In the first grade, someone ran into me while I was holding my lunch, sending my rice, spam, and eggs to the floor. It was one of the first times I was embarrassed about my food, and it would not be the last.

As an adoptee from China, I was not raised with Chinese parents who knew the ins-and-outs of Chinese cooking.

Indian sweets are part of daily lives for many in India. For birthdays, it’s not the cakes that are important. It’s the Gulab Jamun or the Jalebi.