Posted in: Nutrition / Nutrition Talk

“Food for thought” Feb 17th

Hello blenders! How are you doing today? Thank you Julia for asking me to contribute to this post.

First of all, what a great topic you chose yesterday Esther! 👏🏽 We really had some great discussions, and I enjoyed every comments. Thank you!

Now, moving on to today’s topic. Yesterday we discussed our “eating culture” at home. Today I want to remain in similar area but increase the horizon a bit. I would like to know more about your thoughts on “globalisation and food cultures”.

I grew up in a homogeneous ethnic society in Bangladesh where we are all brown people, eating rice and curry twice a day. I didn’t grow up with TV/internet to learn much about different cuisines. Then at the age of 27, I hopped on a plane for the first time to come all the way to Italy. I was shocked by how naturally healthy Italians are. It’s not that everyone is walking with 6-pack abs. They are just living well through their 80s, active, but still enjoying their pizza and pasta.

Over the years while living in Italy and then in France, I made many good friends who fed me well! I fell in love with Mediterranean food and started to incorporate that in my diet. Then I got married to a Ukrainian and moved to Australia. Currently our food habit is like 40% Mediterranean, 30% South Asian, 20% western (west Europe + America) and 10% East European. Our dinner table talk is mostly about explaining each other certain food that the other never heard of. The other day I was video calling my in-laws back in Minsk, to show them okra from my veggie garden, because they never heard of it! I would definitely like to learn more about East European cooking but my husband is not helping, he is a terrible cook! 😝

Some weeks ago, I made some Bengali flat bread, fill them with Mexican style beef burrito meat, ate with my Ukrainian husband while living in Australia. I was very emotional, thinking- “what a life I am living!” 😊

What about you guys? Did globalisation change the way you eat? Is your food habit influenced by traveling? Do family/friends from different ethnicities inspire you to try something new? Or you are not a person to experiment with your food? Would love to hear from you all.

Edited