Tag Archives: Material Lore

Entrée: Dumpling

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General Information about Item:

  • Genre: Material Lore – dish; Customary Lore – celebration, belief, superstition
  • Language: English with some Chinese (Mandarin)
  • Country of Origin: China
  • Informant: H.S.
  • Date Collected: November 23, 2020

Informant Data:

  • H.S. is 48 years old. She studied at Hangzhou Law school and worked in the field of law for years. At age of 30, She became a businesswoman. She grew up in the northern part of China and currently lives in the southern part (Zhejiang province, China). Because of her experience living in the northern part, she likes dumplings, which are more popular in the North. Her family likes dumplings as well: make and eat dumplings every year during the Chinese New Year.

Contextual Data:

  • Cultural Context: Dumplings are eaten during the Chinese New Year almost in all areas of China. This dish is eaten mainly because of its auspicious name and shape. Dumplings in Chinese are “jiǎozi” (餃子) and are also called “交子,” meaning the transition from the old to the new. Thus, eating dumplings is a way to celebrate this transition. Also, the shape of dumplings resembles the shape of Chinese gold ingots. Thus, making and eating dumplings also expresses the hope of gaining wealth.
  • Social Context: On the Chinese New Year’s Day or the Chinese New Year’s Eve, family members gather together to make and eat dumplings together for the hope of gaining a good fortune, as well as to celebrate the transition from the old year to the new year. 

Item:

  • The dumpling generally consists of minced meat and finely chopped vegetables wrapped into a piece of dough skin. In China dumplings usually refers to boiled dumplings. Some people will place a coin or candy inside the dumpling in the hope of obtaining a fortune or having a sweet life, on the Chinese New Year’s Eve and special family reunions. 

Image Files:

dumpling

Dumplings are being cooked (Photo was taken when H.S. was cooking dumplings this year during the Chinese New Year.)

dumpling

Dumplings with pork inside (Photo was taken by H.S. when the dumplings were ready for eating.)

Transcript of Interview Clip:

S.T. (collector): What is one of the most interesting or important dishes that is eaten during the Chinese New Year in your family?

H.S. (informant): My mother is from the northern part of China, so as I grew up, we love cooked wheaten food. We eat dumplings a lot, and during the Chinese New year, the dumpling is a must.  

S.T.: What kind of fillings do you put inside of dumplings and what kind of flour do you use?

H.S.: We normally use wheat flour and sometimes cornflour. There are lots of different fillings, like pork with different vegetables, beef, shrimp, sheep, eggs with vegetables, or even something weird like sea urchin…

S.T.: Why do you and your family eat dumplings? Any meaning or hope associated with it? 

H.S.: Dumplings are often eaten during family reunions. Eating dumplings express the hope that the family members are always united. The shape of dumplings resembles the shape of Chinese gold ingots. Thus, making and eating dumplings expresses the hope of gaining wealth.

S.T.: Any custom when eating dumplings? Any tradition that you do only during the Chinese New Year?

H.S.: We sometimes place a coin or candy inside of one or two of the dumplings. Whoever gets the dumpling with the coin is the luckiest one. He/she is believed to have good fortune and sweet life in the new year.

S.T.: Do you know any folklore that is related to dumplings, since dumplings are such a representative Chinese New Year dish?

H.S.:  I heard that if you don’t eat dumplings, your name will be removed with the world of the dead and the living. After you die, you will become a ghost that has nowhere to go.

Informant’s Comments:

  • Making dumplings is also a social activity, during which all the family members gather together and make the dumplings. Even someone may not know how to make dumplings, but the fact that everyone is making the effort to do it strengthens the tie between family members.

Collector’s Comments:

  • My family also likes to eat dumplings a lot. Every time I went back home after leaving for a while, my mother will make dumplings with me together. For me, dumplings are a symbol of family reunions. It is also interesting to hear that dumplings are also related to the afterlife. The dumplings symbolize the transition from the old to new and from life to dearth, which is like the liminality stage. The fact that we eat dumplings for the hope of gaining wealth because of the resemblance in shape is an example of homeopathic magic.

Collector’s Name: Stela (Yunjin) Tong

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Beverage: Ponche

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General Information about Item:

  • Genre: Material Lore – traditional dish; Customary Lore – family tradition, celebration
  • Language: Spanish
  • Country of Origin: Mexico
  • Informant: O.O.
  • Date Collected: November 7, 2020

Informant Data:

  • O.O. is a ~40 year old man living in New Jersey. He was born in Puebla, Mexico and has spent a little over 20 years in the United States, where he lives with his wife and two children. In the US, his family usually celebrates Christmas by attending or, in some cases, hosting family gatherings, preparing food, and partaking in some religious traditions.

