How Food Tells the Story of Who We Are
We grow up knowing food is fuel, that we need it to survive and that is what motivates us. In my household, I would come home from school and do homework until food was ready. I hardly thought about food in any other way than satisfying my hunger. It wasn’t until later on in my life when I made the connection.
The smell, the flavor of the food I grew up with was part of my identity. Filipino food connected me to experiences I could share with my family—because access to it felt limited in the area of where I grew up. It made those moments even more meaningful. It taught me about my culture, the stories that came with it. When I asked my mom about where she learned how to cook Filipino food, it was through recipes shared with her. As I grew older, being able to have these recipes is more than cooking the food I love. It’s history. It is through these shared stories that are passed down from generation to generation, with some changes along the way.
Knowing this, I realized the world navigates through stories too.
Food has been a way to connect, not only within families, but all over the world. We share the recipes, the traditions and part of who we are. It tells others about where we come from, that I want to bring part of my culture to you.
The expansion of other foods began in my adolescent years, but I cannot explain what drew me to Italian cuisine. Maybe I grew up loving pasta-based dishes. Maybe because it was different from my culture. Maybe one school project about the country of Italy was the beginning of it all.
Through this experience, it landed me in a nutrition degree to explore food and culture, where I learned about other cultural groups and their ties to food. This class had solidified my interest, as I felt it contributed to my values of seeing the world. It’s part of why food is universal, because it brings together people from different backgrounds. A language we speak before words can even be expressed. Research supports what many of us feel. That the foods we grow up with are deeply tied to our sense of identity and belonging. Studies have found that cultural food practices involve connection of individuals to their roots, that access to these foods plays a meaningful role in overall well-being. Food is not just nourishment for the body. It is nourishment of who we are.
Think back to your earliest memory of an experience with food and how it made you feel. Not just a recipe–a single moment. A dish that provided care, like a warm hug. A memory is more than nostalgia; it is part of who you are.
Every culture tells its own stories as told by food. Across borders, languages, and generations—it sits at the center of every gathering. No matter where we come from, who we are with. Food has a way of finding common ground. And that is what makes it universal.
So I want to ask you:
What does your food story look like? What dishes shaped you? What flavors take you back? Whatever your answer, know it belongs here.
This space was built for stories like yours. Bring your culture, your memories and curiosity with you. All are welcome here. Because Food As Medicine is more than a concept. It is the heart of every reflection.