Aury Bailon

October 4, 2021

 

Beyond what I Loss

I am a lover of Venezuelan food because each dish is accompanied by a touch of emotions. Venezuelan food is influenced by different cultures like European, West African, Italian, French, and Indigenous traditions. Each region of Venezuela has its own tradition. I grew up in an Andean region, which is famous for the best coffee, and a dish called pizca andina. Beyond the flavor, which is delicious, a mix of emotions and good memories come to my mind. I could summarize Venezuelan food with three aspects its incomparable taste, environment, and its special customs.

In Venezuela, all the vegetables have a distinguished taste.  For this reason, each dish is unique in flavor. One of my favorite Venezuelan dishes is el sancocho. It is basically a vegetable soup. When I arrived in the United States, I was craving sancocho and I found a Venezuelan restaurant in Chicago. The taste dish was disappointing from what was expected for me.  Despite having the same ingredients, it did not have the same flavor that I remember eating in my country. Dishes, ingredients, flavors, are aspects that keep alive the roots of each country. Preparing Venezuelan food in my home now has been my only option to keep connected with my Venezuelan culture since I moved to Chicago.

In addition, there are some special places in Venezuela that I used to visit to eat and spend time with family and friends. Since I moved to Chicago, I have not found places where I can feel the same happiness. For instance, Venezuelans are happy and friendly people, so I think it is the reason why typical food Venezuelan has become so special. In Venezuela, it is typical to have a restaurant at home, and consequently, I can feel a cozy place in each restaurant that I visit. Also, I am a lover of bread, but not all kinds of bread. One of the places I used to visit after getting off work was a small bakery with the best sweet bread fresh out of the oven accompanied with a delicious coffee. Besides the good taste of the bread, what I miss the most is that cozy place.

Furthermore, in Venezuela, there are special parties where the food is very important. December Is the happiest month in Venezuela because the most popular dish, in particular, is la Hallaca. Without Hallaca there is no Christmas. Since I arrived in the United States, I keep the tradition of eating Hallaca each December. In Chicago, there are three Venezuelan restaurants and each one has their own way of making the hallaca. Despite that I can buy the typical food from my country here in Chicago, it does not satisfy me because I am no longer in those places. For instance, December 25 and New Year’s Day are special days in Venezuela. Family members gather at each other’s houses and make the mentioned typical dish called sancocho, which is commonly prepared outside. This is just one of the memories that are missing in Chicago.

Therefore, what I have lost the most is not only a particular food, but it is the mix of delicious food accompanied by marvelous family and friendly people. In my opinion, our memories never can change because they allow us to keep our roots and our identity. Nonetheless, when I go to any other country that I have decided to live in, I can start my own tradition surrounded by new friendships and new traditions that will become my new world.