5: Introduction of Cultural Foods

Culture

Sharing Your Culture

Things to Consider

Benefits of Introducing Cultural Foods to Your Infant

Practical Tips for Introducing Cultural Foods

Integrating Cultural Practices in Complementary Feeding

Culture

Food serves a purpose beyond just nourishment for our bodies. Food helps people connect with and preserve their heritage. It helps people express themselves, and helps others reconnect with old memories. Our culinary choices reflect our cultural identity, heritage, history, and values.

Sharing Your Culture

You can incorporate your cultural foods into your baby's diet by saving a portion of the meal after it has been cooked, before you add any condiments to it.

There is no need to prepare two separate meals—just cook the meal as usual, allowing the whole family to enjoy the same delicious meal together.

Things to Consider

Adjust traditional recipes for infants by avoiding the following ingredients:

Honey
Sugar
Salt
Syrups
Gravies
Sauces
Fried foods
Processed meat
Sugar-sweetened beverages
Artificial sweeteners
Sweetened foods and deserts

Benefits of Introducing Cultural Foods to Your Infant

Infants can recognize flavors of different foods like fruits and vegetables. By repeatedly exposing your child to nutrient-rich foods it will help them foster their willingness to try new foods.

By having your child try diverse flavors, it will help expand their palate. Cultural foods offer a variety of experiences, such as diverse tastes, textures, and ingredients. By introducing different foods, it encourages adventurous eating.

Practical Tips for Introducing Cultural Foods

Start with mild flavors
Offer a selection of textures
Experiment with different cooking methods
Try to remember that it can take 8-10 tries of introducing a food to your child before they decide to eat it.

Integrating Cultural Practices in Complementary Feeding

Mexican Food

Mexican cuisine is incredibly diverse with distinct regional styles and specialties.

There are many corn-based dishes in Mexican cuisine such as tamales and gorditas to name a few. These corn-based dishes are usually gluten-free and suitable for those with gluten sensitives to ingest.

Common Ingredients used in Mexican Food:

Wheat: While many Mexican cuisines are corn based, it is also very common for wheat flour tortillas to be used.

Dairy: Cheese and Sour cream are often used as toppings on Mexican cuisine.

Nuts: Some Mexican cuisine may contain nuts or nut-based sauces.
Spices: Cumin, oregano, cinnamon, and cloves
Chilies: Jalapeños, serranoes, poblanos, and chipotles
Tomatoes: Fresh, roasted, or in sauces like salsa
Corn: Used to make tortillas, tamales, and pozole
Beans: Black, pinto, and kidney beans
Avocados: Used for garnishing, dipping sauces, and salads
Cilantro

German Food

German cuisine is known for their diverse sausages and regional specialties. Some German cuisine has also incorporated techniques or ideas for their food from neighboring countries like France and Austria.

German food traditions are centered around festivals and family gatherings and feature many of their favorite foods such as schnitzels, sausages, and potato salads.

Common Ingredients used in German Food:

Wheat: Many traditional German cuisine contain gluten in them through the use of ingredients like wheat flour.

Dairy: Dairy products such as butter, cream, and cheese are commonly used in German cuisine.

Nuts: Some German cuisine desserts and bake goods may contain nuts or nut-based ingredients.

German mustard: Dusseldorf, and Bavarian sweet mustard are just two of the many different varieties they use.
Meats: Pork, beef, and poultry
Leafy Vegetables: Cabbage
Starchy vegetables: Potatoes
Fermented vegetables: Sauerkraut
Grains: Pretzels, and dark bread (rye bread and pumpernickel bread)

Italian Food

Italian cuisine differs slightly depending on what region you are in. In Northern Italy, they favor risotto and polenta; while in Southern Italy they favor seafood centered dishes and thin crust pizzas.

Common Ingredients used in Italian Food:

Wheat: Many Italian dishes contain gluten in the form of pastas, breads, and flour-based sauces.

Dairy: Dairy products are often used in Italian cuisine such as milk, parmesan, mozzarella, and ricotta to name a few.

Tree-Nuts: Some Italian cuisine may contain nuts or nut-based ingredients. Tree-nuts are also sometimes included in their deserts.

Tomatoes: Used in marinara sauce, caprese salad, and pizza
Pasta: They use a variety of pasta shapes and textures
Olive oil: Used for salad dressing, sauteing, or for drizzling over dishes
Prosciutto: This is a popular Italian cured ham that they use to enhance antipasto platters, panini, pizzas, and salads.
Garlic: Garlic is often used in Italian dishes including sauces, soups, and marinades
Basil: Used in sauces, salads, and dishes like bruschetta
Parmesan Cheese: Used in pastas, risottos, and salads

Mediterranean Food

Mediterranean cuisine is directly influenced by Italy, Greece, Spain, Turkey, and Lebanon. Mediterranean cuisine offers a large variety of divers dishes and flavors.

Mediterranean cuisine is known for having fruits, vegetables, olive oil, and whole grains incorporated into its dishes. This diet is also known for its health benefits such as reducing a person's risk of developing heart disease along with other chronic disease.

Common Ingredients used in Mediterranean Food:

Wheat: Some Mediterranean cuisine might contain gluten. Some gluten-containing grains that are used are wheat and barley.

Dairy: Dairy products such as cheese and yogurts are commonly used in Mediterranean cuisine.

