Programs In Food
Recently, I’ve had an interview with Marishka. Marishka is a kitchen facilitator at South Riverdale Community Health Centre. We had discussed many aspects of cooking and buying ingredients to actually being in the food industry.
‘What do you want to be?’ is a question teenagers get asked often. It’s a time when we’re starting to figure out our job and our role in society. It can be a lot of pressure to know what you want to do before entering Post-Secondary. Marishka says otherwise, as she only discovered her passion later on.
Surrounded in cooking, and finding it appealing already, it was only a rough seed that bloomed into her current job. As a kitchen facilitator, Marishka makes takeaway meals for those in need in the community, as well as sells food for a more affordable price to the community.
Her role plays a part in helping food become more affordable to those who live in areas where food is more expensive. Ever since the pandemic, the prices of food have increased. Not only that, but Marishka and her organization had to move online.
Lessons that would be taught in person had been switched to virtual screens, everyone from their individual kitchens. This challenge also can new opportunities for people such as newcomers, who wanted to begin from somewhere.
The online room poses less anxiety for many, rather than standing in front of others, hands shaking whilst looking at a bunch of carrots. It also gave others the opportunity to talk about their culture – a prominent conversation today.
Food And Culture
Food is a vessel for connection between people and culture. Food fills in the gaps of unknown parts of identities, no matter the age group. Many cultures have always brought their food to the table, but until recently, we have sheepishly denied them from our palettes.
Marishka has personally felt the disconnect and had reconnected when she visited her Grandma, who was the vestige of her culture. Often, as children grow up in a culture that is not their cultural heritage, the thread between them and their cultural identity thins. It can snap all together, or it can be hidden, depending on the environment.
Marishka’s program helps stabilize the thread between people who feel disconnected from their culture – especially teens. Similar to careers, teens are in the stage of collecting subcultures to form their own personal identities. Some may feel the discontent of not knowing their own ‘mother’ language, or not knowing how to correctly wear their cultural outfit.
It’s a muddy path, one covered in confusion, with no label saying ‘start here’, or even better, ‘exit here’.
Food is a beginner’s way of connection; a process that is already in our lives, and has been changed over centuries with care and collection. The importance of food cannot be stressed enough. We often also forget about the ease of food creativity. Food is an easy beginning to opening up to yourself and to your cultural identity.
Those foods you may have shunned could be good, with a little love!
Beginners And Food
Beginning in food can seem daunting for anyone who hasn’t laid hands on a measuring spoon – or, too tiring for someone who’s called ‘it’s ready!’ a few million times. But, a mutual bridge between veterans and beginners is to try.
Whether it’s trying old or new, all trying is a try worth investing into. Relearning experiences is not only valuable as a cook but as a person trying to contribute to localizing food systems. Trying to make a cultural dish that didn’t go too well last year is a great way to invest in local Afro shops or Indian shops.
Of course, it can be daunting! That’s why it’s better to try new things with a group. In Marishka’s program, beginners and veterans alike all participate in trying something new. Whether it’s Jollof or Roti, it’s always fun.
Failing once doesn’t mean failing forever. Even if it tastes bad the first and second time – the third time’s a charm! There’s no harm in trying. Whilst trying to preserve food, it’s also a waste to not try to use them in versatile ways. Even if it isn’t your own cultural food, it gives you a new lens on things such as accessibility, safety and cultural diversity – which you can find in our episode with Marishka.
The bite of the apple is it’s okay to feel out of place in your culture, especially if you’re so far away from your roots, or you’re homesick for having to travel so far away. Food can bridge that gap, though, expensive for many ethnic groups. Even if you failed at making a dish once, try again!
It’s okay to fall whilst climbing.
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Watch Gabrielle’s interview with Marishka starting Monday, February 21 as part of our Careers in Food Systems Interview Series