Every dish is unique to a particular culture, so it is safe to say that food is a big factor in defining a culture. Elements of these dishes help distinguish cultures, from the ingredients of the dish to the presentation of it on the table. In Jhumpa Lahiri’s The Namesake, we often come across the mention of food. The curried lamb with potatoes, biryani and samosas Ashima Ganguli prepare come hand in hand with the Indian culture and define the childhood of her American-born son, Gogol. As Gogol grows up though, he starts to dislike many aspects of his culture, such as the food.

As a child, all I ate was Chinese food, with a couple of McDonald’s Happy Meals here and there. My Chinese parents only prepared food using a big wok situated on top of the stove, using the kitchen oven to store pots and pans instead of cooking dishes such as lasagna. I remember for one month, I refused to eat rice because I was sick of having it everyday. My friends with American-born parents had spaghetti for dinner one night, and some sort of meat with mashed potatoes another night. I always had rice with multiple dishes placed in front of me. A dish of steamed fish. Another of stir-fried broccoli. Another of who knows what. I remember wanting a dinner that was American, a dinner that was normal sounding. I grew sick of Chinese food just like Gogol with Indian food.

I feel silly thinking back on the younger me. Refusing to eat rice was sort of like refusing my Chinese culture. Sure, I am American-born but many of my ancestors before me were Chinese and not following their ways would be disrespectful. Now that I’m older and can go out on my own, I’m able to experience other cultures and their foods and still enjoy Chinese food at home. Because hey, who doesn’t like Chinese food?