Growing up I was not very culturally diverse. Growing up in a place 35 minutes away from one of the most diverse cities in America (New York City), you would think that there would be so many places to eat. Well, there was but I didn't experience any of them. Nope, my family was traditional. 100% Italian and Italian was pretty much all there was. We were very basic people, and aside from that, like most children I was picky. Even into my early 20's I rarely took chances when it came to food. Food was there to feed my hunger, and not much else. I stuck with what I knew and what looked appealing. The way things looked truly made an impact on if I ate it or not. It was all mental and had nothing to do with taste, but if something didn't look like I would like it or was not what I was accustomed to, I didn't eat it. The only other cultural food I ate aside from American & Italian was Chinese, and not just any Chinese, it had to be and only came from Ming Yung Chinese Buffet in my hometown. Even as I got older, my response was, "Oh, I don't like that." Don't like & never tried are two very different things.

I have to say that I am very glad to be so willing to try new things now. To not just open my mouth to taste, but my eyes to culture and all the joys that can come with eating. When I first went to Europe, I really had to break out of my shell of eating "basic". When I lived in Berlin, there was not many "have it your way" moments. I got what I got and I learned to enjoy it. But that still didn't truly change my mind. It opened me up a little but I didn't hold on to it. I still was that stubborn little girl when it came to some things, such as Indian food. The first time I ever tried Indian food was in London when I was 21 years old, with two of my girlfriends. They loved it, and I never had tried it. I had ordered a mango chicken curry. It was good, it fed me for the time being but that was that, continued to "not like it" just because I wasn't used to it.

This past year has really changed my outlook. I have my ex-boyfriend to thank for that. He really made me realize how much of a mental block I had created to certain foods. His favorite thing to eat is Indian food. We were together for a year and I promised him, "One day I will go with you." Well one year turned into almost two and I still did not own up to my part of the bargain. He would buy Indian food weekly and I would just sneer at the array of colors and mush on his plate.

Until, I went all in. We went to the Indian buffet with his parents one day and I could not believe my taste buds. We then started going once, sometimes twice a week! I was addicted. Tikka Masala, Vindaloo, Curry, the list goes on & on. It didn't just trigger my taste buds but my curiosity for such a beautiful culture.

So with this said, do not be afraid! Step outside of your comfort zone. The world is beautiful. Food is more then just eating. Now I really want some indian!

Labels: comfort, culture, food, indian, mental block, sheltered