Contextual Data:

  • Cultural Context: Also known as “Ponche Navideño,” the beverage is very important in Christmas traditions. It is high in vitamins due to the variety of fruits included. Due to its involvement in celebratory events, especially Christmas, one of its ingredients, tejocote became the most seized fruit from smuggling attempts.
  • Social Context: It is usually drunk as soon as it is finished boiling but can also be reheated or drunk cold. It is the source of many, MANY, burns on the tongue and the roof of the mouth. It is usually drunk by chewing on the sweet sugar cane, redipping it in the juice, chewing again, and then setting aside the piece of cane to grabbing another, repeating the process all over again.

Item:

  • The process begins by half filling and heating a pot with water. You then wash sugarcane and chop it into 10-14cm cylindrical pieces. Then, cut those cylinders into quarter cylinders. Afterwards, you add the sugar cane, unrefined whole cane sugar, and cinnamon after the water begins to boil. You then wash the tejocote and separately put it to boil until it is soft. Once it’s ready, you peel away the skin and add it to the main pot. Once the sugarcane softens, you add apple slices, guava, and prunes. As soon as those soften, the beverage is served in 1-2 styrofoam cups with a bit of everything in it. Optionally, you can also add a whiff of liquor.

Translation:

C.Y. (collector): Thanks so much for the recipe, I really wanted it for myself as well. Is there any sort of traditional background to the punch?

O.O. (informant): With my family there was. One of our traditions involves raising a little baby Jesus figure, singing, and rocking it during the songs. Later, we go outside and light tiny spark fireworks and raise them up to celebrate the birth of Jesus. To protect from the cold, we try to time the punch so that it is ready as soon as we wrap things up so that the vitamins and heat of the drink prevent us from catching a cold or anything.

C.Y.: Oh wow, so from what I’ve heard so far, a lot of meals revolve around keeping healthy.

O.O.: Yea it’s like with that stereotype about Mexicans always eating beans. It’s not far from the truth, but beans are a large part of what keep us strong and healthy even while working very labor intensive jobs here in the US.

Collector’s Comments:

  • It is one of my most favorite drinks. Sadly, since many stores don’t sell sugarcane until December for Christmas, it is very hard to make outside of the Christmas month. This makes it a true Christmas exclusive for my family, unlike other meals which we on occasion make throughout the year.

Collector’s Name: Carlos Yepes

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Entrée: Dry Noodles

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General Information about Item:

  • Genre: Material Lore – Christmas dish; Customary Lore – celebration, family tradition
  • Language: English
  • Country of Origin: United States
  • Informant: D.G.
  • Date Collected: November 11, 2020

Informant Data:

  • D.G is a ’22 at Dartmouth. He currently resides in San, Jose California. He was born in San Jose and has lived there his entire life prior to college; however, his parents are from China.

Contextual Data:

Social Context

  • D.G. first ate this dish at Christmas in his middle school years. It was very important to him because he was only able to eat the dish once a year during Christmas. The recipe to the dish is currently only held by his grandpa, and he would only get to see his grandpa on Christmas, so it was the only opportunity to eat it. D.G. ties the dish to seeing family around festive occasions.

Cultural Context

  • In Chinese culture, long noodles symbolic long life due to the visual appearance. Additionally, because of taste preferences and familiarity with their own culture, Chinese immigrants adopted many traditional Chinese dishes for American holidays such as Christmas and choose to celebrate Christmas culturally instead of religiously. The immigration experience can be isolating, which is why many Chinese immigrants emphasize family and unity.

Item:

  • As you would expect, Dry Noodles is a dish made from long strands of dried noodles. The noodles are first boiled, then tossed in traditional seasoning and eaten with seafood.

Transcript of Interview Clip:

Y.H. (collector): What is a special Christmas dish that you eat?

D.G. (informant): So every Christmas, we eat something called Dry Noodles, which is similar to fried noodles, but it’s not fried. We eat it with different Chinese seasonings and a lot of seafood.

Y.H.: So when was the first time you came across this dish and what was the situation?

D.G.: So, when I first came across this dish, I guess, at Christmas when I was really young at a family gathering. I think this was around when I was in middle school.

Y.H.: Ok, and then, what meaning does the dish carry to you and what does it remind you of, if anything?

D.G.: Uh. Well. I guess this Dry Noodle dish is meaningful to me because it’s always my grandpa who cooks this dish, and we only get to see him during Christmas, so I guess I have come to associate the dish with Christmas because that would be the only time I can eat it. He’s the only one who knows the recipe and knows how to make it well. Also, when I eat it, it’s always a festive celebration so we reserve it for important events like that.

