Posted December 03, 2020 in Articles
Author: Yelitza Nieves-Caraballo, Spanish Teacher
I think about the connections between home, family, and school while cooking for my Spanish language students. In addition to the standard ingredients in pollo guisado, arroz con habichuelas, and empanadas de pollo, I also add a gallon of love.
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I was born to Puerto Rican parents and raised on the Carribean island until I was ten years old. Moving to the US and learning English while being away from my home and extended family was difficult. However, I felt supported surrounded by my parents and five siblings. We spoke Spanish in our home, and after school the sound of our language and the smells of my mother’s cooking made me feel like we had never left our warm island.
The smells and tastes from the kitchen are what I remember bringing me the most comfort during those early years. My mother’s arroz con habichuelas was delicious and it reminded me of my abuela’s kitchen in the town of Bayamón. My abuela taught my mother to cook this dish. My mother then taught me, and I in turn taught my, now twenty-year-old, daughter. And now, I've introduced it to my Spanish Language students!
I find so much value in not just teaching my students language, but really immersing them in Hispanic culture. And with teenagers, the best way to do this is through food!
My students are always surprised to learn how Hispanic heritage affects food and the ways in which some dishes resemble those of neighboring countries. For example, all of the Carribean islands have similar cuisine, while Argentina shares similar dishes with Chile and Bolivia. For a long time it was my understanding that only people in Mexico made tamales—but I later learned that Costa Ricans also make a version of this delicious corn and meat-based dish.
For Hispanic American students who’ve never enjoyed a traditional dish in their native country, it's a taste of their heritage. For the students who have enjoyed traditional cuisine in their native country or with their Hispanic parents, my cooking is a delightful variation. For the rest of my students, my hope is that the food my grandmother and mother taught me to make, provides the smells and tastes of another family we have created in our Spanish classroom.