The Taste of Home: Why Immigrants Hold On to Ethnic Food

Send us Fan Mail When immigrants leave home, they may leave behind a country, familiar streets, extended family, language, and everyday traditions—but somehow, the food follows. In Episode 67 of Chatting with Slava the Jordanian, Dr. Slava Al Nubulsi and Dr. Ihab explore why ethnic food can become one of the most enduring connections immigrants maintain with their culture. Drawing on social research, psychology, migration experiences, and their own Middle Eastern backgrounds, Slava and Ihab unpack how food becomes much more than something we eat. It can carry memory, identity, family history, belonging, comfort, grief, and even the feeling of home itself. Dr. Ihab reflects on growing up with Egyptian roots while being surrounded by American fast-food culture. As a child, he resisted many of the Arabic foods served at home and wanted McDonald's, Burger King, and KFC instead. Years later, his palate—and his relationship with his heritage—changed. Foods such as kushari, kofta, and other traditional dishes became part of reconnecting with his cultural identity, particularly following his adult travels to Egypt. Slava shares a different immigrant experience. Growing up in Saudi Arabia in a Palestinian-Jordanian household meant traditional food was simply part of everyday life. She remembers dishes such as stuffed grape leaves and maqluba not only because of their taste, but because preparing them brought people together. That distinction becomes central to this conversation: Sometimes what we miss isn't actually the food. We miss who we were with when we ate it. After leaving home at 19, Slava discovered how food could fill part of the emotional void created by distance and loneliness. A familiar meal could reconnect her to family, childhood, heritage, and the tribal sense of belonging that migration can disrupt. The conversation also examines a fascinating question: Why can immigrants assimilate in language, clothing, work, and lifestyle while holding tightly to the food of their homeland? And what happens when the children of immigrants initially reject those foods—only to rediscover them later in life? Episode 67 is a thoughtful exploration of immigration through something almost everyone understands: the taste, smell, people, and memories that remind us of home. Because sometimes home isn't a place you can return to. Sometimes, home is a meal. Support the show Stay Connected and Join the Conversation! We want to hear from you! Connect with Dr. Slava Al-Nabulsi and be part of the Chatting with Slava the Jordanian community: 📸 Follow Slava: @slava_como for personal insights, stories, and inspiration. 💼 Support Empowerment: @jordanian.women.entrepreneurs – celebrating and uplifting ambitious women. 🦷 Smile with Us: @greenwooddentalpartners – bringing bright smiles to every face. 👉 Engage with us by: 💬 Sharing your thoughts on the episode in the comments or DMs. 📲 Tagging us in your posts and stories. 🔗 Sharing the podcast with your friends and family. Let’s grow, inspire, and empower together! 🌟 #ChattingWithSlava