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America has become a culinary melting pot of different cuisines and cultures from around the world and there are various spots across the country that use original recipes to create amazing cultural experiences. When eating food, the consumer often forgets about the journey their meal took to get onto their plate. Each bite is a window into the history of a dish’s country of origin. The teachers at Ida B. Wells high school have many different favorite foods covering a wide span of different cultures. Here are a few of IBW staff’s favorite foods and the rich history that goes along with them.

Street Tacos

Matt Carlson (Visual Arts), Kevin Kilgour (Language Arts) & Matthew Campaeu (Social Studies)

Dish History:

Tacos were first introduced to the United States in the early 1900’s when Mexican migrants began working on the railroads. The portability and low cost made them the perfect meal. Traditionally, they were made with meat scraps like organs or fish with a spicy flavor to make them an easy, filling option for the working class.

Favorite spots around Portland: 

Carlson’s choice: The Portland Mercado 

7238 SE Foster Rd, Portland, OR 9720

Menu

Campeau’s choice: Poblano Pepper NE

1921 SW 6th Ave, Portland, OR 97201

Menu 

Sushi

Blair Haddon (Science), Marie Pearson (Visual Art) & Alexa Kirk (Math)

Dish History:

Sushi takes many different shapes and forms over its history dating back to the rice fields in China around 2nd century BC. It originated as salty fish and fermented rice called narezushi. This dish was practical and low cost as rice and fish were plentiful in the area, and it spread throughout Asia accordingly. The sushi we know today was introduced to the United States in the 1900s following Japanese immigrants. By the late 1960’s, sushi made its boom in American culture and different variations of the dish have made their way into most sushi restaurants.

Favorite spots around Portland: 

Pearson and Haddon’s choice: Mio Sushi

12600 SW Crescent St, Beaverton, OR 97005

Menu

Kirk’s choice: Uchu Sushi

3940 N Mississippi Ave, Portland, OR 97227

Menu 

LauLau

Alexa Bryant-Capellas (Language Arts)

Dish History:

LauLau is a traditional Polynesian soul food, translated to Leaf Leaf in English. It is historically known as a style of cooking rather than a specific dish. It originated in Southeast Asia and migrated across the Pacific. Dating back to 1300 BC, LauLau is traditionally made with ceremonial and medicinal importance using the fresh catch of the day (typically cod), pork, and an assortment of vegetables. This dish is a comfort food that is full of healthy minerals and antioxidants, making it a great sick-day option.

Notes: 

When talking about where to get her favorite food, Alexa Bryant-Capellas mentioned, “when it comes to traditional Hawaiian food like laulau, home cooked food is always best, to be honest, because cooking is a communal act.” She hasn’t had much success finding good traditional-style Hawaiian food, but if she were to choose a spot, it would be a popular Hawaiian and Filipino spot in Northeast Portland.

Bryant-Capellas choice: Grind Wit Tryz

4318 NE Cully Blvd, Portland, OR 97218

Menu 

Four Roman Pastas

Kenneth Muroka (Business and Marketing), Julieanne Quigley (Science)

Dish History:

There are four simple pastas that are believed to come from the Lazio region of Italy; cacio e pepe, pasta alla gricia, pasta amatriciana (Mr. Muroka’s favorite) and pasta carbonara (Mrs. Quigley’s favorite). Historically a shepherd’s town, the four roman pastas originated as “kitchen sink” style dishes as the shepherds used what they had on hand. These pastas were traditionally made with nonperishables like fatty meat scraps, olive oil, pecorino, pasta and its water. As these dishes made their way to the United States, the simplicity remained as each dish was inexpensive and accessible to most Italian-American immigrant households.

Favorite spots around Portland: 

Muroka’s choice: Piazza Italia

1129 NW Johnson St, Portland, OR 97209

Menu

Quigley’s choice: Pastini

7307 SW Bridgeport Rd B-105, Tigard, OR 97224

Menu

Shepherd’s Pie

Annaleah Wonder (Science)

Dish History:

Shepherd’s pie, or cottage pie as it’s traditionally called, comes from late 18th century Europe. There is no clear area of origin, but it was first recorded in a Scottish cookbook published in 1877. Traditionally, homemakers would utilize minced meat and vegetables that were spoiling soon by cooking them into this filling meal that would last their families days. This dish was popular amongst farmers and shepherds, hence the name. Since its arrival to the United States in the early 19th century, this dish has gone by several different names and variations, all similar to the original meat and potato hotdish.

Mrs. Wonder’s shepherd’s pie recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 diced carrots
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 1 ½ lb ground lamb
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon worcheshire sauce
• 2 teaspoons rosemary
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• ½ cup peas
• 1 ½ lb potatoes
• 2 oz butter
• ¼ cup half and half
• 1 egg yolk
• Salt 
• Pepper

Steps:

1. Boil potatoes until tender then mash with butter, egg and half and half.
2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F
3. In a separate pan, saute the carrots, onions, and garlic in some olive oil until fragrant.
4. Add lamb, salt and pepper and brown.
5. Stir in the flour until the meat is all coated then add the tomato paste, broth, worcheshire sauce, rosemary, thyme and a splash of red wine (the wine is optional).
6. Bring to a boil then simmer for an additional 10-12 minutes.
7. Add the peas then spoon the meat mixture into an oven-safe dish, followed by the mashed potatoes (should be two distinct layers).
8. Bake for 25 minutes then let it cool for 15 minutes before serving.

Cites used:

https://www.twistedtaco.com/the-history-of-the-taco#:~:text=The%20Taco%20was%20first%20introduced,were%20highly%20portable%20and%20cheap. 

https://rokaakor.com/a-brief-history-of-sushi-and-why-its-so-popular-today/

https://whatscookingamerica.net/pork/hawaiian-laulaupork.htm#:~:text=Lau%20Lau%20translates%20to%20Leaf,every%20part%20of%20Hawaiian%20culture. 

https://food52.com/blog/16283-4-classic-roman-pastas-that-supposedly-came-from-a-shepherd-s-backpack

https://tonysdelipa.com/2023/01/the-history-of-shepherds-pie/#:~:text=The%20dish%20originates%20from%20the,centuries%2C%20money%20was%20very%20tight. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shepherd%27s_pie