Seafood: Mediterranean dishes may contain fish, shellfish, or seafood-based broths.
Fresh Herbs: Basil, oregano, thyme, and parsley
Feta cheese: Feta cheese is made from sheep's milk and is commonly used in Mediterranean cuisine.
Vegetables: Tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini, peppers, and onions
Seafood: Grilled fish, octopus, calamari, and shrimp
Legumes: Beans, lentils, and chickpeas
Grains: Bulgur, couscous, and farro

African Food

African cuisine flavors can change depending on what part of Africa you are in (Northern, West, East, or Southern Africa).

Common cooking techniques for African cuisine consist of grilling, stewing, braising, and frying.

Common Ingredients used in African Food:

Wheat: Some ingredients in African Cuisine that may contain gluten are grains such as wheat, barley, or couscous.

Nuts: Many African dishes contain nuts or nut-based ingredients such as peanuts, almonds, and cashews.

Seafood: Cities near the coastal regions of Africa incorporate seafood into many of their dishes.
Spices: Ginger, garlic, chili peppers, and various indigenous spices like berbere and harissa (North African chili paste)
Green leafy: Collard greens, kale, and spinach
Fruits: Mangoes, pineapples, bananas, and papayas
Root Vegetables: Cassava, yams, and sweet potatoes
Grains: Millet, sorghum, maize (corn), rice, and teff
Legumes: Beans, lentils, and peanuts
Meats: Beef, chicken, lamb, goat, antelope, and game meats such as ostrich

Indian Food

Indian food can vary significantly from region to region. Each region of India is known for their own unique specialties along with their cooking techniques.

A high number of India's population is vegetarian, leading to many vegetarian and vegan options to choose from.

India is also known for using many bold and flavorful spices in every dish they make. Common spices can vary depending on what region of India you are in. Also, it is important to note that some popular spices used in India can be spicy to others.

Common Ingredients used in Indian Food:

Wheat: Some Indian cuisine may contain gluten-containing ingredients such as chapati or naan bread.

Nuts: Many Indian dishes contain nuts and nut-based ingredients.

Dairy: Some common dairy ingredients that are used in many Indian dishes is ghee (clarified butter), yogurt, and paneer.
Spices: Cumin, coriander, turmeric, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, and chili powder
Fresh Herbs: Cilantro, mint, and curry leaves
Vegetables: Potatoes, tomatoes, spinach, eggplant, cauliflower, and okra
Legumes and Pulses: Lentils, chickpeas, and various beans are staples in Indian cuisine.
Grain: Rice, wheat, chapati, and naan

Chinese Food

China's streets offer a plethora of savory foods including but not limited to dumplings, skewered meats, and dim sums.

In China, it is common for people to drink tea after their meals, during formal occasions, and during celebrations.

Common Ingredients used in Chinese Food:

Wheat: Some Chinese cuisine may contain wheat-based soy sauce or noodles that contain gluten.

Peanuts: It is very common for peanut-based ingredients to be used in Chinese dishes as sauces or garnishes.

Shellfish and Seafood: Chinese cuisine often contains shellfish and or seafood ingredients in them.

Soy: Many Chinese cuisines contain soy and soy-based products such as soy sauce.
Spices and Condiments: Soy sauce, ginger, garlic, five-spice powder, and Sichuan peppercorns
Grain: Rice and noodles
Protein: Tofu, and pork
Vegetables: Scallions, Bok choy, Chinese broccoli (Gai Lan) and water spinach (Kangkong)

Japanese Food

Some popular dishes in Japan are sushi, sashimi, washoku and ramen.

Washoku is a traditional Japanese cuisine that incorporates fresh seasonal ingredients together with a perfect balance of flavor and textures.

Common Ingredients used in Japanese Foods:

Wheat: Many Japanese cuisines incorporate white rice into their dishes along with other gluten-containing ingredients such as soy sauce and wheat-based noodles (udon and soba).

Shellfish and seafood: Seafood and shellfish are commonly used in Japan. A lot of their cuisine may contain these ingredients.

Soy: Many Japanese dishes contain soy products like soy sauce and tofu.
Seaweed: Various types of seaweed are used in Japanese cuisine like nori, kombu, and wakame.
Rice: Steamed white rice, sushi, rice bowls, and rice balls
Fish: In Japan, they use a variety of fish in their cuisine such as tuna, salmon, yellowtail, mackerel and eel.
Soy: Tofu, miso, and natto

References

Long-Solis J, Vargas LA. Food Culture in Mexico. Bloomsbury Publishing USA; 2005:52.

Brittin HC. The Food and Culture around the World Handbook. Pearson Higher Ed; 2011:59-62, 110-112, 132-136, 147-150, 205.

Ashkenazi M, Jacob J. Food Culture in Japan. Greenwood Press; 2003:29-90.

Osseo-Asare F. Food Culture in Sub-Saharan Africa. Bloomsbury Publishing USA; 2005.

M Guasch-Ferré, Willett WC. The Mediterranean diet and health: a comprehensive overview. Journal of internal medicine (Print). 2021;290(3):549-566. doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/joim.13333

Ventriglio A, Federica Sancassiani, Maria Paola Contu, et al. Mediterranean Diet and its Benefits on Health and Mental Health: A Literature Review. Clinical Practice & Epidemiology in Mental Health. 2020;16(1):156-164. doi: https://doi.org/10.2174/1745017902016010156

Newman J. Food Culture in China. Bloomsbury Publishing USA; 2004.
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Fabio Parasecoli. Food Culture in Italy. Bloomsbury Publishing USA; 2004.

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