Food makes you think.

Food is one of those things we all know, we all consume, many of us love. More than just sustinance though food often becomes what defines a culture within its local community but also globally. Much of what the average person knows about different cultures immediatly speaks to a food memory, or atleast a desire. When someone says Thailand I immediately think of Pad see ew, spring rolls, something spicy sweet, sour and tangy finished off with a thai iced tea. Say Italy and I’ll daydream of fresh tomatoes and mozzarella, sitting in a piazza sipping wine watching the world go by. Say Mexico, and I launch into a soliloquy of the best mexican food in southern california made from mexican hands who just do it better than anyone else; this food had a profound effect on my life. Then carry on to Mexico City being one of the great food cities of the world, and maybe the most special destination for both fine dining and cheap eats in the world.

Food has this unqiue ability to bring people together, to unify across cultures and belief systems. It’s the ice breaker in a tense room, it can be the common ground between vastly different economic backgrounds. With many of us its a love affair of the most delicious variety. If we cant agree on good food, what can we agree on??

While i love fine dining, and all things upscale, my soul is always most attached to the mom and pop, off the beaten path, humble food made with love and history on its side. There are many corners of this country and every country where generations old recipes have been passed down and link not only the young and old but those of all races and religions. When I sit and have a meal with someone there is an exchange of energy, a joy, a peace, food is comforting and so is good company. Food is intimate, consuming is intimate, and enjoying a great meal is one of those wonderfully human experiences we do every day.

Ive found putting a real focus on making atleast 1 if not 2 meal times a special part of my day adds value to my relationships and friendships. Its a needed moment away from technology and a time to appreciate good peope, good food, good conversation and a fully belly at the end of it all.

Now do you have to feel like food is transcendent on a Wednesday night at Chipotle with your roomate, brother or lover? I mean, no, it doesnt have to be that deep, but also, I remmeber getting Beef n Chedders witht mom from Arbys when i was 8. So you never know what impacts food will have!

One of my favorite places to have people try for the first time in LA is Mariscos Jalisco taco truck. Theres a billion taco trucks in LA and everywhere else for that matter, so what makes this so different or special? Well, those first couple bites you take will answer that question, the light bulb turns on, it all becomes a bit clearer, this is magical. By taco number two, most are believers. This is humble food, only a handful of ingredients, everything fresh, locally sourced, made by men and women who care about the legacy and what this taco means and represents within this community. And as a gringo, i am blessed to be able to step into this bit of beautiful east LA culture and enjoy a small bite of what generations of Mexicans have contributed to this city and this nation.

What is American culture anyways? Its a combination of all these other beautiful vibrant people and places, because if youre telling me american culture is baseball, hotdogs, and bud light, Ill pass, I dont want it. American culture is Black culture and Latino culture and Asian culture and maybe some European dabbled in as well. We owe most everything delicous and wonderful to those black and brown communities who have come here and brought their magic for us all to enjoy and share.

Its fascinating then to look at the state of the world and reconcile with the hypocrisy that exists in every vein of society. Some of the most vocal individuals expressing hate or disdain toward certain communities are often the same ones who regularly consume their culture. Whether thats food, music, dance, clothing, vernacular; cultural appropriation and theft is a very real thing. There are plenty of white ‘girls from kansas’ talking about the border while munching on tacos and margaritas. This country has been built on the accumulation of other peoples best parts; THAT is why we are considered great. We are the ultimate melting pot, and we should be so eternally grateful that so many people from every corner of the world have brought and given us a piece of themselves.

The reality is that many white people don’t see it this way. Instead, as a country weve cherrypicked all the best parts, we'll take your good food, your entertainment, your sports, your design and architecture, we will take all the things that make you beautiful, and then deny you not only your peace but also your place in the creation of such things. We steal the ideas, we repackage them slightly, sanitize them for mainstream appeal, and tell the world ‘look what i created’. Food is no different. The monitization of other cultures is what white men have done best for centuries. Exploiting cultures they considered inferior—turning cuisine into capital.

While this isnt changing over night, there is a shift, a desire to be ethical in a world where so many in power are not. Its important to recognize this and make simple choices that have real effects. Know where youre eating. Know whose pocket your money is going into. Know where the ingredients come from. Support small business, support immigrants, support hard work. When you choose to spend your money intentionally, you invest in people, not just products. You uplift communities that have been historically excluded from wealth and recognition. THAT is what its all about. You help preserve cultural traditions instead of watching them be diluted or stolen. You become part of a more equitable food system—one that values origin, culture, and ownership.

So eat with joy, love every last bit of it, but also do that with purpose. Celebrate the depth and richness of culture not just by tasting it, but by respecting it. Food tells a story, so make sure you're supporting the people who wrote it.