America, This is Why We Need to Make Our Comfort Snacks a Little More Awesome
Perhaps we think of macaroni—gooey and warm and oh so scrumptious, or maybe just a good old peanut butter and jelly sandwich to wind down the long, sometimes harrowing school day. However, across the world, peanut butter may not be as prominent in the selection of after school snacks or general go-to “comfort foods” as we see in the United States.
Brianna Virabouth — Laos
From the landlocked, southeast Asian country of Laos, an array of spices and peculiar ingredients rule the tasteful cuisine. Freshman Brianna Virabouth, whose family originates from Laos tells us of the dishes she most closely identifies with. Nam Khao, an all-time fave she describes as a fried rice ball that “tastes like popcorn,” is quintessentially that. Any choice of meat, lime, pepper and veggies are ground into a paste and combined with a palm sized portion of rice where it is shaped into a tight ball and then fried. Sheer perfection. The second dish, “keng no mai”, a bamboo and pumpkin soup is the face of Brianna’s “comfort” food. Filled with lemongrass, mushrooms, gourd, and Yanang leaves, the soup creates the ultimate dispeller of misery,—a hearty and homey pick me up.
Alex Ahlstrom— Sweden
Further North, in the land of Scandinavia, the Swedes conjure an alarmingly fantastic take on foods from other cultures. Alex Ahlstrom, born and brought up in Sweden, explains the unconventionality of Swedish cooking and the love that derives from its spunk. Pineapple tacos to curry and lamb mignon pizzas are a common favorite amongst the population. When asked which foods or dishes he wishes he’d see pop up more in the states, Alex instantaneously responded with “the pizzas.” Obviously. Sweet mouth waterers—a Christmas time coke “Julmust”, wine loaded with nuts and raisins “Glogg”, and the ever- nostalgic cinnamon buns with a sugar dusting give a glimpse into the warm, familial undernotes of Swedish cooking.
Kincaid Aquino — Philippines
Another interviewee, from the Philippines, very affiliated with his culture, Kincaid Aquino. Kincaid describes his favorite food as lumpia. Lumpia is a delicious meat and vegetable blend, finely chopped, wrapped in a thin wonton wrapper also known as a lumpia wrapper. Once rolled in the wrapper it is fried, or sometimes baked, and the wonton wrapper becomes crispy and captivating to the taste buds. Vegetarian lumpia is also an option. Dipping it in pure vinegar may sound odd in America, but that is how Pacific Islanders do it. For the meat lumpia, they alternatively use a sweet chili sauce. Kincaid confirmed Adobo, a chicken potato blend paired with rice, as his comfort food. As family gatherings Mr. Aquino’s favorite dish is Pancit—a dish made with rice noodles and sautéed vegetables with sometimes a dash of soy sauce for that salty flavor. According to Kincaid, the delightful Filipino foods are influenced by their neighboring countries to make a unique blend of multicultural foods creating the tasty assortment of Filipino cuisine.
Creative snacking is not limited to the adventurous. Throw a little curry into your next bowl of noodles. Find a local Asian market and hunker down for some fried rice balls. It’s time for a bit of restocking in our pantries.