What we eat and how we cook is one of the most fundamental ways to express our family and cultural traditions. It is impossible to imagine a household without a secret recipe that has been passed on from generation to generation.
As we know, cultures function within all kinds of binary oppositions such as us/them, home/away, sacred/profane and many others. This dichotomy is also one of the food paradoxes: representing the security of home, something natural, cosy and familiar, it can be at the same time treated as unknown, unsafe and even dangerous. Think, for instance, about religions, where certain foods are prohibited. That is why eating with others requires a certain level of intimacy and trust.
Sharing meals can also be a catalyst for understanding and learning, community building, and sometimes healing, which is especially important in troubled times like these. And so can reading. By reading books that celebrate multicultural food traditions, children can discover and learn how to appreciate not only their own heritage, but also that of others.
The selection of books below will expose young and adult readers alike to a whole new world of culinary traditions – a cultural world that expands beyond the familiar kitchen table.
Illustration: Felicita Sala
Chik Chak Shabbat
Written by Mara Rockliff & Illustrated by Kyrsten Brooker
Candlewick Press, USA (2014)
A warm tale of multicultural community united by companionship and food. Each Saturday, Shabbat is celebrated in Goldie Simcha’s apartment with her neighbours. One Friday, she is feeling too sick to cook, and each family brings a dish from their own culture that represents an ingredient in the Cholent, a traditional stew for the Sabbath meal. Although Goldie is not a strictly Torah-observant woman, the book introduces Jewish traditions to those who are unfamiliar with the faith, and sends a message that we are more alike than different.
May Your Life Be Deliciosa
Written by Michael Genhart & Illustrated by Loris Lora
Cameron Kids, USA (2021)
May Your Life Be Deliciosa is centered around the Mexican tradition of tamale-making and family bonds. Rosie’s family gathers every Christmas Eve to make tamales with her Abuela. As her grandmother shares her secret recipe, Rosie learns not only how to make a delicious tamale, but how to make a delicious life, one filled with love and family support. Spanish words and phrases are sprinkled throughout the text, accompanied by vibrant illustrations marked by the bright colour palette often found in Mexican artisans and folk art. Inspired by the author and illustrator’s Latinx heritage, this is an incredibly warm tale of food and cultural identity, rooted in family recipes, storytelling, and togetherness.
Chicken Soup Chicken Soup
Written by Pamela Mayer & Illustrated by Deborah Melmon
Kar-Ben Publishing, USA (2016)
Sophie loves Bubbe’s Jewish chicken soup, made with kreplach. But she also loves Nai Nai’s Chinese chicken soup, with wonton! Trying to placate the different cultures of her grandmothers, Sophie finds a way to blend their two traditions into one warming recipe. This is a wonderful book for developing the awareness of many forms of identity within oneself and for embracing and celebrating all of them.
Laila’s Lunch Box: A Ramadan Story
Written by Reem Faruqi & Illustrated by Lea Lyon
Tilbury House, USA (2015)
A story of honesty, finding your voice, and staying true to yourself. Ten-year old Lailah and her family recently moved from Abu Dhabi to Atlanta, Georgia. She is excited for Ramadan, as this will be her first year fasting along with the adults. Lailah misses her friends and wishes they were sharing this milestone with her. How can she explain to her new classmates why she’s not eating lunch? Suitable for a wide range of ages, from kindergarten to older children and equipped with an author’s note and a glossary, this award-wining book provides an excellent opening to discuss Islamic traditions, as well as the questions of identity and acceptance.
Cap Go Meh
Written by Sophie Dewayani & Illustrated Eugenia Gina
Biangala Anak Nusantara, Indonesia (2014)
A heart-warming story of bonding between two girls from different cultures. Nisa, a Muslim girl, and her friend Lili, a Chinese Indonesian, are debating whether ‘cap go meh’ (rice cake) is the symbol of Eid Al-Fitr tradition or Chinese New Year celebration only to discover that the dish belongs to both celebrations, accumulating both cultures. This is a special book that explains children how beautiful it is to be united in diversity.
Queen of the Hanukkah Dosas
Written by Pamela Ehrenberg & Illustrated by Anjan Sarkar
Farrar, Straus and Giroux, USA (2017)
A sweet and humorous story about a family’s tradition of making Indian dosas to celebrate Hanukkah, the Jewish festival of lights and how this brings together the whole family. Highlighting Jewish and Indian heritage, this book is a great way to discuss how families can combine different traditions and cultures into one happy (and delicious) blend.
Teatime Around the World
Written by Denyse Waissbluth & Illustrated by Chelsea O'Byrne
Greystone Kids, Canada (2020)
This poetic picturebook takes children of all ages on an exciting adventure around the globe to discover new cultures through tea. As tea travelled across time and space, it has been adapted to reflect local customs and traditions, and to both unite cultures and demonstrate their diversity. A simple rhyming poem runs parallel to short passages of informational text about different tea traditions in countries from Egypt to Russia. At the end of the book, the author shares her own connection to tea, from her grandparents offering tea to guests, to sharing teh tarik with new friends in Singapore. Showing children how people around the world live, this book helps break down cultural barriers through one of the world's most beloved beverages.
Freedom Soup
Written by Tami Charles & Illustrated by Jacqueline Alcántara
Candlewick, USA (2019)
An inspiring story about remembering the past and sharing family traditions. Every year, Haitians all over the world ring in the new year by eating a special soup, a symbol of Haitian independence and freedom. Ti Gran is teaching her granddaughter Belle how to make the Freedom Soup — just like she was taught when she was a little girl. Together, they dance and clap as they prepare the holiday feast, and Ti Gran tells Belle about the history of the soup, the history of Belle’s family, and the history of Haiti, where Belle’s family is from.
Do you have a favourite book about food traditions? We'd love to hear from you! Leave us a comment below.
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