The Fish Bowl Cookie Jar All the way from a small and poor town in Portugal, 1965, a red, ceramic, fish shaped cookie jar made a long journey to America, wrapped in my grandma’s arms. The cookie jar was big, bulky, and probably susceptible to breakage, but my grandma insisted in carrying her sweet childhood memories with her to America. The red fish is commonly associated with the Portuguese culture due to Portugal’s mediterranean location and importance in Portuguese cuisine. The fish shaped cookie jar was filled to the brim with happy memories for my grandma, who developed her love of baking from her mother. Her mother was a wonderful baker, and often filled the fish bowl with warm orange biscuits. My grandma always had a big sweet tooth, so it only seemed fitting that she learned to bake like her mother. As my grandmother practiced making cookies, pastries and custards, the fish bowl grew heavy with recipes and treats. When my mother got married, the fish bowl was gifted to her by my grandmother. Likewise, my mother, an avid baker, began recreating and adjusting my grandma’s recipes, while still loading the cookie jar and keeping tradition alive. Finally, I too enjoy our longstanding family baking tradition. The fish bowl cookie jar holds a special place in my heart, as it proves the importance of my Portuguese heritage and brings me a sense of accomplishment as I filled the jar with new and old recipes.

– Caty Parson

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