When I think about what my home country, Indonesia, can pride itself, I instantly refer to its variety of spices, which allow a myriad of possibilities in its cuisine. Unfortunately, the United States does not provide the proper climate for many Indonesian spices to grow, and even the Indonesian restaurants located in NYC can not precisely match the original taste of some dishes, especially the complex ones to make. The picture I uploaded depicts a sachet containing a mixture of spices that can help produce authentic Indonesian fried rice. As I smell the spices, I can not help but to recall my mother's cooking. I immediately remember how she used to cook for her children as we grew up and that her menu was very inconsistent. With this product, I actually experimented by replacing rice with spaghetti, because cooking the former takes a lot of time. (I realize that this modification defeats the purpose of making fried rice, but I was simply having fun, being a curious cook that I am.) When I devoured what I had made, my taste buds instantly recognized the spices, and reminiscing repeats...

On that note, I am grateful that instant spices are sold in America, because this country's monotonous cuisine has incredibly vexed me.

– Calvin Herman

Relationship:  Im/migrant who arrived as a child Im/migrant who arrived as a child