Mezze

"If we cannot end now our differences, at least we can help make the world safe for diversity." John F. Kennedy

Like every other Trinidadian, I grew up in a diverse society that was basically homogeneous.  .  National holidays include Easter and Christmas and Diwali and Eid.  My neighbours were Hindu on one side, Muslim on the other, and Orisha across the street.  My classmates (at a Roman Catholic school) included not only Catholics, but Muslims, Hindus and a closet atheist.  We all spoke English; our families had been born and raised in the Caribbean for at least 5 generations, and we had a shared heritage of colonialism, with all its attendant facets.  Then, as an adult, I moved to Canada, where I fully experienced a diverse society.  This was one where people were not only of Indian ancestry, they were Indian immigrants.  There were religions that previously had been only names… and there were people who had never experienced what I considered to be “normal” events, like Carnival and crab races.

If there was one thing that we all connected with, it was food.  What, for each of us, was an average meal became an exotic treat for each other.  Once the initial strangeness passed, we began seeking similarities… my choka was someone else’s babaganoush.  Channa became chickpeas and was suddenly a salad ingredient!  Pumpkin, the darling of pies, was served as a curry.  Cinnamon turned into a savoury spice, and showed up with chicken.  Raisins were in spaghetti sauce.  All the rules were bent out of shape, and it was tasty!  Bonus:  you know those foods that you frequently don’t want to eat?  Someone, somewhere, has a fantastic recipe that will become your new favourite.

Starting with the diversity on your plate, why not resolve to increase the variety in your life?  Try something new in your homes, in your style and in your offices. How about starting a game club at work?  Or setting up a group to learn new things, like teaching each other a new skill or recipe?

What can you do today that will be different?