Essay 6

Kendall Lewis
English 101
Adam Weinstein
December 3, 2007

Arroz Con Pollo
Paper 6-Formal Revision

I will never forget those long days my grandmother and I would sit in the kitchen for hours cooking. As a child my grandmother used to feed my all types of Cuban food. Since my grandmother grew up in Cuba, she knew all the recipes that were not well known in America. When she moved to the United States she brought with her many Cuban recipes. My personal favorite dish my grandmother brought with her is arroz con pollo. Every time I went to her house she would always fix that for me. I can remember some occasions that we would sit in the kitchen for hours and make different foods and desserts for our family gatherings. Every holiday that we got together she would always make my favorite Cuban meal arroz con pollo along with several other traditional foods. Cooking Cuban food with my grandmother was one of my favorite childhood memories. I always looked forward to going over to her house because I knew I would get to try new Cuban recipes.



Arroz con pollo is a traditional Cuban dish that is often served at family gatherings. The ingredients in arroz con pollo are chicken, yellow rice, green olives, and mixed vegetables. The smell of arroz con pollo is different. You smell a burnt, crisp, mixture of rice and chicken when it is cooked. The vegetables add a sautéed smell to the final product. The taste of arroz con pollo is delicious. The yellow rice makes the dish taste sweet. The texture of the chicken is soft and very tender. It is very easy to pull apart after it is cooked. The dish itself is an individual dish that is not like any other recipe.



Arroz con pollo is zesty. Being energetic and full of life are two characteristics that explain who I am as a person. Arroz con pollo is its own food made up for its own individual ingredients like an individual is made up of different character traits and qualities. The chicken in arroz con pollo shows strength. It is one of the main ingredients in the dish. To succeed in life you have to have strength and willingness in order to achieve any type of goal in which one sets. The other main ingredient in arroz con pollo is yellow rice. The yellow rice in arroz con pollo represents support. Support is a necessity in one’s character. One must also be willing to support others in their decisions and ask for support when they need help. Like at weddings, rice is thrown to show the bride and groom that the people are there to support them in their decision in getting married to each other. The green olives that are thrown in express one who is well-rounded. Well-rounded people are determined, responsible, independent, helpful, and loving. Like onions are to one’s eyes, a person needs to be sensitive to others feelings and their emotions when they are hurt and upset. The English peas that are added give a sense of sweetness to the dish. It is easy to talk to anyone, but it takes a lot more to make strong friendships that will last forever. The final ingredient is the pepper that is sprinkled on top. This spices up the dish as a whole. One needs to be willing to spice up life and have fun. Every individual needs to have a good time, make life time friendships, and not have any regrets. Without the sprinkle of pepper in arroz con pollo the dish would not be complete. We are able to complete ourselves by accepting ourselves and enjoying life to be just as enjoyable as arroz con pollo is when it hits one mouth.



Cubans tend to be very much like me, festive and loud. Arroz con pollo is a loud and spicy food because its distinct taste stands out from other Cuban foods. People need to be willing to stand out from other people. Without individuality in this world it would not be very interesting. Every person is different and that is what makes us who we are as individuals. If all the countries in the world were the same we would never be able to experience different cultures, heritages, and nationalities. Although my grandmother left Cuba and brought Cuban traditions here to America, her heritage still remains the same. One might leave a place, but their memories are never truly forgotten.



Food can be used to describe any person whether it is the most complex food or the most ordinary food. Every person is unique in their own ways; everyone has different qualities and character traits that make up who they are as a person. Arroz con pollo describes me perfect because it allows one to see the different aspects and ingredients that make me who I am. In arroz con pollo both my strengths and weaknesses are displayed. Arroz con pollo shows that all the ingredients play a unique part in making the dish whole, and without all elements present, arroz con pollo would certainly not be complete. This analogy is identical to the feeling I have about my overall character. If one quality or character trait is left out of a person then they are not reaching their full potential in life. I always strive to never settle for less than what I can achieve and to make the most of every day and every opportunity and situation. I feel as though, overall, arroz con pollo represents my character, and most importantly, it represents my heritage. What I truly cherish the most about the dish arroz con pollo is that it will always evoke nostalgic memories of those long afternoons in the kitchen by my grandmothers’ side.