Like most college students, food is a very important part of my life. However, it wasn’t until coming to Latin America that I really, truly started to appreciate it. In my four month stay in Lima, Peru, I experienced quite a few differences in culture. Food, songs, classes, birthday parties, driving, and just about every other aspect of my daily life was at least a little bit different in Peru than it would have been in the United States. At first, these customs were a bit difficult to get used to, simply because they required some sort of shift in mindset in order to fully appreciate and understand the new culture. But, after a few weeks, the Peruvian (and Latin American, in general) customs became a part of my daily, normal routine. Returning to the United States will be great, as I will get to resume my “normal” life, but there are some customs that I’ve grown to really enjoy that I want to maintain in my life in the States as much as I can. In particular, I want to keep the Peruvian eating habits I’ve learned here.

1. Real Meals

Before coming to Peru, my meal-time routine was fairly normal for the average college student: I would basically eat whenever I wanted to, and it would typically be a quick between-classes meal or an on-the-go snack. In Peru, my meal mentality has totally changed. I have not once eaten on the way to anything. Drive-thru lanes at fast food restaurants are hardly used. My meals have always been while I was sitting down at a table, placemat beneath my plates, a simple, but full place-setting, and not rushed. Mealtime here has typically been a pretty lengthy event, but intentional. I sit down, take a break from whatever it is I am working on, and enjoy my meal. I love this because it forces me to allow time in my day for a break from activity, allows for real conversation if I am with other people, and allows me to actually enjoy my food instead of eating as quickly as I can. I’m sure there will be times when I’m back in the States when I simply cannot allow for a real meal, but I will try to make it part of my normal routine as often as I can.

2. Music During Meals

In my host family’s house, music is just about as necessary as air. Music is constantly playing in the house from the moment I wake up until I go to sleep. Every meal is accompanied by the radio playing softly (or loudly, depending on the occasion) in the background of the conversation. I’ve grown to really like it, because it helps me wake up during my drowsy morning breakfasts, is nice company during my meals alone, and just makes the mood of the conversation and household in general a lot brighter. So, roommates, here’s your official warning: get ready for my record player/radio combo to be playing music a lot more often.

3. Fresh, Healthy Food

In the States, especially at college when I’m in charge of my own cooking all the time, I tend to buy a fair amount of “pre-ready”, microwavable, or simply processed foods. I tend to not have/make time to prepare real meals (which, following #1, will be changing!), so I buy a lot of instant foods. In Peru, my host family doesn’t even have a pantry. They go out to the market every day to buy the fresh, healthy ingredients they’ll be needing for the day’s meals. That means fresh bread, fruits, meats, and vegetables are prepared for the delicious meals I get to eat every day. Also, they make their own fruit juices, which are incredible. Most people, myself included, don’t have time to go shopping every day for ingredients, but I intend to start buying and preparing a lot more fresh food. Every part of the meal in Peru is made fresh, which means that they are a lot more healthy than processed or frozen meals, and a lot more delicious. Roommates, get ready for a lot of rice, meat, vegetables, and fruit juices!

4.“Sobremesa”, or Conversation after Meals

In Peru, I’ve had countless meals that have lasted 2, 3, 4, or more hours. I once had a 4-hour breakfast that was directly followed by a 3-hour lunch at another house (it was incredible). During these meals, we took our time to eat, to converse, to drink tea after the meal, and to converse some more. Just because the food was gone, it didn’t mean that the conversation had to end. I really enjoyed this, as it allowed for deeper conversations, friendships to form, and a relaxed, uplifting experience in between the hecticness of daily life. Obviously, things will be a bit different with a lot of homework and tests next semester, but the emphasis on conversing with each other and allowing time for the conversation to fully develop is something I hope to keep in my eating routine.

5. Dessert

I have a major sweet tooth, as any one of my close friends can tell you. Peru was no aid in getting rid of my sweet tooth (thank goodness), and made me appreciate it even more! Fresh-baked Peruvian desserts are hard to beat, and are perfect for finishing any meal. Every dinner I was served from my host family included dessert, and I wholeheartedly support this custom. Bring on the manjar blanco!