Category Archives: Foodways

New Year’s Salad

Nationality: Russian
Age: 19
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles, CA
Performance Date: 3/27/18
Primary Language: Russian
Language: English

This informant is from Russia and shares a common holiday recipe amongst her family. On New Year’s Eve, she explains that Russians usually puts salad called “olivye” on the table amongst the various food items they eat. This salad includes potato, bologna or some kind of meat, with either/or, eggs, pickles, cucumbers, boiled carrots, onions, mayonnaise, which can be replaced by sour cream, salt, and canned peas. She explained that it always has be there for New Year’s Eve. The main attraction of this meal is the fact that every year there is always one person who gets super intoxicated and plants their face in the salad. Typically, this person passes out in the salad and when everyone notices, it means that there is good luck for everyone for the year. The informant looked on at this tradition with humor and enjoyment for how silly it is, and acknowledges that it’s not a Russian New Year without this happening. While it is a recipe, it also seems to be a superstitious ritual for good luck. In another version of this New Years salad, Vsevolod Pulya gives a run-down of how exactly her Russian New Year goes. In this version, there is never a time when someone plants their face into the salad. However, the “olivye” salad remains a tradition and it is noted that if there’s any left over, it’s usually a good thing since they can have more of it. This is interesting to contrast with informant’s take on the salad, mainly because everyone won’t be able to have any left overs considering that someone’s is planted in the bowl. I particularly like this one for its quirkiness, but was also grossed out that someone literally plants their face into a bowl of essentially mayonnaise. I also don’t think I’d ever find myself taste testing this Russian delicacy.

 

Pulya, Vsevolod. “How to Ring in the New Year like a Russian.” Russia Beyond, 31 Dec. 2017,   www.rbth.com/lifestyle/327047-celebrate-new-year-like-russian.

Mid-Autumn Festival Food

Nationality: American
Age: 15
Occupation: Student
Residence: San Marino
Performance Date: 3/30/18
Primary Language: English
Language: Mandarin (Chinese)

Interview:

Is there anything you do as a tradition?

 

“On the day of the Mid-Autumn Festival, we eat taro and sesame rice dumplings.”

 

Background:

Though the meaning of the Mid-autumn festival was lost on the subject, she seems to have been able to attribute the traditional food that is eaten during the festival. She had heard from her parents many of the food that should be eaten on certain holidays.   The Mid-autumn festival is a harvest festival that is celebrated by many of the southeastern countries of Asia.  It was often to give thanks for the harvest and gathering of family.  Often also a day seen for praying for longevity and a good future.

 

Analysis:

Often shared among family, food remains a big part of culture and a reminder to family traditions and culture whether or not the meaning behind the festival is remembered.

Birthday Noodles

Nationality: Taiwanese American
Age: 55
Occupation: Software Engineer
Residence: San Marino, CA
Performance Date: 3/30/18
Primary Language: English
Language: Mandarin (Chinese)

Proverb:

“On your birthday you are supposed to eat noodles.  Really long, long noodles.  You almost choked on them.”

 

Background:

My mother told me this custom was passed through the family that was told to her by her family.  According to the folk lore, long noodles were indications of a person’s life span, therefore on the celebration of a birthday, the eating of long noodles represents the wish for the individual’s life to be long and prosperous.  While many no longer believe in the folklore anymore, the symbolism behind this custom becomes a wish of good health and prosperity.

Analysis:

While I distinctly remember that I actually choked on the noodles in this particular event, the retelling of this custom reminded me of the memories from the past.  It is interesting to see how superstitions and folklore can transform to represent something different.  In this example, it becomes a form of tradition that means wishes for a long life.

Zhong zi

Nationality: Taiwanese American
Age: 55
Occupation: Software Engineer
Residence: San Marino, CA
Performance Date: 3/30/18
Primary Language: English
Language: Mandarin (Chinese)

Interview:

“We eat zhong zi (bamboo wrapped rice dumplings) with the rabbit jumping into the moon.

They were throwing young people into the river as human sacrifice, so a queen who thought it was inhumane, threw herself in instead, so people threw zhong zi into the river so the fish wouldn’t eat her body.

The moon goddesses took pity on her so they sent her into the heavens, where she worked with the mochi pounding moon bunnies.

It was called duan wu jie.

After that its counted as summer.  “

 

Background:

This story was passed down to my mother from her family.  Zhong zi is a traditional Chinese food made of sticky rice and different fillings, that is then wrapped with bamboo leaves.  They are traditionally eaten during Duanwu jie, also known as the Dragon boat festival.  This story that was told bears striking similarities to the legend of Duanwu jie.  The original story was about a highly esteemed poet who lived in the kingdom of Chu.  He was known for his patriotism and warned his king of a coming threat.  Because of jealous peers, he was slandered and his warning fell on deaf ears, resulting in the fall of his kingdom.  His grief ended with him throwing himself in the river.  Many people threw zhong zi into the river to also prevent his body from being eaten by fish.  The second part of the tale seems to have similarities to the Japanese and Korean mythology of rabbits that live on the moon who pound sticky rice cakes known as mochi.

Analysis:

Overall, this folk story seems like it was one that was passed down in specific local regions.  While it draws from the more popular existing mythologies, it has qualities unique to itself.     While some of these similarities may be from my mother combining the folk stories that she remembers, it shows the process in which folk stories evolve and change.

Morning Rituals

Nationality: American-Hispanic
Age: 20
Occupation: Student and Cast member at Walt Disney World
Residence: San Antonio, Texas
Performance Date: 3/11/2018
Primary Language: English

Informant Info: The informant is a 20-year-old female who was born and raised in San Antonio, Texas. Her mother is Caucasian, and her father is Hispanic. She currently lives in Orlando, Florida and works for Walt Disney World.

 

Interview Transcript:

Interviewer: Do you have any rituals that you perform? Whether it’s a family tradition or something you have to do for luck or positivity – anything of the sorts?

 

Interviewee: Do morning routines count? Because they are something I take very seriously! It’s like you and coffee!

 

Interviewer: Sure, go ahead!

 

Interviewee: Morning routines are something I take very seriously. As an individual I like to think of myself as spontaneous and very outgoing but before I can do that I have to complete my morning routine. Very contradicting– I know!…. Spontaneity but orderly. It’s a good mix. So, at night I set two alarms. One 3 hours before I have to leave and one 2 hours to allow myself time to fully wake up. Once awake I turn on my shower to get it nice and hot. Then I brush my teeth and put my contacts in. Then I wash my face and take a shower. Once I’m dressed I call my mom while I make my lunch (I think she’s the most essential part to my morning routine). Then I’m off to work but before I go in I have to get Starbucks or some form of coffee. I don’t want to say I’m addicted, but I’m addicted. My day goes horribly wrong if I don’t have it in my system. Then I’m off to conquer my day and I do it all again the next.

 

Analysis:

This does not seem like a traditional ritual, but the informant’s morning ritual is a ritual nonetheless, just on an individual level. Parts of her ritual can also be classified as superstitions that she holds it extremely dear to her daily life. For instance, her belief that her day goes horribly wrong if she doesn’t have coffee is superstitious. There could be many reasons or coincidences as to why her day might be good or bad – not just whether or not she had coffee. (But as someone else who loves coffee, I completely understand where she is coming from).