Y.H.: Besides that, is there any other symbolism?

D.G.: Symbolism? Well, I guess that one thing is that it is supposed to represent a long life because the noodles are very long. Originally I think we meant it for birthday celebrations within the family, but I only remember eating it for Christmas so I’m assuming that my family adapted it. There’s nothing beyond that.

Y.H.: What cultural context and what background information does someone need to know to appreciate the dish?

D.G.: Well the dish is a Chinese dish so they would probably need to know Chinese culture or Chinese customs. I really can’t think of anything else.

Collector’s Comments:

  • I think that it’s really interesting because the dish does not have anything to do with the history of Christmas itself. Rather, it is a symbol of familial folklore, in this case, a family recipe that is passed down from generation to generation. Christmas not only serves as a holiday, but also an opportunity where the elders in the family can pass down the folklore recipe to the younger generation. It’s really interesting when compared to Hot Pot and Roast Chicken, which also emphasize family.
  • Additionally, I think that to really understand the importance of this dish, one must understand family recipes that are passed down. Not every family does that and those that don’t may not fully comprehend the importance of family recipes.

Collector’s Name:

Yilin Huo

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Entrée: Filipino Spaghetti

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General Information about Item:

  • Genre: Material Lore – dish; Customary Lore – celebration, superstition
  • Language: English Country of Origin: Philippines
  • Informant: E.R.
  • Date Collected: November 12, 2020

Informant Data: 

  • E.R. is a Filipino American that immigrated to the United States when she was 10 years old in 2012. She is from Nueva Ecija in the Philippines and lived in Manila with her mom before she moved. This dish is something she loved eating during Christmas time, as her mom made it for her, along with her siblings. Nowadays, she tries to make it during Christmas with her cousins in the United States.  

Contextual Data:    

  • Cultural Context: Filipino spaghetti is a special occasion treat because of its red color and stringy shape. Red represents good luck, and the noodles represent longevity. It is eaten during Christmas as the year comes to an end, and Christmas in the Philippines is celebrated similarly like New Year’s. Since rice is the most common source of carbohydrates, noodles like spaghetti are not eaten everyday. This is from American influence during colonialism, as spaghetti was liked by American army men. 
  • Social Context:  Filipino spaghetti is part of the Nochebuena feast. Specifically, it is made for the kids due to its sweetness. It adds on to the celebratory feel of the dinner as spaghetti represents festivities and brings joy and happiness to the dinner.

Item: 

  • Filipino Spaghetti is a Christmas dish that is not like the American and Italian pastas. It is made with either ground pork and beef, with tomato sauce, but also has sugar, Filipino red hotdogs, and sometimes, banana ketchup. It is topped with grated cheese, and made for special occasions like birthdays and Christmas.

Transcript from Interview Clip:

X.D. (collector): Hi, so please give a little introduction of yourself and your life. Do include life in the Philippines if you can.

E.R. (informant): Hey, so my name is ER, I am 18 years old, and I currently live in Eagle Rock, California. I did live in the Philippines in Manila, but my family was from Nueva Ecija.  I moved to the United States around 2012, when I was about 10 years old.

X.D.: What Christmas dish will you be talking about? Please do give some cultural context.

E.R.: So a special dish during Christmas I loved eating growing up was Filipino Spaghetti.

X.D.: Do explain how Filipino Spaghetti is different from the typical American Spaghetti.

E.R.: So Filipino Spaghetti is a sweet version of spaghetti. It has sugar, banana ketchup, Filipino hotdogs. People do eat it outside of Christmas, but only for birthdays and holidays because no one in the Philippines eats pasta on a regular basis. Filipino Spaghetti became a dish when the Americans came and introduced it to the Filipino people. Usually, Filipinos eat rice, so noodles are special. When the spaghetti is part of the meal, I don’t know, but it makes the meal more fiesta-like and festive. It feels happier around the table. And because it’s sweet, kids like to eat it. 

X.D.: A previous interview did state about red being good luck with Queso De Bola. Do you think spaghetti has some sort of connection with fortune and good luck too? Or is it just festive?

E.R.: No Yes! It kind of does play into that red is for good luck, so eat spaghetti for good luck. But another superstition with Filipinos is that noodles represent a long life. That is why it is eaten during birthdays with pancit (another Filipino noodle dish). Spaghetti is a Christmas meal since you do want to share good feelings with everyone and you hope for the best for everyone since it is the end of the year and you are looking towards a new year.

