Introduction

     When starting this project, our group reflected upon flavors that evoked memories of cultural celebrations, family meals, and convivencia diaria. The variety of flavors that we settled upon parallels the diversity of our group members. Specifically, our Mexican, Salvadoran, American and Indian roots inspired us. Despite the cultural differences of our group, we bonded over the importance of food in our families. Food has provided a way to learn and spend time together—in other words, a space of convivencia.

     Food and food preparation also intrinsically tie into the creation of culture. When one smells the aroma of a meal being prepared, an immediate identification process occurs in which one begins to associate certain events with particular dishes. As these different events multiply, one’s identity emerges.

     Yet, not only does food preparation allow us to develop strong bonds with our family and to ourselves, cooking a meal from scratch becomes a way to connect with what we eat. We acknowledge the labor and sacrifice that went into producing food, and this acknowledgement also humbles us and fills our souls with gratitude.

     We decided Agua de Avena would be our contributing dish to our decolonized potluck. Providing a fresh, healthy beverage perfectly complements the food contributions of other groups. Food is life: it feeds the body, and perhaps even the soul. Hence, it is crucial to care about what one ingests.

     The conviviencia that emerges from cooking together reminds us of the powerful relationship between people and food. This is more than a food project; this collective experience creates consciousness, as it is our responsibility to decolonize our diets in order to live for an authentic, good, and healthy life. Below are recipes that we have recorded upon considering decolonizing our diets. We hope that you will test and enjoy them!