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Life] What is your comfort food?

What is your comfort food?

On a recent trip to Skiathos, Greece, with my friend Barbara — who is French, and therefore blessed (by birthright, it seems) with impeccable taste and exacting standards when it comes to food — I came to realise that I am more American than I have ever given myself credit for.

Or rather, Barbara realised it for me. All it took was one look at my list of cravings: Nutella eaten straight from the jar; buttermilk pancakes, tall and fluffy, drowning in maple syrup; mac and cheese with that golden, bubbling crust; Mexican burritos and tacos (the proper kind, mind you); burgers with a side of chips; pizza (hot or cold); avocados and guac; potato chips tucked inside burgers and sandwiches for that extra salty crunch; tuna melt, pumpkin pie, pecan pie, and creamy rice pudding. Might I add crab cakes and clam chowder for the New England, East Coast pride. Canada, my other home, adds poutine to the list — and quiche, though Barbara would surely claim that one back for France.

All in all, I came to realise that my comfort foods are... truly American. And that's the funny part: I grew up between Canada and the States, in the company of German and Israeli families — a childhood stitched together from half a dozen tables. Out of all of them, these are the foods that stuck, the ones that still give me a little jolt of energy — of cheer — exactly when I need one.

Korean food, on the other hand, is my ancestors' food, my grandmother's food. It has become a special-occasion treat for me, because it is so hard to get right. My taste buds are ingrained with the traditional, fresh ingredients of Korea, and cooking Korean food abroad is never quite the same — even the tofu tastes different and, if I'm honest, rarely lives up to my expectations.

So it took a Greek island and a French friend to teach me an American truth about my Korean self. Which makes me wonder what your list would reveal. Now I'll ask you what Barbara essentially asked me: what is your comfort food?