I come from a Fulani tribe in West Africa, which is a herding and nomadic culture so my ancestors consumed a lot of cow’s milk. In school, I learned that one day, my ancestors decided to look for a compliment to make the milk more appetizing. They had the idea of taking the corn powder and vaporizing it. Then, the corn powder is mixed with the milk. After that, they added sugar on top and they found it to be really delicious. Since that time, this dish has become a cultural dish for my people I remember when my mom cooked it for the first time. The corn kernels are first crushed to make the flour. Then it’s finely sifted. Next, it is important to steam the cornflour with a clean cloth. In years before now, our grandmothers in the villages prepared it in terracotta canaries. Our generation is resorting to more technical tools.
In the Bronx, last Eid, my mom and I decided to cook Latchiri Kossan to remember the smell of our country through this traditional dish. Every time we cooked it. The smell took me back to my country Guinea. When I go to weddings here and eat this delicious dish, I feel like I am home and I’m happy. Latchiri Kossan smells like home to me. But that’s not all. Along with the Latchiri Kossan, there is always traditional music and dance. Latchirin Kossan without dance and music is like Thanksgiving without turkey.
In my community, Latchiri Kossan represents a sign of respect and consideration. The honor of being served to this particular dish shows how important you are to the person. For the reason that it’s a long and difficult process to make. At ceremonies or events, everyone asked about the dish. It’s the dish of the day.
Dear Fatoumata,
I really enjoyed reading your post, “A Dish from My Culture,” because I understand the notion of feeling at home when eating a cultural dish. Cultural dishes are extremely important because food is arguably a culture’s best way of conveying what its life is all about. They represent the warmness of culture and the characteristics of its traditions.
One sentence you wrote that really stood out to me was, “The honor of being served this particular dish shows how important you are to the person.” This resonates with me deeply because, like another thing you said, many cultural foods take great effort and long hours to make. There is a lot that can go wrong with a dish that takes a long time to make, so being served a dish like that makes people feel special. Essentially, the idea is you give up time to those you value.
Thanks for your writing. I look forward to seeing what you write next because I love to see people value their culture. I also like to learn about various cultures’ different foods, the Latchiri Kossan looks delicious.
Sebastian
Fatoumata,
I’m very pleased to hear about your traditional dish. I’m also pleased to hear about how this dish reminds you of your home. I also have traditional dishes that allow me to revisit my home without having to actually leave the U.S.
I liked how you connected Latchiri Kossan with dance and music. I believe that food can serve as a representation of things beyond fulfilling hunger. I also like how you compared your dish with Thanksgiving. It allowed readers to better understand how important the dish is in your culture.
This is very interesting Fatoumata. I love how this post relates to your very own culture. This Fulani Tribe dish sounds delicious and now I really want to try it. I love the stories that you share, and remembering the first time your mom made this dish for you. You go into great depth and description of making the dish. I love hearing about new cultures and traditions. My family is Cuban, and my mom always make Cuban dishes and I love to hear the stories and history behind them. It is very interesting and I love learning new things about my culture. I am excited to see what you have to say next because I would love to hear more about you and your culture.
Dear Fatoumata,
I am very intrigued about your post “A DIsh from My Culture” because hearing how much love you have for your culture is very genuine. I really like learning about new cultures and I felt like your culture seemed so nice the way you all show your love towards the people you care about by making them a dish that takes a long and difficult process. I agree with you that when you make a traditional dish it reminds you of home and makes you happy. When my family makes a traditional Mexican dish it reminds me of my ancestors and makes me happy to have the culture I have.
Hope to hear more about your culture soon!!
-Litzy
Dear Fatoumata,
I found your post “A Dish from My Culture” interesting because I enjoyed hearing about how passionate you are about your culture. I think it is important to learn about other people’s cultures because it is a huge part of one’s life. Everyone has different values and learning about their culture can expand your view to respect everyone and acknowledge the diversity around you.
One sentence you wrote that stands out for me is: “In the Bronx, last Eid, my mom and I decided to cook Latchiri Kossan to remember the smell of our country through this traditional dish.” I found this relatable as to when I help my mom cook. I like learning how to make new Mexican dishes because I get to learn more about my culture. I also feel that our dishes make us come closer together especially on holidays because the whole family gathers and works together to make the food.
Thanks for writing. I look forward to seeing what you write next because I would like to continue to learn more about your culture.
-Yamile