Jollof rice, a famous dish in West Africa, has been a major topic of argument between Ghanaians and Nigerians for years. These countries fight over the origin of this food and who makes the best jollof rice, despite the fact that ironically, this dish originated from Sierra Leone. In “An Expert’s Theory of Food Television’s Appeal,” Frank Bruni states that people enjoy food channels because it makes them feel peaceful and relaxed. In “Food Traditions: The Thread That Links Generations,” Bonny Wolf discusses how food brings everyone together as a family. Whereas, In “Eating yourself: We consume identity through food?” the author discusses the importance of food in shaping and maintaining people’s identities. Likewise in “Our Moods, Our
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According to Culture Decanted, “what we eat communicates to others our beliefs, cultural and social backgrounds and experiences” (1). Nigerian immigrants have different reasons for eating certain foods, but these reasons define who they are. Yam, a widely popular food in Nigeria, depicts cultural backgrounds of Nigerian immigrants identity, like the annual Yam Festival in the southern part of Nigeria. Based on this festival, yam symbolizes the beliefs of sharing and giving thanks. Despite how difficult it is to purchase yams on a daily basis, Nigerian immigrants in America continue to strive to make this food a part of their diet, especially within a large group of people. This is because they take pride in their traditional beliefs of sharing with others. Yam is an important part of their identity, because through this food, they connect with their heritage. By eating foods like yam, Nigerian immigrant identity shows people how much they value those traditions that were inherited from past …show more content…
During Frank Bruni’s conversation with his friend, readers learn that “fewer and fewer young people know the much-talked-about ideal of home-cooked meals and of families gathering at the table at night to eat them” (1). Nowadays, a lot of families lack family bonding moments because they are unable to spend quality times together. Family bonding activities include cooking as a family and eating together. In other words, food is an essential aspect of family bonding. Nigerian immigrants pride themselves in their abilities to stay connected to their family members, even if this is done through food. One of the most common activity in a Nigerian household is the family bonding moment that consists of eating dinner together while watching a Nigerian movie. Nigerian immigrant identities always strive to maintain this precious family moments because it gives them the feeling of being back in their homeland. They prepare home-cooked meals, like pounded yam with melon and spinach soup, thereby giving them an assurance that they are still who they are as Nigerians, even if they are thousands of miles away from
According to Culture Decanted, “what we eat communicates to others our beliefs, cultural and social backgrounds and experiences” (1). Nigerian immigrants have different reasons for eating certain foods, but these reasons define who they are. Yam, a widely popular food in Nigeria, depicts cultural backgrounds of Nigerian immigrants identity, like the annual Yam Festival in the southern part of Nigeria. Based on this festival, yam symbolizes the beliefs of sharing and giving thanks. Despite how difficult it is to purchase yams on a daily basis, Nigerian immigrants in America continue to strive to make this food a part of their diet, especially within a large group of people. This is because they take pride in their traditional beliefs of sharing with others. Yam is an important part of their identity, because through this food, they connect with their heritage. By eating foods like yam, Nigerian immigrant identity shows people how much they value those traditions that were inherited from past …show more content…
During Frank Bruni’s conversation with his friend, readers learn that “fewer and fewer young people know the much-talked-about ideal of home-cooked meals and of families gathering at the table at night to eat them” (1). Nowadays, a lot of families lack family bonding moments because they are unable to spend quality times together. Family bonding activities include cooking as a family and eating together. In other words, food is an essential aspect of family bonding. Nigerian immigrants pride themselves in their abilities to stay connected to their family members, even if this is done through food. One of the most common activity in a Nigerian household is the family bonding moment that consists of eating dinner together while watching a Nigerian movie. Nigerian immigrant identities always strive to maintain this precious family moments because it gives them the feeling of being back in their homeland. They prepare home-cooked meals, like pounded yam with melon and spinach soup, thereby giving them an assurance that they are still who they are as Nigerians, even if they are thousands of miles away from