X.D.: Is there more on why Filipino Spaghetti is eaten during Christmas?

E.R.: I think that’s it.

X.D.: Thank you!

Informant’s Comments

  • Filipino Spaghetti is not just a Christmas dish, but also a dish for birthdays. This is due ot the noodles and its symoblism for a long life.

Collector: Xenia Dela Cueva

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Entrée: Jamón

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General Information about Item:

  • Genre: Material Lore – dish; Customary Lore – celebration, religious belief
  • Language: English and Tagalog
  • Country of Origin: Philippines
  • Informant: M.D.
  • Date Collected: November 19, 2020

 Informant Data:      

  • M.D. was born in the Philippines in 1970, where she grew up in the Northern region, Ilocos Sur. Despite being raised in a rural region, she was sent to Catholic private school in the nearby city, Vigan, by her parents. M.D. then moved to Manila as an adult to study in one of the biggest universities of the country and later settled there. Afterwards, she immigrated to the United States with her husband in 2009 with their two kids and has since lived in the city with her family. 

Contextual Data:    

  • Cultural Context: Ham is a replacement as the main entrée to the typical lechon in the Philippines during Christmas time for many Filipino American households. Unless the town or city has a significant Filipino population, it is hard to find lechon in the United States, which is why this pork substitute suffices. This dish is also an American tradition during Christmas, so it is available in markets. This dish is round in nature, which also signifies good fortune, hence being eaten with Queso de Bola. Pork is eaten during Christmas to signify Catholicism, as other local religions do not eat pork. The practice of making pork as the main dish for Christmas is due to Spanish colonization, during which Spanish practices heavily influenced Filipino culture.
  • Social Context:  Ham is eaten as part of the food in Nochebuena (Christmas Eve Dinner) or is served with the Queso de Bola Cheese and bread on Christmas morning. Nochebuena is typically as important or even more important than the day of Christmas. The purpose of the dinner is to wait for the birth of Jesus Christ, which makes the 24th just as special. Like Lechon, ham is a special occasion entrée, and it is made for a larger gathering. Since Christmas is a time when all family and friends gather, the ham is shared with everyone.

Item:

  • The item is a dish called jamón, or ham. There are variations on what type of ham it is,  ranging from Chinese ham and canned ham to sliced whole ham. It is seasoned with a sweetener to cultivate a salty and sweet taste and is baked for hours. 

Transcript from Interview Clip:

X.D. (collector): Hello, can you please introduce yourself and provide some backstory of your life, especially when you were in the Philippines.

M.D. (informant): I’m MD, and I am from Santa, Ilocos-Sur. I was born in 1970, so I lived a very rural lifestyle. My parents did send me to Vigan to study in St. Paul. And then, I studied in UP (University of the Philippines) in Manila, and just settled there. I did move here in 2009 with my family and husband.

X.D.: So what Christmas food will you be talking about? Please do give some cultural context on it.

M.D.: During Christmas, we eat a lot of ham. We get it from the store, maybe add some sweeteners like pineapple, and basically bake it. It’s like the main dish.

X.D.: How about lechon? Why is ham eaten here (the United States) and not Lechon?

M.D.: Yea, lechon is more common in the Philippines. You have Filipinos in the US, yea, but where are they going to buy the lechon? It’s really rare here, even in Los Angeles. The process is more common in the Philippines, so ham is like our lechon here. Americans do eat ham on Christmas, so we can find ham here easier. I mean, people would eat ham in the Philippines too, but it is usually Chinese ham or canned ham. Ham also represents good luck because of its shape. Back at home, if my husband brought ham from his company, it was eaten with the cheese (Queso de Bola) and pandesal (bread) on Christmas mornings.

X.D.: So why is ham eaten during Christmas Eve instead, and why did it replace lechon?

M.D.: Pork is really important to eat on Christmas. It was like a celebratory meat, and we are Catholic, so pork makes us different from Filipino Muslims. I guess that is from Spanish influence, since they did eat ham too. Nochebuena is really big because that’s the time we expect Jesus’ birth. We wait until midnight when it’s Christmas because that is when he was born. With ham, you can share with people since it’s already sliced, and that’s what a Filipino Christmas is: to share. 

Collector’s Comments:

  • My family eats ham as a Christmas dish when we are in the United States but eats lechon in the Philippines. While both ham and lechon can be eaten together either in the Philippines and the United States, it is slightly uncommon to do so as both dishes are expensive.

