What Represents My Culture

When people ask me about my culture (usually stemming from a long conversation about the proper way to pronounce my last name), I proudly tell them I'm from Latvia. This then leads to a several questions, beginning with "Where's that?" and usually ending with "So...are you pretty much just Russian, then?" It's kind of hard to describe the Latvian culture to someone who has never experienced it or who has never been to the country.
However, if I was going to choose one object to completely encompass our culture, I would probably choose some Latvian food item, such as pīrāgi (Latvian bacon rolls) or Nāc Rītā Atkal (ground beef with spices wrapped in dough). Growing up in a Latvian household, I hold many fond memories of my dad making all sorts of Latvian dishes. For Easter, my dad always made Paska. On snow days, my dad would get up early to make my me and my brothers Latvian pancakes. When my friends would come over, my mom would cook things like Beef Stroganoff and Karbonade (breaded pork chops).
My dad explained to me that when he was growing up, cooking was a way of life. All of the Latvian families in his neighborhood constantly got together to share stories and tales over a meal. I fondly recalled afternoons at my grandma's house, all of the smells and tastes of traditional Latvian cuisine. When we would stop eating, she would beg us to eat more, telling it was an insult to her cooking otherwise. Latvians express their love for family and for culture in the food they cook and share with one another. 
When I moved out of the house and got my own apartment, my parent's gift to me was my very own Latvian cookbook. The very first line in the cookbook is "Latvian cuisine is very much a reflection of the country's historic roots and geographic location." I love my Latvian cookbook, because much like my father and grandmother before me, I love to cook (and eat) traditional Latvian courses. The only thing I love more than cooking is sharing the food with friends and family.
For me, and Latvians everywhere, there is truly no greater expression of national identity and cultural pride than in the food we eat and share with one another.
--Carissa Vinovskis