There is a good reason why children can be reticent to try out new foods and ingredients; it’s called neophobia, and it is, according to research psychologist Leann Birch, “an inbuilt response to something that is new.” If you want your children to have sophisticated palettes, she says, start out with a sprinkle of patience. Children won’t take kindly to new flavors and textures from the world go, but by continuing to make them available to your little ones, things will change by the time they are old enough to order their scallops grilled to golden perfection!
What are Children Naturally Drawn To?
Children are naturally attracted to both sweet and salty flavors. This means that a dish that is neither of the two – say a curry, which is above all spicy, may not ‘hit the spot’ the very first time you serve it to them. Nothing makes children more curious to try, however, than seeing their parents enjoying food, oohing and aahing over new fragrances and tastes. If your child asks to try your beef stroganoff or your Thai beef salad, be prepared for the initial scrunched-up frown. By the third or fourth time you serve these dishes, however, don’t be surprised if they ask you to save them a piece.
Travel is the Ideal Spot to Gain a Rich Culinary Education
Embrace travel and more importantly, make gastronomy an important part of your discovery of every country you visit. If you head for the south of Spain, for instance, then espetos (skewered sardines cooked in a boat filled with sand) is the order of the day. If you are visiting various countries in Asia, then Filipino adobo, Korean bibimbap, and a classic Vietnamese pork noodle soup, are musts. Don’t just go for national dishes if not regional ones. For instance, pork noodle soup is common if you are visiting a restaurant in South Vietnam, while a treat like vegetables with caramelized fish sauce is more common in the Mekong Delta. Take lots of gorgeous pics of the food you all consume and start an Instagram page with your kids. Every dish will bring back beautiful memories and prompt you to return to the countries where you first encountered such exotic, moreish flavors!
Getting Kids into the Kitchen
Chefs like Jamie Oliver have made it incredibly easy to whip up 30-minute meals bearing influences from all over the world. If your kids love pizza, why not broaden their list of favorite Italian dishes by recreating dishes from classics like Jennifer Donova’s Easy Italian Cookbook or Jamie Oliver’s Jamie Cooks Italy? These chefs teach you easy stews, pasta, meat, and fish and seafood dishes, but also invite you to make classics like pizza from scratch. Can you imagine how much fun it would be to punch and knead pizza dough with your little ones, forming the dough into individual pizzas you can top with your own healthy homemade sauce? Creating international dishes is arguably the most stimulating, hands-on way for children to appreciate new ingredients like herbs, spices, and even exotic additions you need to visit gourmet delis or Asian food stores for.
Getting your children interested in world flavors is as simple as introducing these into your home. From inviting them into the kitchen to serving international dishes, you will naturally help them appreciate the wide array of flavours and textures that make the world go round. Of course, not all learning has to take place at home. Restaurants and travel are two additional ways to expand their and your palate, since they enable you to discover new trends and traditions you may not have known existed.
Credits:
Article submitted by: Karoline Gore
Images by : by Kaboompics .com from Pexels and by Wow Phochiangrak from Pixabay
