I walked around the hawker center in Singapore, curious about the food I wanted to try while studying abroad. “Thai? Vietnamese? Indian? Chinese?” I remembered that there were a lot of food trucks in my hometown in Texas, and I had to carefully choose not only the dishes, but the specific meals I would eat. I was shocked to see this familiar situation in a foreign country, far from home, but at the same time it was reassuring to witness the global value of food. Growing up as children of Vietnamese-American immigrants, food was the unifying force for our family, but it had to be done on a tight budget.
Interestingly, Singapore’s hawker centers offer cheap and delicious food options when you’re too busy to cook. However, this culture of peddling is in decline as older generations age and younger generations seek highly skilled jobs. In Singapore, residents are concerned about rising living costs due to the influx of highly skilled workers. Many people in developed countries experience the challenge of finding the time and energy to cook for themselves while making a living. Texas is no exception.
Texas is the second most diverse state in the United States, with large populations of Hispanics, Latinos, and Asians. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 40.2% of Texas’ population is Hispanic/Latino. Because Texas is so diverse, it’s important to preserve these cultures by learning recipes from family, friends, and strangers. Major cities like Austin place a premium on highly skilled workers, increasing the risk of losing real food.
Our careers do not define who we are as people. It’s the identity we give ourselves, and culture is part of that.
There is competition to get jobs that require high skills to earn a comfortable living, and I am currently facing that as a college student. My immigrant parents did everything in their power to cook for me and support my studies until I left home to attend college. They believed that if I could focus on my studies, I wouldn’t have to worry about whether there was food on the table or not. I had never learned Vietnamese recipes until I lived alone, so I made quick, ready-made meals. I studied and worked hard to get my dream high-level professional job, but at the cost of my health, I craved my family’s bamboo porridge and boiled pork with quail eggs. I felt ashamed for not learning about food recipes within and outside of my culture.
I discussed the importance of preserving culture with friends from different backgrounds. My friends, who are also the children of immigrants, acknowledged that it was expensive to get into highly skilled jobs. It also reduced their desire to cook the traditional meals they grew up eating. In general, many Americans rely on purchasing ready-made or packaged foods, many of which are processed foods that contain high levels of salt and artificial ingredients.
I think some people don’t have the money or time to cook. However, preserving traditional recipes can help people become actively conscious of their eating habits. Cooking also helps farmers, especially local Texas farmers, because the fresh, local ingredients they purchase can be used in a variety of recipes. There are no rules in cooking, as it depends on the taste of the cook and the resources available. There’s no shame in creating meals using substitutes to adapt to your environment.
Anyone can create authentic dishes by learning from cookbooks, searching for recipes and tutorials online, using alternative ingredients, and attending virtual or in-person cooking classes. One of the best ways to learn is to taste the food firsthand, interact with the people who prepared it, and ask questions like: How can I find it? Can you tell me, can you give me the recipe? ” The more questions we ask, the longer these stories will live on. This is what food is about, telling stories, and the way to keep it going is to pursue it.
I encourage everyone reading this editorial to learn new recipes for themselves or from new cultures. Fighting the harsh effects of development to maintain a diverse society can be as small as cooking your own meals. Our careers do not define who we are as people. It’s the identity we give ourselves, and culture is part of that. Preserving the stories and flavors of real food helps us achieve that.
Trishta Nguyen is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in economics and international relations at the University of Texas at Austin. She is interested in pursuing a career in her field of diplomacy or applied economics. Recently, she studied abroad in Singapore and was intrigued by the similarities with the United States. In her free time, she enjoys learning Mandarin, creating new recipes, and hiking Austin’s nature trails.