Storge

We munch and crunch, slurp and burp. But we don’t say “I love you”, or “I miss you,” give hugs or kisses. Instead of saying “I love you,” my Mom tucks six handmade 包子 into the pocket of my luggage. Rather than texting “I miss you,” she sends my brother and me a picture of fresh 米糕 that she’s saved for when we come home. We consume—a lot. But food is so much more than sustenance or bodily nutrition. It’s nourishment for our souls, our histories, our most intimate familial relationships. Food is the way my parents tell me, “I love you.” But beyond implicating those affectionate three words, food in my story represents the histories of the people who came before me. Those generations endured hunger and cold, and now my Mom serves me a steaming 包子 to fill me