Learning to Taste Oil

In my culture, oil was something used only for cooking. It stayed in the pan, not on the plate. When I growing up, food was limited, I ate what was available. Cheese, avocado, eating oil on its own were not part of my world.

When I first came to the US, I was surprised by how much avocado, cheese, butter, or oil in almond butter people ate daily. I was even more surprised the first time I traveled to Italy, when restaurants proudly ask I must try his olive oil with a slice of bread. I gradually trained my body to enjoy and like avocado, cheese, and almond butter because they are healthy, but I was still far from dipping bread in oil.

Interestingly, on this trip to Greece, I realized that I’ve started to truly appreciate and enjoy fresh bread dipped in olive oil. Dipping food in oil is something I never thought I would enjoy… I have always enjoyed simplicity in food with fresh ingredients, but this isn’t about simplicity. It’s about my body and mind opening to a new food tradition, finding it nourishing, flavorful, and deeply satisfying.