Michael Radigan

HNSC 2223

Ingredient Research/Own Research Essay

While I previously mentioned on the introduction cards that I have a Lebanese family,

through the years we have lost nearly all of culture. Instead eating sayadieh and hummus at my

grandmas forth of July party we all ate hamburgers and hot dogs. It wasn’t until I left home did I

start experimenting with this kind of cooking. While I grew up eating the typical American diet,

one thing does stick out to me when considering a specific ingredient. Garlic was something

that I found in most savory dishes I ate. This was not limited to my Lebanese maternal family

though. My stepmom had a huge impact on my life for the better. Her influence was not limited

to my personal development and instead enriched my culinary one too. While her cooking was

heavily inspired by her Italian up brining, she used as much, if not more, garlic as my maternal

grandma. Instead of seasoning the burger patties with it she would put whole cloves in pasta

primavera. Looking at the long and widespread history of garlic in cooking I find it fitting that it

became a staple for me growing up with blended families.1 Because my parents shared custody

over my brother and I for most of my childhood, I experienced very different cuisine but eating

habits as well. In my mom’s family we rarely had set mealtimes and stead grabbed food and ran

out the door. At my dad’s house though mealtime was a bit more of the traditional “sit down

and eat as a family” kind.

With my mom and dad living in rural environments I didn’t get much exposure to

different cultures. I loved food network and the travel channel growing up, so I knew a lot in

theory, but I didn’t get to have those experiences much later in life. I grew a little too

comfortable with what I knew, and it wasn’t until I studied abroad in France for my sophomore

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year of high school did, I start to challenge my picky tastes. Funny enough when I lived in

France, my host families didn’t eat too much garlic. They all preferred different things but I

noticed a trend to using mild tasting cream-based sauces. One dish that stuck out to me was

confit. It was common practice to cook poultry submerged in animal fat. After slow cooking for

what seemed like a day long process, they would use the fat almost as if it was a tubber ware

that preserved the meat inside from spoiling. While I personally don’t eat poultry anymore, I

enjoy using the same process now when I make garlic confit. Swapping out the bird for garlic

and the lard for olive oil, it reminds me of the fond times I had across the pond.

In conclusion, while I haven’t really had constant exposure with one specific culture, I

notice that different cultures have a funny way of overlapping. In my case it was using garlic. I

don’t think it is the most representative of what my shared culture is/was, but I do feel it was

the most representative of me growing up.

Like garlic, Nopal has a long and widespread history throughout Central America and

especially the massive country Mexico. Like the many different species of garlic, Nopal comes in

different varieties that come from varying climates and regions spanning across Central

America.2 Nopal can be described as a flat cactus that grow in arid environments, such as those

in Central America, and depending on the region, grow at different altitudes. Because of their

thorny nature, Nopal is not eaten as is off the cacti. After the thorns are removed from the

Nopal, it commonly is either grilled or fermented and added to different dishes specific to the

region in which it grew.

In an article published by Food Network a native chef of Navajo, Freddie J. Bitsoie,

educates the reader on his experience growing up with Nopal. 3 He grew up within the Navajo,

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community and only after gaining culinary and anthropological training, grew an appreciation

not only for the nopal cactus pads, but also for the buds and fruits that grew from the plant. In

the article published he gives a recipe for nopal stuffed chicken cutlets but also showcases a

cholla bud pesto pasta and a prickly pear margarita from the bud and fruit respectively. Near

the end of the article chef Freddie emphasizes how his experience with nopal as a nourishing

functional food and a culinary inspiration.

Another example of nopal being used can be seen in a wide range of authentic Mexican

cuisine. With nopal being as fibrous as it is, cooking the pads is common practice even when

using them in salads. This method of processes, cooking, and chilling can be used in dishes like

the regional appetizer, Mexican nopalitos.4 Other times the pads are thrown into dishes that

are stewed with other ingredients. The dish pork chile Colorado with nopales coming from

Durango, is a great example of this.5

Looking at the wide use of Nopal as an ingredient across Mexico, it’s easy to compare

it’s widespread use to that of garlic. Both ingredients are used anywhere they can grow. While

the two ingredients are very different in their culinary and nutrition use, I find it interesting how

culture finds a way of making whatever grows by them into a dish. After living in Bushwick for a

year I can say that my home cooking has changed due to having different types produce

available to me. While I don’t have the responsibility of growing my own food, I think the same

idea applies.

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 Citations

History of garlic. Garlic History - Origin and History of Garlic.

http://www.vegetablefacts.net/vegetable-history/history-of-garlic/. Accessed October 4,
2022.

Munchies. VICE; 2021. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQTjMVFzcbI. Accessed 2022.

Bitsoie FJ. Cooking with Cactus, the life of the desert. Food Network.
https://www.foodnetwork.com/fn-dish/recipes/cactus-recipes-life-of-the-desert. Accessed
October 4, 2022.

Martin A. Cactus salsa or Mexican Nopalitos. Adriana's Best Recipes.

https://www.adrianasbestrecipes.com/cactus-salsa-mexican-nopalitos/. Published June 19,
2019. Accessed October 11, 2022.

Unzueta M. Pork chile Colorado with Nopales. Mamá. Maggie's Kitchen.

https://inmamamaggieskitchen.com/pork-chile-colorado-with-nopales/. Published April 20,
2020. Accessed October 11, 2022.