Food is love, and love is food. Families make food to feed one another and bond over the daily ritual of eating together. Everyone has a favorite dish and it’s often a pleasure to cook family favorites, but over time, eating the same style of food can get dull. That’s when it’s time to mix things up and make some ethnic food for the family! Children especially benefit from having their palates broadened by new flavor combinations and foods while they also gain precious memories from the time mom or dad made this special dish. Following are three ethnic cuisines worth introducing to your children.
Image via Flickr by Jetalone
Jamaican Jerk Chicken
Jamaican jerk chicken is a BBQ-style meal that brings the taste of the tropics to the home. But be forewarned before you embark on making some: it is known for its heat, which usually comes from scotch bonnet peppers. If your children aren’t ready for hot foods, you can use milder peppers such as sport or jalapeno in place of the scotch bonnets. This is a great meal to make in the summer on the grill, or get really authentic and smoke it over wood instead of coals or gas. You can also pair it with an authentic Jamaican snack.
Sushi
Sushi refers to the vinegared rice that acts as a container for the ingredients inside this classic Japanese cuisine. It’s possible to dispense with the vinegar for kids who find it too tart. The beauty of sushi is that any ingredient can go into the roll. Make it with fruit, hot dogs, or even Spam, for kids who aren’t quite ready for the more adult taste of certain types of fish.
There is no end to the combinations of ingredients that can go into sushi. The basics of the dish are the rice and the wrapper. Anything that goes in is fair game. Use sushi as a spring board for creating savory meals while introducing your kids to a uniquely Japanese cuisine.
Beef Bourguignon
Famous chef Julia Child brought French cooking to American tables and made it accessible for all. Countless adults have enjoyed her beef bourguignon paired with a glass of wine. But it’s also a good meal for introducing kids to the concept of French cuisine. It uses beef, bacon, carrots, potatoes, and onions along with red wine. Don’t worry about the alcohol content; it gets burned off in the cooking and helps to create a wonderful sauce. If the alcohol is still a concern, use an alcohol-free version to get the same flavor.
Much of French cooking uses farm-to-table ingredients and is great for showing kids how to make a delicious dinner out of seemingly basic foods.
These three ethnic cuisines are from different cultures. However, it helps your children experience world cuisines in your own kitchen. Make it an opportunity to learn and have fun with meals. It changes things up for everyone, expands young palates, and opens the minds of your children to the idea that there’s a big world out there with unique foods.
We hope that you enjoyed our suggestions for ethnic cuisines that you can introduce to your children.
Speak Your Mind