Food, With aroma of Women

As I walk into a kitchen, I see the same group of women who believe it or not, have inspired my life ever since I was young. It comprised all my aunts, my mother, and a photo of my grandmother after her passing. For every holiday, family gathering or special event, I always wonder how this group ended up in the kitchen once again. I yearned for my spot in what seemed like an exclusive club for most of my life. Yet, when I was invited in, I understood the importance of the kitchen to all the women. 

The women are all so different and yet all unite with one task, create meals for the family. Ran as if we were in a restaurant, the host took the responsibility of being the head chef as everyone started to prepare. Yet all the women are seasoned chiefs and know their recipes by heart. Delighted and laughing, they provide life updates, gossip and bring up the same memories they all have together again. No matter their struggle, they lose themselves in each other’s company. 

I've seen all the women in this club face life head-on. Yet, time and time again, a recipe as simple as refried beans brightens up their moods when they are together. One could say that the kitchen became a safe space for them. It became a space for the women to share moments and to understand the complex lives that follow each one of them. It served as a living testament to our cultures and customs that they held so near to their hearts. As my mother said, “ Food doesn't just feed your loved ones, but it feeds the soul of all who enter your kitchen.”

Within the Mayan culture, women have always been the protectors of food and culture to a larger extent. It became a privilege to be able to learn and re-create these recipes that have been passed on for generations. When my mother decided to show me the recipes, it became a torch passed to me, her only daughter. After that moment, I became a part of this group, the same one I admired. 

I learned a lot, not just how to cook but also the concept of sisterhood and acceptance. All of them have shared with me intimate moments, not just as family but as fellow women. The same traditions that women after me held dear to their hearts are the same ones we uphold in our kitchen. 

Cooking taught me some of the most important life lessons that I know. Yet, I had transformative moments with women in my life in the kitchen. These moments are the ones that inspire me to keep our cooking alive, not just for me, but for all the people in my kitchen.