Everyone in this world has their own cultural identity, the culture they belong to. As a Vietnamese teenager, throughout my life I have asked myself so many questions about my cultural identity and where I actually belong. Who am I? Do I really belong to Vietnamese culture because that's where I was born? What constituted my cultural identity? Well, obviously I have struggled to define my culture. Fortunately, after being inspired by the song “Ethnic Hash” by Patricia J. Williams, I realized that food is the most important element that defines myself and my culture. The food I eat every day, the meals I eat on special occasions, and my eating habits all contribute to making me who I am and symbolize different unique parts in different cultures and not just Vietnamese culture. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay The first and most important food item that strikes me is my mother's cooking. Since she is originally from the central part of Vietnam, she has different tastes from other people from other regions. The meals she usually prepares for me are always rich, tasty but spicy and contain everything the Vietnamese enjoy, including meat, vegetables, rice and soup. Although, due to its central kitchen, it tends to use a lot of oil and flour in its dishes, which is not very healthy for my family, but it always solves the problem by adding more vegetables to the meal. My mother's central kitchen follows her last long traditions. On the last weekend of every month, my family always invites my cousins, my grandparents and my mother's brothers to come to our house and we will cook dinner together. We usually prepare traditional dishes from the central area such as Banh Beo, Banh Bot Loc and Banh Nam, which are made with rice flour and filled with shrimp and pork in the center. These pies are part of Central's cuisine and also make it part of my cultural identity. During preparation, my mother, my aunts and my grandmother take care of cooking the food while my father and uncles take care of purchasing the cooking ingredients and drinks. Children like me and my cousins ​​are told to set up the table and then go to other places so as not to disturb the adults. While we are away, my cousins ​​and I often play and share our experiences, stories, and school life. After the food is finished, all my family members will gather in the garden and have dinner together. These days there are my family reunions that create penetrating memories in me. Overall, my mother's central cooking plays a very important role in my cultural identity because it constantly reminds me of the time I spend with my family. Another key element that represents my cultural identity is my family's cultural norms while eating. Since my father is from Northern Vietnam, he is very strict about my eating habits. In my family, children like me and my sister have to reserve the table and there are many rules even when setting the table. Each pair of chopsticks must be the same, no chopsticks in the bowls and the sauce must be served between the meats and rice. While these cultural norms may seem unnecessary to many people, they play a key role in creating who they are. In Vietnam there are many social norms in behavior and an involuntary action can easily be considered rude and impolite. Therefore, my father's rules help me not to make unintentional mistakes, to be more disciplined, and also learn to show respect towards others, especially the elderly. Therefore, my father's strict rules have.