Story by Grace Fick, Summer 2020
From a young age, food has been a way for me to connect to my heritage. I have early memories of standing on a chair next to my grandmother and mother in the kitchen. My mom was cutting the bamboo, passed it on to me so I could soak it in water, then I would pass it to my grandmother for her to put into a pot. My favorite food is commonly known as Gang Nor Mai, or bamboo soup and to this day, my mother always makes it for me for any special occasions. Not only is bamboo used in different dishes, but it is used as kitchenware and my family still uses it in everyday life. My family would often serve sticky rice in bamboo baskets of all sizes and I always recall trying to get my tiny hands on those delicate, spherical-shaped pieces of rice. The time that I consume in the kitchen and dinner table with my mom is a labor of curiosity that brings me much fulfillment as I get a tiny glimpse of what my mom experienced in Laos. Each homemade meal, I acquire little details of how rambunctious her brothers were and the games they would play with each other. About their adventures through the rainforest and villages surrounding them. My mom and her family came to the US, they wanted to keep their traditions alive. Bamboo was a staple in their life and they continued to use it throughout all of their lives. My mom talked about her musical instruments being made out of bamboo and mounting bamboo stalks to build houses all throughout her village. Being miles away from any big city, Laotian village populations relied on fishing and with an abundance of bamboo, fisherman carved bamboo into intracquite fishing spears, hooks and poles. Bamboo was also used as a medium to write letters to neighboring villages and family members.
As a symbol of beauty, bamboo has a great emphasis on a character of moral integrity, modesty and loyalty. It also symbolizes strength and resilience as bamboo can withstand many different climates and even though it is lightweight, it has more tensile strength than steel or timber. Back in Laos, my mom’s home was essentially made out of bamboo. This particular bamboo provided my mom and her brothers with shelter, safety, and comfort in times of distress (more than any mass-produced material ever could). The bamboo my family uses today still exemplifies their tenacity amidst the struggles they have faced dating back generations. Bamboo holds such a remarkable place in our hearts and to showcase its versatility is an everyday reminder of what my family has overcome. The traditions and memories I have with bamboo in the kitchen are ones I hope to pass onto future generations as not only a way to make dishes more flavorful, but as a keepsake that symbolizes the courage and resilience of my mother and her family.