You make an excellent point about normalizing and assimilating our ingredients. And I’m with you in taking umbrage at all Hispanic/Latino ingredients being lumped together under the banner of “Mexican” (with absolutely no offense to our Mexican brethren). I am, however, going to counter with my everyday example which is perhaps slightly unusual.
My grocery, which is a small (six stores) local chain, has what you could consider an international foods sub store within the store itself. It occupies about 30% of the physical store space and there you can find an array of Latin, East & South Asian, British, and Hawaiian (I know, I know…) foods. There aren’t simply dry goods aisles, but frozen foods cases as well as refrigerated cases. The kicker here is that many of the foods can also be found integrated within the regular store aisles as well—it’s just there’s also a dedicated section. I’ve often wondered if this store’s approach has to do with its roots—started in the 1950s by a Japanese-American man and his Anglo friend. Their families had been friends before WWII and had remained friends throughout. Afterwards, the town where the first store was founded, was/is the town that retained the highest percentage of returning detainees of any area in the U.S. It feels as if inclusion has always been a big thing for them.
I realize it’s a bit of an anomaly and that more stores than not are arranged how you’ve described in your story which is definitely a problem. I remember when I first moved away from Miami, how confused I was by the existence of a “Hispanic Foods” section in the local Publix because in Miami, it was all combined. (Of course, in Miami, you had full on Latin groceries that rivaled Publix or Winn-Dixie in size and catered to their clientele.)
That store is def a great start. But when I see a "Mexican Foods" aisle with taco shells, salsas, and canned beans, all produced in America, it makes me wonder if that's all these store managers think Latin Americans are. If you can even call it Latin American food.
My experience, from a Florida boy’s perspective, with Puerto Rican family, is traveling to “specialty” stores to buy ingredients we couldn’t find at Publix, or other stores. Culantro for the sofrito, and the ajicitos dulces.
Arroz con gaundules y Pernil is not the same without these key ingredients.
Being Mexican, I guess I'm guilty of taking it for granted that if I want to cook my mum's food, that's where I'd go.🤔 I do realize we're not all just "Mexican". What offends me most, is that blanket statement that we're all "Spanish". WTF??
I dunno how I feel about this, friend. Hmm. I guess, being Mexican, I never really thought about it, tee hee! But I feel ya. Thank you for opening my eyes!
My wife's late Boricua Grandmother was visiting years ago and wanted to make pasteles for us. We gave up hope of finding banana leaves in Sandy Springs, so we went to (what was billed as) a Spanish store to look for the special wrapping paper she wanted. She spoke in rapid fire Spanish ( I caught about 40% of it) to the clerk and found that they didn't have the paper she needed. She then said, in English so I'd get it, "This isn't a Spanish store. You don't have anything good!"
You make an excellent point about normalizing and assimilating our ingredients. And I’m with you in taking umbrage at all Hispanic/Latino ingredients being lumped together under the banner of “Mexican” (with absolutely no offense to our Mexican brethren). I am, however, going to counter with my everyday example which is perhaps slightly unusual.
My grocery, which is a small (six stores) local chain, has what you could consider an international foods sub store within the store itself. It occupies about 30% of the physical store space and there you can find an array of Latin, East & South Asian, British, and Hawaiian (I know, I know…) foods. There aren’t simply dry goods aisles, but frozen foods cases as well as refrigerated cases. The kicker here is that many of the foods can also be found integrated within the regular store aisles as well—it’s just there’s also a dedicated section. I’ve often wondered if this store’s approach has to do with its roots—started in the 1950s by a Japanese-American man and his Anglo friend. Their families had been friends before WWII and had remained friends throughout. Afterwards, the town where the first store was founded, was/is the town that retained the highest percentage of returning detainees of any area in the U.S. It feels as if inclusion has always been a big thing for them.
I realize it’s a bit of an anomaly and that more stores than not are arranged how you’ve described in your story which is definitely a problem. I remember when I first moved away from Miami, how confused I was by the existence of a “Hispanic Foods” section in the local Publix because in Miami, it was all combined. (Of course, in Miami, you had full on Latin groceries that rivaled Publix or Winn-Dixie in size and catered to their clientele.)
Okay, stepping off my soapbox now. 😂
That store is def a great start. But when I see a "Mexican Foods" aisle with taco shells, salsas, and canned beans, all produced in America, it makes me wonder if that's all these store managers think Latin Americans are. If you can even call it Latin American food.
My experience, from a Florida boy’s perspective, with Puerto Rican family, is traveling to “specialty” stores to buy ingredients we couldn’t find at Publix, or other stores. Culantro for the sofrito, and the ajicitos dulces.
Arroz con gaundules y Pernil is not the same without these key ingredients.
🤙
Specialty stores are my faves! Especially the candy aisle. This is a different beast all together. xoxo
Yasss!!!
Being Mexican, I guess I'm guilty of taking it for granted that if I want to cook my mum's food, that's where I'd go.🤔 I do realize we're not all just "Mexican". What offends me most, is that blanket statement that we're all "Spanish". WTF??
I dunno how I feel about this, friend. Hmm. I guess, being Mexican, I never really thought about it, tee hee! But I feel ya. Thank you for opening my eyes!
My wife's late Boricua Grandmother was visiting years ago and wanted to make pasteles for us. We gave up hope of finding banana leaves in Sandy Springs, so we went to (what was billed as) a Spanish store to look for the special wrapping paper she wanted. She spoke in rapid fire Spanish ( I caught about 40% of it) to the clerk and found that they didn't have the paper she needed. She then said, in English so I'd get it, "This isn't a Spanish store. You don't have anything good!"
Thank you so much, John. I always appreciate your comments. Hi from Nashvillle! xoxo