My mother was passed down the recipe of congri which is peppers, onions, garlic, rice, dried beans, chorizo, and bacon sometimes. It was passed down by her aunt which like my grandparents are immigrants from Cuba. We eat congri on every holiday spent with my family. It is very common to eat this only on special occasions considering how time-consuming it is to prepare. My mother's aunt has gotten too old to cook this dish since she's the oldest. None of my aunts or uncles cook big dishes besides who has enjoyed cooking since she was a kid. My father never took part in cooking congri even though he is a chef. Its been one of my mothers main and most loved dishes for the holidays. The importance of the dish to me is the fact that my mother plans to pass the recipe down to me and my siblings so we can keep the tradition going. Congri is my favorite Cuban dish due to all the flavor and all the time and effort it takes to create. I really hope that the tradition to make congri at every family occasion lives on because a plate of food without congri is not entirely complete.

– Natalie Schafer

Relationship:  Grandchild of im/migrant Grandchild of im/migrant