Every member of my family from my grandparent’s generation was born in the Balkans, at the time Yugoslavia. Most of them were born in Croatia while a few were scattered around Serbia and Herzegovina. Ultimately the majority of them slowly began immigrating, each of them taking an independent path stopping for months or even years in other countries such as Austria, Germany, and Switzerland. Despite their different paths all four of my grandparents arrived in the same city in the same country across an ocean from where they started. The town of Kitchener, Ontario, has a high population of Croatian families living there. These different families work together as one collective community with their own land dubbed “The Dome” where various cultural activities are held, bringing aspects of their previous European life into this new land. This reflection of Croatian culture was also seen in the traditional foods that were cooked at home: šchnitzel, chicken soup, sarma, and čevapi. The single most important ingredient in achieving this perfect and recognizable taste is Vegeta. A simple seasoning is the result of dried vegetables, spices, and MSG. This magical flavor was implemented into nearly every dish, served at every potluck, family get together, and daily meal, beautifully sharing this collective heritage and culture across families and generations of kids. Every time I taste the phenomenal flavor of Vegeta I am reminded of who I am, where my family came from and the culture of my homeland. 

– Julian Zaborski

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