An important part of culture is food. It is the part of culture that brings people together. Often it is the first thing about a different culture that people not of that culture get to experience. The love of different food can help to bring us closer to people who are different to us.
Kate enjoyed an Indian feast with Lynda in Term 2, 2020 as part of Project India. We played Bollywood music in the background and for an authentic experience, ate with our hands. We had:
Biriyani
Okra Curry
Dhal
Saffron Rice
Roti Bread
Pappadums
Samosas
Gulab Jamun (for dessert).
Kate liked learning the different names of the foods and especially loved eating the spicy curry. Kate also compared the feast to the Indian food she has eaten out at restaurants with her family and the Greek Feasts she shares with her family. Kate noticed that the Roti Bread was similar to Pita Bread you eat with dips at Greek gatherings.
It is difficult to share food with children at child care, however an activity like making roti bread with the children is something that would be safe. Making Roti Bread is very similar to making play doh but then a teacher would need to do the frying. Here is a very simple recipe: https://www.cookwithmanali.com/roti-recipe/
Another way of incorporating different cultures' food into play with the children, might not even include cooking it. You could pretend to make Indian "Roti Bread" with play doh with the children and pretend to fry it in the frypan in the home corner. This pretend play would have the same effect of introducing new cultures to the children.
TASK: What could you use to make a pretend Indian Feast like we had for the children to play with in the home corner? Plan a little Indian Feast for the children using every day play materials. HINT: You could use play doh for pretend Roti; sand with some food dye in it for Biriyani rice. What else?
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