Polish food makes me happy

 My grandma grew up in Poland and moved here in high school. She tells me stories about growing up in rural Poland during the World Wars. She tells me horror stories about the Holocaust and how her relatives were prisoners. She tells me about how food was scarce and had to be stretch thin. They didn’t have certain fruits and veggies. They got oranges as Christmas presents because they were expensive and seen as a luxury. She had never seen a pineapple till she moved to the US. I think a lot of people do not realize how rare some foods were and still are in some countries. We are very privileged to live in a country with so much diversity and opportunity to have food.

Food is a huge part of my life, especially Polish food. My grandma always makes big portions of food and is always making sure we are not hungry. She grew up with almost nothing, so she tries to give us everything. Her love language is food. She shows us she cares through food.

I love going to her house and making Polish food. Pierogies, kopytka (potato dumplings), golumpki (cabbage rolls), razuki (fried bread), placi (potato pancakes), bigos (hunters stew), packzi (donut), and kolaczkis (cookies) are my favorites. I love going to her house and just smelling all the good food. I used to sit at the counter and taste test as she cooked. 

I think that is where my love of cooking comes from. Whenever I was sad or upset, my grandma could tell. She would have me help her cook to distract me and take my mind off things. It was her way of saying that she noticed me.

My sisters and I used to run up to her while she was cooking and steal a razuki or two before dinner. She always knew what we were doing and she always let us have a sample before dinner.

I am really proud of my culture. My family has spent years “Americanizing.” I grew up pronouncing my last name the “American” way because it was easier for others to pronounce. My grandparents go by their English names. My grandma’s name did not translate into English so she picked a new name when she moved here. I am sick of conforming myself to the American way. I introduce myself with my Polish last name now, not the American one. I make Polish food and when people ask about it I always offer to cook for them to let them try it. Most people think some of the foods are weird and I always encourage people to just try it.

For my graphic design senior project, I am making Polish food packaging that talks about the history of the food and how to cook it in an authentic way. I think so many people get Americanized Polish food or cook it wrong and don't like it cause it wasn't made correctly. I am hoping my project can help others understand Polish culture. It makes me proud of my culture.