a taste of home (China, and later Taiwan) through her cooking and her hospitality. I took all of this for granted & assumed that it was easy cooking fresh meals from scratch everyday. Although I helped my grandma with the cooking, I didn't really pay attention to how she did everything. Now that my grandma has passed, I wish I had spent more time in recording her recipes and her stories.
Thank you for your lovely comment, Swan. I empathesize with your feelings. My mother never encouraged me to cook - just study. I truly think I would've been better off studying less and cooking with her. 💜
I had only one such moment with my paternal grandmother, who enlisted me to slice vegetables for “lumpiang hubad”. But she always loved to cook for her large extended family.
On a side note, I’m fascinated by how broad Chinese cooking is—and I say this as a guy who lives almost next door, in the Philippines! And my favorite part of my two visits to Taipei is eating in between stops to wherever. And in those stops as well, haha.
A beautiful story you shared. Our childhood memories are so visceral.
Thank you, Bonnie. They really are, aren't they? I remember that afternoon like it was yesterday.
I started laughing at the beginning and then almost crying at the end.
You tell the best stories - keep sharing please.
Wow, thank you for this lovely comment, Gail. Your encouragement means so much to me. Have a wonderful weekend!
What a beautiful story—nice way to start my Saturday. But also, I felt the pain of having your lunch taken away from you. Unknowingly.
Home-cooked meals do make a difference, huh? I myself cook, and it’s one of the things I leaned into after a difficult (on one side) break-up. Just told myself I can now cook whatever I want without thinking of the ex’s many, many allergies... I suppose I coped.
Thank you so much, Niko. And home-cooked meals really do hit differently. I am not a great cook by any means, but my son says that my cooking is his favorite (next to his grandmother's). It's because he's accustomed to it. And I'm sure when he goes off to college one day, he'll miss even the simple things I had made for him. I hope you have a lovely weekend!