Blog 4

For this assignment I chose to interview an individual who immigrated to the United States at a young age from Thailand. While she grew up in America, she is deeply connected with her roots in Thailand.

Josh: What is your food culture?

Chotika: Thai food culture is very home based and family oriented. It is all served on big platters, and you pick what you want from them. We eat with forks and spoons, which is not normal, but it is what we do.

Josh: How do you connect with your food culture?

Chotika: It is a huge part of being Thai. Our identity revolves around food, it is influenced by everything that happens around Thailand, and reflects everything that has happened to Thailand.

Josh: What makes Thai food connect to you personally?

Chotika: Coming to America, and not being used to foreign food, Thai food connected me to my culture and made me feel Thai, if that makes sense. It made our home a mini Thailand, and brought me closer to my culture.

Josh: If Thai food is what you connect to the most, is there any sort of food that repels you in a way?

Chotika: Definitely European cooking. It is something that I do not understand, or cannot connect to. It is at the opposite end of the spectrum from Thai food.

Josh: What about European food makes it so foreign?

Chotika: [sighs heavily] The difference in herbs and flavor profiles. This may sound pretentious, but other cuisines have shallow depths of flavor compared to Thai.

Josh: What attracts you to Thai food over other cuisines?

Chotika: It is just nostalgic. People are drawn to the foods and flavors they grew up eating, so if it was someone from the other side, they would probably think that Thai food is too much.

Josh: Is food important to your identity as Thai?

Chotika: Yes, Thai food is a huge part of Thai culture. It puts Thailand on the map. It is unique and, especially as a Thai-American, it is a way to share a part of me.

Josh: If you could summarize Thai food in one word, what would it be?

Chotika: Impactful.

Josh: Why is your identity as Thai important to you?

Chotika: It is where I come from. I was born in Thailand, and when I came to America, it was an identity crisis. I thought I had to choose, but growing up I learned that it is not about choosing, but being American here, and connecting to my roots in Thailand as Thai.

In addition to the above interview, there was a lot of conversation about Thai food and Thai culture. One thing that Chotika said to me during this that stuck out to me was, "Every time I tell someone I am Thai, the first thing they say to me is 'I love Thai food.'" It is almost funny how integral food is to some cultures. It got me thinking that if the first thing I think about when someone brings up Thai culture is Thai curry, what do other people think of when someone brings up American culture. All this being said, I learned a lot from Chotika, and I hope I am not alone.