Culture & Food Traditions

Food and farming practices from communities all over the world are passed down from generation to generation. Traditions tie us together and help us learn from each other. What are some of your food traditions?

Click on the photos to follow a link to the learning resource. What questions do you have about it? Write these questions in the comment box at the bottom of the page.

A Farmer Discovers Her Roots, One Veggie at a Time

Great Big StoryAdopted as a baby from Korea and raised in Long Island, New York, Kristyn Leach grew up on pizza and bagels. But as a young adult, she became fascinated with her birth country’s cuisine—eventually traveling back for the first time since her adoption. There, she spent three weeks meeting with and learned from farmers. The trip didn’t just reconnect Kristyn to her past; it transformed her future. She now practices “natural farming” techniques in Winters, California, and provides produce to Bay Area restaurant Namu Gaji.

The Chef Bringing Native American Food to Your Table

Great Big StoryNative American chef Sean Sherman was raised on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. These days, as owner of the company Sioux Chef, he dedicates his time to revitalizing Native American cuisine. In his dishes, Sherman uses local ingredients that are indigenous to North America, while putting less emphasis on colonial ingredients, such as beef, wheat flour and dairy. But it’s not just certain ingredients that distinguish Sherman’s approach to food. His creations are truly gourmet. And with each beautiful dish, this chef is helping re-educate the American palate.