Every year my grandma comes from Peru and stays with us for 2 months.  I love seeing and spending time with her. She is one of the sweetest people I know. She doesn’t speak any English and I can barely speak Spanish. However, it doesn’t matter. I know she loves me and I love her. When she is with us she does what she loves most, which is cooking. She is the best cook I know. She takes a lot of pride every time she is done with every meal. She knows we love her cooking. I asked my grandma why her food tastes so good. She told me that the spices are very important and she mentioned one specifically. “Ají  Panca” or Panca pepper. She said  that that’s the base. She uses this pepper in almost every meal. My mom is a good cook also but she told me she learned all her cooking from my grandma. My grandma says it’s because she makes the Panca paste from scratch/ homemade and my mom buys the already made version. My grandma and mom are so proud of their country and they always like to say how Peru has won many  awards for best culinary destination. Peru’s food is diverse and so creative.  I 
have been there 3 times and I can confirm this. The food is great and it's even better when you are sharing it with family.

– Ashley Walther

Relationship:  Child of im/migrant Child of im/migrant