10 Simple Questions to Get Your Family Talking About Culinary Heritage

Get your family talking about your culinary heritage with these 10 fun questions. Learn about the foods and dishes of your family’s heritage.

Have you ever asked your family members about their food memories and traditions? Use these 10 questions to start a conversation!

Oral history is one of the most important tools historians and genealogists have. It’s an opportunity to collect stories straight from the source. This can be especially helpful for learning about culinary heritage if your family doesn’t have a lot of written recipes or kitchen heirlooms.

What better way to have a conversation about culinary heritage than over a meal? Next time you’re with your family, ask these 10 questions (in no particular order) to learn more about the foods that tell their stories. The more generations present, the better! Be sure to take notes and/or an audio recording so you can preserve this special conversation for years to come.

Who did the cooking and shopping in your household?

Division of household chores can provide clues about family structure and dynamics. Traditionally, cooking and shopping were thought of as female responsibilities. As women started working outside the home, roles might have changed.

What was the first dish you learned to cook?

Many of us have early memories of being in the kitchen with our parents, grandparents, and other relatives. Others may not have started cooking until they were on their own. Either way, we’ve probably learned some valuable lessons in the kitchen.

What did you eat on special occasions?

People tend to eat differently when they’re celebrating. Did your loved ones have a special birthday dessert, or did they mark milestones at a certain restaurant? If so, try recreating that memory at your next celebration. It’s never too late to bring a tradition back!

Where did your family get their food?

Do you come from a line of farmers and gardeners, or did your family rely on grocery stores? So much has changed, even in the past few generations, about where our food comes from. Comparing shopping habits with a parent or grandparent is sure to yield some interesting discoveries.

What were the most popular restaurants in your hometown?

Restaurants are often gathering places for families, friends, and neighbors. From family-run places to big chains, restaurants tell the story of a town and the people who live(d) there.

What were your school lunches like?

From menus to meal prices, school lunches have changed a lot over the years. Our school lunch experiences can reveal a lot about about our childhoods and the places in which we were raised. Plus, swapping stories is way easier than trying to swap carrot sticks for a Fruit Roll-Up.

What were your favorite childhood snacks or treats?

Maybe it was what we ate after school every day, or that thing we only got at friends’ houses because our parents wouldn’t buy it. Either way, we all have at least one snack or dessert that takes us right back to our childhood.

What was your least favorite food as a child?

Flip the script! You’re bound to get some interesting answers- and possibly a few confessions- when you ask about people’s least favorite foods. (Don’t worry- your secrets are safe with us.)

Where did your recipes come from?

Some people have extensive cookbook collections and family recipe boxes, while younger cooks turn to the internet for inspiration. Knowing where people get their recipes can help us understand why they use certain techniques and flavors. It can also shed light on who the culinary trendsetters were for their generation, from celebrity chefs to influencers.

What are your favorite ingredients to cook with?

You can learn a lot about someone from their favorite ingredients and kitchen staples. Those ingredients may reflect their cultural foodways or what’s available locally. They might also evoke memories of a special person or destination.

Putting it into Practice

I (Sarah) recently asked my dad these questions, and it made for a fun and meaningful conversation. Some of my favorite revelations included:

• My dad’s family didn’t cook much, so most of his food memories take place outside the home. Several of the restaurants he remembers from his hometown and surrounding towns are still open! (Marblehead House of Pizza was apparently a popular target for prank calls back in the day.)
• A lot of my dad’s favorite snacks and treats are still available! Jiffy Pop (the stovetop kind) was really popular when he was a kid, and he also remembers Entenmann’s cookies and danishes being major treats. At least two of his favorite ice cream shops are also still in operation, and I can’t wait to visit them on future trips to
• My dad’s family was Jewish, but not very observant. The only Jewish food he has any memory of eating as a child is noodle kugel (which I got to try at a Jewish food festival).

What are you waiting for? Go document your family’s food memories. We can’t wait to hear what you discover!

Click here to download your FREE food memory interview template!

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