Maya Feller

Tell us about your ethnicity and culture

I was born in Massachusetts’s and spent my early childhood years in Cambridge. I was born in the US and am Afro Caribbean. Both of my biological parents were born and raised in the Caribbean. My mother from Trinidad & Tobago and my father from Haiti. Both immigrated to the US in the late 60’s early 70’s.

Growing up, food was always a central part of every day. I have vivid memories of women sitting around my mothers dining room table talking politics and sharing a Chana curry (chickpea curry) or pelau (a Trinidadian one pot rice with pigeon peas and chicken). Food made with flavor, spice, love and care. Our home was a place where women from around the globe gathered. And with each woman came a story and love for sharing a meal. I was always exposed to diverse cuisines and probably most important a love for sharing food with whoever was seated around the table.

Tell us about your partners ethnicity and culture

Growing up, food was always a central part of every day. Food made with flavor, spice, love and care. Our home was a place where women from around the globe gathered.

My husband was born and raised in Switzerland of Swiss parents. He had what a non-Swiss person would consider a typical Swiss childhood. He calls Switzerland candyland because it is so idyllic. The country possesses a natural beauty and rich yet complicated history.  He immigrated to the US in the 90’s.

How do you work to keep both cultures alive and relevant for your kid(s)

My step sister came up with the term Bliss; black + swiss to characterize our children. Bliss is defined as perfect happiness, and my children are a joyful blend of two rich cultures.  Growing up Afro – European in the US is the epitome of living a a cross cultural experience. As a family, we work to impart the rich legacy of the Caribbean and history of Switzerland into their American experience. This includes visits back to Trinidad and Tobago to see their grandmother and great grandmother as well as trips back to Switzerland to see all of the family.

Both children are in a dual language German / English school where they are exposed to German language as well as German, Swiss and Austrian culture. Our community of friends are from diverse backgrounds and like my childhood our family table is communal table that represents the cultural food pathways of the Caribbean and Europe.

Trinidadian food is a blend of West African, Indian and Amerindian cuisine. Curry is often a flavor that shows up in our home along with bean, peas and rice dishes. Swiss food is a blend of the bordering countries of France, Italy and Germany along with dishes specific to the country. My husband is a great baker and on special occasions makes Birchermüesli and Zopf bread, (a traditional Swiss Sunday bread similar to Challah). And from time to time we have been known to have a fondue followed by a chocolate mousse.

Never straight forward but always a discovery. As our children grow, I’ve learned that they themselves will ask more about their heritage. And as their mom, it’s my job to be present and willing to learn along with them as they develop their individual identities.

Are there any recipes / food traditions that are unique to your culture that you have passed along to (or want to pass along) your children / family?

Both my husband and I come from homes where the kitchen table is the centerpiece. We often call the kitchen the heart of our home. Our mothers and grandmothers made dishes that were bursting with flavor and texture from scratch. They all used fresh herbs and spices and celebrated the ritual of procuring and preparing food. I want to pass along a love for food that is a complex and nuanced as my children’s individual beings.