The pungent odor of the Shiro stew filled the room and the colorful look of the dishes lit up the kitchen. My family quickly assembled around the dinner table to feast on the food women of the family had prepared. Growing up in an Eritrean household, food always brought the family together, even in the toughest times. At three years, old, my family was forced to endure a very difficult challenge- escaping Ethiopia amidst a terrible war. Coming to the United States provided my parents with the opportunity for a better life. After struggling to navigate the "American" way of life, I am proud that my entire family are now United States citizens. However, if it were not for the power of Eritrean food, I am not sure my family would have survived. …show more content…
I remember one day when my mom made the Shiro stew, a staple of any Eritrean household, it had been a particularly tough day at school because my classmates had relentlessly teased me for bringing "weird food" to the school potluck. Sharing my story and being around the dinner table while eating the delicious food brought me comfort that my entire family was in this together. As I matured, I began to take on more responsibility in the kitchen helping my mom prepare a variety of Eritrean dishes. My mother now entrusted me with the knife to cut and mince the vegetables she used to prepare the Shiro stew. I learned the level of responsibility and hard work that went into the cooking process, something that gave me personal confidence and motivation. Watching my family eat the delicious food at the dinner table made me feel proud that I contributed to this meal. I used this newfound confidence and motivation to take on academic challenges. I began to take honors classes instead of the basic classes and found new extracurricular opportunities to