As the leaves shift colors and the weather gets colder, nostalgic notes of the holiday season begin to fill the air as rich caramels, tangy apple cider, and spiced cinnamon grace viral recipes and café menus. Relishing a plethora of cozy treats and trendy drinks, read about how four Oxford students enjoy their favorite fall flavors and traditional Thanksgiving foods.
Erin Nguyen, 10th Grade:
Can you describe your favorite fall food and why you enjoy it?
“For my family, during fall, we eat a lot of Vietnamese pork belly, called thịt heo quay. And it’s not traditional, but it’s just something we’ve always done.”
What are some of your favorite memories of eating this food?
“I think my favorite memory was, every year, our family going to our grandma’s house. We have a bunch of Vietnamese food and we spend time with her.”
Tam-Ai Van, 12th Grade:
What was the first time you had your favorite fall flavor?
“I honestly don’t remember the first time I tried [cinnamon], but one of my most distinct
memories of me trying it is when I did the cinnamon challenge. And it didn’t end up very well
because I started choking. I didn’t really like cinnamon then, but then after it, I was like ‘this kind of hits!’”
What are your favorite food-related memories from Thanksgiving?
“One of my favorite food-related memories is probably making the food with my family because it’s a very communal thing. Cooking together, and we’re just in the kitchen, and we always have this service where we go around and we say what we’re thankful for.”
Yireh Kim, 10th Grade:
What fall flavors do you not enjoy and why?
“I don’t like apple cider. I feel like it’s so carbonated to the point where my nose hurts, and then if I drink a lot and I burp later, it just burns my eyes too. It’s just an unpleasant experience every time I drink it.”
What foods do you usually eat for Thanksgiving?
“We don’t do a typical turkey thing. We usually just get lots of vegetables and mix it all up, and that’s a salad. We have lots of kimchi on the side to go with that, and for me, probably just beef.”
Claudia Ortega, 7th Grade:
Can you describe what your favorite fall flavor is, and why you enjoy it?
“I would have to say my favorite fall flavor is pumpkin or any kind of pie. I like the crust, [and] how it’s crumbly, but [also] the flavor, because I like chocolate. So pumpkin pie and chocolate pie are pretty good.”
What is your favorite way to enjoy these fall foods?
“With my family. In my opinion, it’s better when you’re with your family because the food tastes sweeter like that.”
