Everything
is a Grasshopper
By Marsha Dunn Klein MEd, OTR/L
Some children
are very adventuresome in trying new foods; others are not.
Children “check out” new foods in different ways.
More cautious children may first watch us eating the foods,
may pick it up and drop it on the floor or feed the dog. They
may squish it between their fingers or put it in their mouth
and spit it out. To get to a personal comfort level with new
flavors and textures, children follow their own individualized
exploration techniques. They are much more willing to try new
things if they are allowed to explore at their own pace.
I was personally
reminded of this exploration process recently. My family spent
a month in Oaxaca, Mexico living with a local family and studying
Spanish at a language school. Just before we left, our host
family proudly presented us with a going away meal. One of the
central offerings was a new dish that we had not previously
tried. I asked our host mother “what is this new dish?”
in my newly learned Spanish. She told me enthusiastically that
it was “champolinas” which I determined from my
handy dandy Spanish-English dictionary to be “grasshoppers”!
Now, I am an adventuresome eater and do love to try new things,
but….grasshoppers!? As I looked into the bowl I could
clearly see “parts”…..grasshopper parts……identifiable
parts…...legs….. bodies…. heads…. antennae!!!!
I realized that all of a sudden I had become a CAUTIOUS EATER!
At least, I was CAUTIOUS about the bowl of “parts”
in front of me!!
Interestingly,
I noticed I explored this new food in ways quite similar to
the approaches used by our cautious eaters. First, I watched
our host mother eating them. She spread a tortilla with a pile
of guacamole and then liberally sprinkled grasshopper (parts)
all over it. She folded the tortilla and took a bite. She not
only survived, but she smiled and clearly ENJOYED it. I knew
she had gone to the personal trouble and expense to provide
us with this delicacy and I needed to be polite and eat some.
But, I also knew I was not capable of just taking a mouthful!
I needed to check them out……slowly. I held the bowl
of grasshoppers, studied them, and then brought it close enough
to smell it. They were fried and smelled like garlic. Well,
okay, garlic is familiar and I like garlic……….I
poked around the bowl with a finger and nothing jumped out at
me…so they were NOT alive!! So far, so good………..
In imitation
of our host mother, I took a tortilla, spread it liberally with
guacamole, and buried a tiny pinch of grasshopper (a “part
or two”) into my green mixture. I folded the tortilla
and cautiously bit into it. It tasted like (surprise) guacamole,
something familiar! I survived! Nothing was jumping around in
my stomach! I repeated this sequence throughout the meal with
more and more grasshopper each time and, gradually felt the
texture, heard the crunch as I bit into it, and tasted the garlic!
I actually, with time, began to enjoy them and left the meal
with the knowledge that I had tried, survived, and even enjoyed
grasshoppers……real grasshoppers.
Think about
the cautious children we know. Many of them have had limited
or worrisome experiences with foods and we, as supportive grown
ups in their lives, want them to try new things. We cavalierly
offer new flavors and tastes each day. Remember that to the
cautious child “Everything is a grasshopper!!” Allow
the child the time it takes to become familiar and even friendly
with these new food flavors and textures. I guarantee, if someone
had put a mouthful of grasshoppers in my mouth while I was being
nervous and cautious, I would have gagged….or even vomited.
And, at the least, I would NEVER have tried them again. But
given the opportunity to explore and try them at my own pace,
I now have a new food in my list of enjoyed foods. I will even
try them again--next time I have the chance!
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