Essay #2 Spiritual Food

In 2002 I visited Europe for the first time: 28 days in Austria and Germany. I fell in love with pastries that were perfectly squishy and not too sweet. A whole large pizza to myself, even if I could not finish my entire plate, could not be compared to Pizza Hut. Then there is the gelato at Zanoni & Zanoni right around the corner of St. Stephan’s Cathedral in downtown Vienna. And if you got off the underground a little bit later, there was fresh hummus and “Fladenbrot,” for which I have never heard a proper translation, but it is certainly some of the best Turkish bread and hummus that can be found at the market. Priceless. I believe it was my second trip to Vienna where I experienced Kaiserschmarrn for the first time. I was never a fan of pancakes until I tried the favorite of Austrian Emperor Francis Joseph I; Kaiserschmarrn is no more than scrambled pancakes with raisins and powdered sugar, topped with apple sauce or another fruit sauce. Apple studel is another typically Austrian or Bavarian treat that I am absolutely incapable of turning down. Austria and Germany have a culinary style all their own, but the Swiss also have a way of making my taste buds sing.

The Swiss know how to do anything and everything with potatoes. Hash browns, known as Rösti, potatoes baked with Swiss cheese and veggies in an individual “oven”, called Raclette. And fondue, more pastries, more cheese, and chocolate. The list just goes on and on. On all of my travels I allowed myself to find a pastry somewhere, but my loyalties always remained with Austria, Germany and Switzerland. However, there are a few wonderful things that these three countries do not have and that means a trip to Central America is necessary.

There is a fast food restaurant in Honduras called Coco Baleadas. They call themselves “The Mother of Baleadas” and claim that you have not been to Honduras if you have not been to their restaurant. Baleadas look similar to a burrito one would purchase at Taco Bell, so I thought they were perhaps exaggerating just a bit until I tried one myself. Then I knew…I had officially arrived in Honduras and they could not be compared to Taco Bell by any means. I also really enjoy pupusas, which are corn tortillas filled with cheese, served with spicy cabbage salad. There are other delicious foods like plantain prepared fried or cooked and banana bread from the Garifuna people that simply make my mouth water.

When I leave a country that I love, I not only take memories with me, but I take the food as well. I remember the blessings God has provided so that I could be a part of so many different cultures. I am reminded of the friends He has put in my path to encourage me on the Christian journey. I think of meal times in the cafeteria in Austria where we would sit around share our thoughts on theology and life. I remember the women who worked in the kitchen who knew how much I loved Kaiserschmarrn and apple strudel. I always went back for seconds, sometimes for thirds. I reminisce about the days on the patio in the warm Honduran sun with fried plantain, beans with cilantro and rice on my plate after a morning of hard work. I cannot forget the times when we went to the capitol and indulged ourselves with a trip to eat baleadas or pupusas. And we also supported the village economy by purchasing fruit popsicles from one of the church members for five cents a piece after unloading a truck full of bricks in the heat of the day. There are so many good memories - simple signs of the grace of God - and preparing those delights in my own tiny kitchen remind me of how thankful I should be for His faithfulness and love, knowing that He communicates His love to us in so many ways, just one of them being through food.