Collector: Xenia Dela Cueva

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Entrée: Mole

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General Information about Item:

  • Genre: Material Lore – dish; Customary Lore – celebration; Verbal Lore: legend
  • Language: Spanish
  • Country of Origin: Mexico
  • Informant: G.P.
  • Date Collected: November 7, 2020

Informant Data:

  • G.P. is a ~60 year old woman living in New Jersey. She was born in Tlaxcala, Mexico and has spent over 20 years in the United States, where she lives with two of her siblings and, up until they started university, her two nephews and niece. In the US, her family usually celebrates Christmas by inviting over more family members, preparing food, and partaking in some traditions with respect to her religion.

Contextual Data:

  • Cultural Context: Mole is one of the most prominent dishes in Mexico, and it can be called the national dish. It has many variations, and some variations even have their own names, such as “pipian.” It is also one of the more complex recipes in Mexico as it involves creating what’s known to many as Mexico’s spicy chocolate dish.
  • Social Context: Usually when made, it is for a VERY large gathering since it yields impressive portion sizes. Due to its high yield and complexity, it is typically made on rare occasions, but it also leaves lots of leftovers which allow it to be used in other meals such as tamales or enchiladas.

Item:

  • For this dish, the informant wasn’t able to give very accurate measurements since most of them are done through estimation.
  • The process involves obtaining several dried chile peppers: pasilla, chipotle, and ancho, which are boiled to soften them up. While that’s going on, you fry some plantain, raisins, crackers, and peanuts and set those aside. Then, you scorch the tortilla, onion, and garlic and, again, set them aside. Afterwards, you toast some sesame seeds, and blend EVERYTHING together: the softened peppers as well as the fried, scorched, and toasted ingredients. Then you start to heat up water to a boil with some salt, and, once the water is hot, you add chicken thighs or drumsticks. As soon as the chicken begins to cook, take some water from the soon-to-be broth and dissolve chocolate into it. Then add the chocolate and spice blend into the pot the chicken is cooking in.

Translation of Interview Clip:

C.Y. (collector): So then, why were so many ingredients used? The recipe seems pretty weird so far.

G.P. (informant):  Yea, yea it is. I remember when my mom told me I thought the same thing. She told me that mole was created from a woman being afraid she wouldn’t be able to cook anything for her family. So she leveraged all the ingredients she had remaining and began cooking, but due to the stress her hand slipped and ingredients were mixed, things burned a little, and everything was integrated into the sauce.

C.Y.: Wow that’s quite a story. If I remember correctly back when you made it for us, you used animal crackers?

G.P.: Oh yea that was a one time thing haha, it was all I had on hand. I typically use Maria cookies. Thinking about it, that does make the story I just told sound more believable hahaha.

Collector’s Comments:

  • My family makes this a little less than often. We typically eat it with pure tortillas since the family says we won’t get full otherwise (which is a lie, because we serve ourselves a lot). My family also believes in that bit of verbal folklore: that the wonderful dish was a result of someone being in a panic and cooking up with the few ingredients they had, so it is pretty widespread.

Collector’s Name: Carlos Yepes

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Dessert: Suman (Sticky Rice)

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General Information about Item:

  • Genre: Material Lore – dish; Customary Lore – celebration, religious custom
  • Language: Tagalog
  • Country of Origin: Philippines
  • Informant: J.D.
  • Date Collected: November 19, 2020

Informant Data:      

  • J.D. was born in the Philippines in 1963, where he grew up in the Northern region, Ilocos Sur. He grew up in a rural town, where he had helped farm rice as part of his everyday life. During the 1980s, he moved to the capital, Manila, to study engineering, where he would eventually settle to have two kids. He later moved to the United States in 2009 and has since lived in the city with his family. 

Contextual Data:    

  • Cultural Context:  Suman is a traditional Christmas dessert because the Philippines is historically agrarian. Christmas is a time for feasting and represents abundance, so this dessert is made with cheap and accessible ingredients, like rice and coconuts, to be able to serve everyone. However, what sets this apart from a typical dessert is that it is labor intensive, as each suman is wrapped individually, and the coconut milk used for it is traditionally squeezed manually from the coconut meat although more modern takes just use canned coconut milk. 
  • Social Context:  Suman was eaten after morning prayers and masses. Christmas is also similar to the American Thanksgiving, where the celebration is meant to be thankful for everyone and the blessings within your life. It was necessary to pray or go to Church as Filipinos were Catholic, and giving thanks meant being grateful to God. This dish was served after the prayers, as people finish spending a portion of their day with God and are ready to celebrate the rest of the holiday.

