Cooking with children can lead to many different learning opportunities to explore in areas such as mathematics, science and literacy. However, one area that many parents tend to overlook is the amount of cultural understanding that can be gleaned by preparing meals from different parts of the world.
Every culture has their own way of cooking and using ingredients to create delicious and nutritious meals. By exploring these methods of cooking, parents can turn preparing meals with their children into a cultural experience.
Focus on a CultureÂ
In order to create a truly cultural experience, a parent will first need to select a particular culture to focus on so that its history can be completely explored. For example, if a parent and child wish to cook a Hispanic meal, then they will want to also research the different places in which the food is served, or even what type of music the Hispanic culture thrives with. Then, they may enjoy researching different main dishes, sides and desserts that they can prepare. Therefore, an entire cultural meal can be prepared to share with the family.
Explore Exotic IngredientsÂ
Cultural cooking is a great way to introduce children to exotic flavors and tastes from ingredients that they may not have been exposed to in their regular diet. Parents can help their child to select a recipe that includes a type of food that they would like to try.
Because children tend to try new foods more readily when they have helped to prepare the meal, then this technique can lead to a new favorite type of food for the entire family. While the type of ingredients explored will vary with the recipe, some interesting favorites are plantains, mangoes and assorted spices.
Add Cultural ElementsÂ
When teaching children new information, it is important to include as many of their senses as possible. Here is a great way to introduce cultural elements such as a new style of music or way of dressing. These types of experiences can even lead to a new interest such as taking piano lessons to learn even more about a particular culture’s way of life. Playing music as a parent and child cook is an easy way to incorporate cultural elements into a cooking activity with children.
When exploring a new culture, many exciting new recipes can be found that parents and their children can enjoy preparing together. Not only will this help a child to learn more about a culture, but it can also lead to a new appreciation for different types of food, music and lifestyles.
