When thinking about what connects an individual to their history what would be the first thing that comes to mind? Lakeland University brings cultures together through food and allows students to try dishes that bring a new experience to them with flavor and curiosity of the history behind the dish.  

Food brings communities together with the blending and combination of flavors. The history it holds connects individuals to their past, bringing a sense of comfort while being away from their home. Recipes are passed from generation to generation to be learned and kept thriving for future generations. 

Dishes from different cultures should be allowed in college universities. The many cultures in food allow for feelings of belonging and a sense of home in the university. Making a dish that holds such meaning can make a person feel at home with making the recipe for the first time to the point you memorize every part of your family’s recipe. Being able to make a dish treasured throughout your family can help soothe that sense of homesickness. 

Lakeland senior Andres Gonzalez, native to San Diego, has a specific dish that he holds dear to his heart. Picadillo is a dish that Gonzalez treasures and has fond memories of his mother making the dish for family dinners. 

Picadillo contains a combination of vegetables and beef that goes into a type of stew.  It brings Gonzalez back to his childhood, eating meals with his family. Gonzalez’s grandmother taught the recipe to his mother. She revised the recipe and made use of whatever was cheapest to make dishes that gives a feeling of home. For Gonzalez, the meaning of food for the soul is being together with family. The dish allows for those moments where you feel connected to family no matter the distance. 

Lakeland University offers the perfect idea of food for different cultures by offering a variety of dishes every week for students to try and get to experience something a little outside of their culture background. In the end of it all, different cultures’ idea of food for the soul is about giving the sense of what home is and Lakeland wants the food to give that feeling of being a home away from home with every meal.