Item:

  • The item is a desert called Suman, or Filipino sticky rice. It is made with glutinous (or malagkit) rice, coconut milk, and sugar. It is half-cooked, and then the rice and coconut milk mixture is individually wrapped in either a cylindrical or pyramid shape with banana leaves. Finally, the suman is steamed until the rice is fully cooked and served with sugar. 

Translation of Interview Clip :

X.D. (collector): Hi, please introduce yourself and give a backstory of your life, even when you lived in the Philippines.

J.D. (informant): Ok, my name is J.D. I was born in 1963 and I lived in Santa, Ilocos-Sur. I moved to Manila to study engineering, and I stayed there to raise my family, until around February 2009. Then I came here.

X.D.: Can you give a little backstory on your life in Santa. You’ve mentioned before this interview a little about it.

J.D.: Ok. Santa, when I lived there, was mostly farming. You know, it’s very rural. As a young boy, I would help in the rice fields for some money because we were really poor back then. 

X.D.: So what Christmas dish will you talk about? Please give context to it.

J.D.: Suman, which is a desert, is a Christmas food. They make it with, how do you call it in English? Malagkit?

X.D.: I’m not sure, I’ll research that later for you.

J.D.: Yea, they make it with malagkit rice, coconut milk, and sugar. They pack the rice in a banana leaf, and they steam it. It comes in either the triangular shape or just the regular stick. As a child, I ate it after we all prayed. I’d dipped it in sugar so it was sweeter.

X.D.: Was there a reason why you ate it in Christmas? I know suman is common nowadays.

J.D.: Back then, suman was the only thing that could be made for everyone. The Philippines mostly had farmers, and we only had rice and coconut milk, so suman was the dish that could be eaten. But it was labor intensive! You had to squeeze the milk from the coconut meat and then wrap it. Now it’s easier, but it still takes a lot of time! We ate it after the prayers because usually it was a community prayer, and then after one of the ladies would help pass it around. As a child, I’d be so happy to eat it. 

X.D.: So are the prayers before the dinner? Can you explain more on that?

J.D.: No, going to Church during Christmas is an early morning event. You had to go to Church. Remember, everyone is Catholic, and you have to say thanks to God and your blessings. It’s like Thanksgiving here. After that, people were hungry, which is why Suman is eaten.

Informant’s Comments:

  • There’s different types of suman, depending where you are in the Philippines. In the Ilocos-Sur, suman is popularly in a triangular shape.

Collector: Xenia Dela Cueva

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Entrée: Roast Chicken

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General Information about Item:

  • Genre: Material Lore – Christmas dish; Customary Lore – celebration, family tradition
  • Language: English
  • Country of Origin: United States
  • Informant: A.Z.
  • Date Collected: November 13, 2020

Informant Data:

  • A.Z. is a Dartmouth ’22. She currently lives in Boston, Massachusetts and identifies as an Asian-American. Her parents are from China, but she was born and raised in the United States her whole life.

Contextual Data:

Social Context

  • A.Z. first had the dish 10 years ago with her family for Christmas. Either she or her parents cooks the chicken. While the roast chicken is the star of the Christmas meal, she also makes side dishes that go along the chicken.
  • The family tradition of eating roast chicken during Christmas started because A.Z. and her family were looking for a type of poultry to eat. According to their interpretation, the idea of eating poultry is closely tied to holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas.
  • As a result, for A.Z., it symbolizes family and getting together as well as taking the time to sit down with each other to have a good time during Christmas.

Cultural Context

  • Poultry is viewed as a significant part of the American Christmas meal. A.Z. and her family sought to adopt this tradition. The roast chicken and the accompanying side dishes represent a fusion between American and Chinese cuisines.

Item:

Roast Chicken is a whole chicken bought raw from the grocery store and then cooked at home. The chicken is seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic, rosemary and other herbs. The chicken is then placed on a baking tray and inserted into the oven to cook and roast.

Audio Clip:

 

Transcript:

(0.08) Y.H. (collector): All right, so what is a special Christmas dish?

A.Z. (informant): So we don’t usually eat like a set Christmas dish every year. But a lot of the time when we look at reverse chicken, and we usually eat a mixture of Chinese and American food. So it’s like a, like a full chicken, but we’ll cook it ourselves. So I don’t really, my mother, usually will help out. But like, since the roast chicken is harder to do, show, like, do the main stuff with that will help out with like the side dishes.

Y.H.: When did you first eat it? What does the roast chicken symbolize for you?

A.Z.: I can’t remember, but maybe like 10 years ago. We also do the same thing for Thanksgiving. So, um, I guess it symbolizes family for me. I think I think it’s like, less so than what the chicken itself symbolizes. But like, the chicken is a proxy for like, what Christmas symbolizes for me. I think, like I said before, I think it symbolizes family and getting together. And just like taking the time to, like, sit down with each other. And just have a good time relaxing.

