Ahn and Nicholson Takes on the significance of food

Both authors tied food to remembering their parents. Both authors’ parents were deceased and eating foods they once ate with their parents brought back fond memories. Food for Ahn brought back him back to his Korean roots and cooking with his mother. He moved to the US at a young age and as he grew up he became much more “Americanized” than his parents drifting away from many traditional Korean foods when with friends. He still though learned to cook with his mother and ate traditional meals with his parents. When his parents died he drifted further from Korean traditions but as he began to cook at another job he began to see Korean styles work into his cooking habits putting Korean twists on many meals. He also has a son who he wants to experience many Korean traditions. He sees food as a major experience of this like his parents saw for him. He is now going back to more traditional ways so that his son can experience it as well. Nicholson used food to remember his mother. Recreating meals they once ate together in England brought enjoyment to him. Nicholson, now living in the United States, struggled to find the exact food they ate in England as much of the “traditional English food” here was not the same. he also recalled meals he ate with both his parents before his father passed away. he remembered these as boring meals per his fathers liking. His mother though made these because of her husband’s request and her diet drastically changed when he passed away. His mother began to eat only white foods, which Nicholson saw possibly as his mother trying to portray purity through the color white. Nicholson though wanted more variety in his food and suggested the same to his mother. Both these authors look at food as reminding them of traditions and reminding them of their parents. Eating traditional meals comforts them.