My mother and grandmother had a very close relationship when my mom was around my age. One day she came home from school and my grandma said let’s go to the store we are teaching you how to make pelmeni. My mom said, “I was so excited and happy to make them.” At the store they bought a rolling pin, some flour, ground beef, pork, and onions. When they got home my mom rolled out the dough and her mom made the myaso (meat). My mom brought the rolling pin to America when she moved here because it was the one she used the first time she made pelmeni. This object is important to my family because it is a tradition, that on every Russian New Years we make pelmeni with the rolling pin. It’s important to me because it’s one of the ways I can maintain my Russian identity. This object is also important to other Russian women around my mom’s age because during that time in Russia when they were young there were not many places you could go out to eat. Therefore families would usually eat at home. Pelmeni became a popular dish in Russia, so women from all over ended up learning how to make this dish, just like my mom.  

 

– Sophia

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