Y.H.: In your opinion, what sort of cultural background understanding is required to enjoy the dish?

A.Z.: Could you rephrase the question? So I guess like, Okay, I’m not sure if I’m understanding the question, right. But I don’t think you need to have like any certain kind of background to understand why we eat chicken like it’s not I feel like it’s not, it’s definitely not a Chinese dish. And like we more so adapted it to like American standards. Because like, we do feel that like Christmas is an American holiday. So we tend to emphasize the American dishes a little more than we do the Chinese dishes. So like, for example, like chicken will be the star of the dinner rather than, like some Chinese fish dish that we make.

I think it’s like when we think of like stereotypical Christmas, we think of like this giant bird. Or like, or, like we think I feel like I feel like ham is like a very, um, Christmas-esque dish. But I feel like none of us know that our family doesn’t really like ham. And I think like, just like the look of a chicken. It’s very gray. And so that’s why we eat it. (4.00)

Collector Comments:

  • I actually really empathize with the fact that the roast chicken is not purely a Chinese dish, like A.Z. said – it is a blend of Chinese and American cooking styles, especially when combined with the side dishes. It creates a really interesting family culture that is only present in the presence of people who are part of the Chinese diaspora. Similar to the discussions of the origins of folklore potentially stemming from a diaspora, this Roast Chicken tradition is a result of the Chinese culture that A.Z.’s family brought with them combined with American culture.

Collector’s Name: Yilin Huo

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Entrée: Hot Pot

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General Information:

  • Genre: Material Lore – Christmas dish; Customary Lore – celebration, family tradition
  • Language: English
  • Country of Origin: United States
  • Informant: E.S.
  • Date Collected: November 8, 2020

Informant Data:

  • E.S. is a ’22 at Dartmouth College, raised in San Jose, California. She currently studies Economics, French and Psychology. Her parents are from China, but she has been in the US her whole life.

Contextual Data:

Social Context

  • She first participated in this Hot-Pot-eating tradition at Christmas during 2004. Her sister, father, and mother were also at the event. Every time they eat Hot Pot, they would eat thinly sliced lamb, fried tofu curd, spinach cabbage, fish balls, stuffed fish balls, and a personal dipping sauce. At the end of the meal, they would wrap it up with glass noodles.
  • To her, Hot Pot always gave her a cozy, sheltered and safe feeling because the Hot Pot would always steam up the windows. E.S. said that she could not imagine feeling the same with other foods during Christmas.
  • E.S.’s parents don’t place much significance on Christmas, so for them, it is not a serious holiday. However, for the family as a whole, it is definitely a nice opportunity to spend time together. Even though they don’t follow the gift-giving tradition, they make sure that they spend quality time as a family. Because Hot Pot requires the eaters to cook the food themselves, the long cooking time provides E.S. and her family with more time together.
  • As a second-generation Chinese American, it was interesting for her to see the food that her parents ate in China growing up. She appreciated participating in their culture and also views this tradition as a tribute to her parents and ancestors.

Cultural Context

  • Because Hot Pot is a Chinese dish, it is important to understand the background behind the dish. Hot Pot is a simple, no-frills dish that is simply a variety of ingredients put into a soup. Historically, many people could only afford simple ingredients for Hot Pot.
  • Not all people who celebrate Christmas are religious, or believe in Jesus. Hot Pot might surprise people because it has no religious significance. Nevertheless, it is a very important family custom for E.S.

Item

  • Hot pot consists of a broth cooked in a large pot at the center of the dinner table. The pot is shared by all members, and people can just reach into it as they please. Traditionally, different meats (thinly sliced beef and lamb, fish balls, seafood, etc.), vegetables (bok choy, cabbage, spinach, mushrooms), and noodles (ramen, udon, pasta) are cooked in the broth.

Transcript for Interview Clip

Y.H. (collector): Alright so let’s get started. My first question is how you would describe yourself, maybe in one to two sentences.

E.S. (informant): Ok so I’m a ’22. I live in San Jose, as you know. I’m studying Economics, French and Psychology at Dartmouth. Both my parents are from China but I was born in the US.

Y.H.: Great. So this project is about collecting traditional foods eaten during Christmas. Does your family have one?

E.S.: Yes we do.

Y.H.: Can you tell me a bit more? what is the food you eat and when was your first time eating eat.

