Fitting in Through Food

My name is Jimmy Roller, I was born in Ohio but I have moved many times. I have moved ten times and lived in six different states. I my experience, one of the easiest ways to connect with an area you have just moved to, is through food. A walk around a local grocery store can reveal more about a region or city then any chamber of commerce. Regional food can give insight into the history, culture and core values of particular region.

 My family recently just moved back to Youngstown Ohio. I walked through the grocery store, and I noticed an entire aisle devoted to olive oil. I had never seen so much olive oil. I looked at all the different types of oil from virgin toe extra virgin, clear bottles to dark bottles and Greek to Italian olives. I finally turned to an old Italian lady standing behind me and asked the difference between the different types of oil. This woman went on to explain what I assume was Einstein’s theory of relativity. Even thought many words coming out of this women's mouth passed over my head. I did however realize how rich Youngstown Ohio is in Italian culture.

Before Moving to Youngstown I lived just outside Kansas City Missouri. In Kansas City instead of having an entire aisle devoted to olive oil, there was an entire aisle devoted to bar-b-que sauce. I learned in school that Kansas City was the central hub of the beef industry in the nineteenth century. It makes sense that the city built by beef is in love with the most red meat oriented style of cooking in the world.

I also lived in Mississippi, bayou country. The bayou is most famous for Cajun food. Crawfish and Catfish are the most common meats used both very cheap. Once my parents were having work done on their house. One of the workers asked if he could catch the crawfish in the creek on our property. My family had no problem with this so we of course allowed him to fish our creek. After he was done he told us how embarrassing it was to ask if he could fish our creek, because when he was young crawfish was "poor food," and it was shameful to admit that you ate crawfish. That stigma has mostly disappeared from the Deep South, but Cajun dishes do serve a reminder of how difficult life once was in the south.

I would not have taking the time to understand food cultures of the different regions I have lived; It would have been even more difficult trying to fit in as the new kid. Food is an easy way to connect with others because it is such an essential part of our lives. Eating is something everyone does, yet we all do it very differently.