Village News

With holidays comes good food. Meals are central to family gatherings and most other parties. Eating with friends and family should be a time of joy and well-being. So why do we rush it? In our fast-food world, it seems eating is stressful and no longer restful. The methodical preparation of food and it’s presentation and serving in stages are no longer common. When my family was in Provence, France we were surprised at how it took two hours to eat a meal. The meal was delivered in courses, making a significant event out of the process of eating and conversation.

Scientific studies have found that cultures with a long-standing food tradition are often healthy, with a notable example of this being the Mediterranean diet. But, what if one of the main reasons their food is healthy is because of how they eat it? Eating homemade food in a rested state with loved ones is probably one of the best things you can do for your well-being. There is something about eating your culture’s traditional foods that your body has inherited the ability to digest and feel connected to over centuries. At Mennonite Heritage Village’s (MHV) Village Books & Gifts we have a funny T-shirt that says “Schmaundfatt (cream sauce) is in my DNA”. That may not be too far off from the truth.

Now don’t quote me as saying Mennonites should eat vereneke and schmaundfatt (perogies and cream sauce) every day and expect to be healthy. Some of us are quick to forget that Mennonite fare includes a lot of cabbage (cooked and fermented) and other root vegetables. However, there is something to be said about eating lovingly crafted food in a place where we feel safe and cared for. I think it is one of the reasons people love eating traditional Mennonite food at our Livery Barn Restaurant. We have centuries of Omas making this food for their families. The better we feel about where we are and the food we are eating, the better it will taste.

There is some revealing research on how emotions change the taste, digestion, and nutritional uptake of food. Do we have an attachment with those making the meal and the food being made? Are we eating with gratitude or in a hurried, harried state? It all makes a difference. Maybe there is a health reason why a good meal can be followed by a good meddachschlop (nap)? However, since the invasion of the microwave, we measure cooking in seconds and not by the care taken in the preparation. May we all take time to keep up our cultural rituals, including special foods made with love this season.

To help keep your heritage thriving, MHV’s Village Gift & Books has a great selection of Mennonite cookbooks (Simply in Season, Mennonite Treasury, MHV’s Cookbook). We also have a selection of Low German shirts that talk about our love for food and meddachschlops, or a custom-made wood platter to beautify your serving.