E.S.: So the food we eat is Hot Pot, which is like a broth where we throw random things in, cook it, and then everyone eats from the same pot. We usually eat it with thinly sliced lamb, fried tofu curd, spinach cabbage, fish balls, stuffed fish balls and a personal dipping sauce. And when was the first time I had it? Hmm. I got to think about this one. I think it was in 2004? I’m not really sure because I have been eating it for a long time.

Y.H.: Did eating Hot Pot make you feel a certain way? Or what was significant about it to you?

E.S.: I also feel cozy, sheltered and safe feeling because the Hot Pot would always steam up the windows. I could not imagine feeling the same with other foods during Christmas. My parents don’t really celebrate Christmas in the traditional way so for them, it is not a serious holiday. However, to the family as a whole, it is definitely a time to spend together. Even though we don’t have a traditional gift-giving, we make sure that they spend quality time together. Because Hot Pot requires the eaters’ to cook it themselves, it gave us a lot of time. However, for me personally, it was interesting to eat the food that my parents ate when they were in China. I really appreciate participating in this culture and also see this tradition as a tribute to my parents and ancestors.

Y.H.: Great. And overall, do you think that there is any cultural or background knowledge that someone would have to have to appreciate Hot Pot the same way you do?

E.S.: I mean, Hot Pot is a Chinese dish so you probably would need to know Chinese culture. It represents the only types of food that most people could afford in Chinese history. Also, I think that we eat Hot Pot instead of other foods because we still celebrate “Christmas” without eating “Christmas” dishes, so probably someone who isn’t Christian yet still celebrates Christmas would understand.

Collector’s comments:

  • Hot Pot is also a big tradition in my family. However, for us, we usually eat Hot Pot during New Years and not Christmas. Nevertheless, I understand the significance of coming together around the dinner table and catching up on each other’s lives. We also take the opportunity to tell each other short sayings such as wishing each other good fortune or good education.

Collector’s Name:

Yilin Huo

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Entrée: Menudo

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General Information about Item:

  • Genre: Material Lore – dish; Customary Lore – celebration, quick fix
  • Language: Spanish
  • Country of Origin: Mexico
  • Informant: I.P.
  • Date Collected: November 7, 2020

Informant Data:

  • I.P. is a ~55 year old man living in New Jersey. He was born in Tlaxcala, Mexico and has spent over 20 years in the United States, where he lives with two of his siblings and, up until they started university, his two nephews and niece. In the US, his family usually celebrates Christmas by inviting over more family members, preparing food, and partaking in some traditions with respect to his religion.

Contextual Data:

  • Cultural Context: Unlike the American culture of viewing soup as an appetizer, the Mexican culture views it as a full meal, leading to the creation of many soups such as “Caldo de Res”, “Caldo de Pollo,” “Pozole,” and “Menudo.” Menudo was created due to not wanting to waste any parts of an animal. That is why the honeycomb cow tripe is frequently used for this dish.
  • Social Context: Menudo can be eaten at any time, but due to its status as a hangover cure, it is very common during celebratory events. Due to this, it is often seen as a breakfast or lunch meal during Christmas Day, as a quick fix to all the relatives who drank a little too much.

Item:

  • The traditional procedure involves obtaining dried chili peppers including: 1lb of guajillo, 2-3 chipotle peppers, 3 costeno peppers, then cutting their tail, removing the seeds, and boiling them to soften them up. Afterwards, you blend them all together with a handful of cilantro, some onion, some epazote, salt, and 1-2 garlic cloves. While doing this, blanch the honeycomb tripe, and then boil it once more with epazote. Once the meat softens, add the salsa. It is typically eaten with some lime, chopped cilantro and onions.

Translation of Interview Clip:

C.Y. (collector): So you mentioned it is seen as a sort of cure to hangovers, have you ever had it for that purpose?

I.P. (informant): Well, I mean, yea haha, I can’t say I haven’t tried it. That is, back when I used to drink heavily. It’s been a long time since then, and I’m a new man hahaha. But I have to say it is quite effective, it helps sweat out the ailment.

C.Y.: Aaah, I see I see, did you notice it having any other sort of health benefits?

I.P.: Personally, not really haha. When we ate, we ate a lot. So we’d start feeling tired after eating so much, so it’s pretty hard to know. Just a great meal during any time of the day.

Collector’s Comments:

  • My family doesn’t only eat menudo during celebrations since it is one of my favorite meals. Typically it’s also whenever I can persuade my family we should make it. My family also ties homeopathic magic to certain meals; one of these includes menudo as it is eaten very hot, and very spicy, so as to kind of wake you up and sweat out the ailment.

Collector’s Name: Carlos Yepes

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