Students and teachers share their favorite cultural cuisines

Photo by Elaine Haggerty

French teacher Elaine Haggerty and her family enjoy sushi with her cousin and his family in Japan.

Given Saratoga High’s wide range of cultural backgrounds including Asian, European, Middle Eastern and Hispanic countries, many students and staff members have diverse opinions on their favorite cultural cuisines.   

Spanish teacher Stephany Marks highly recommends Brazilian food. She especially enjoys Brazilian lasagna, which is similar to the generic Italian lasagna, except instead of marinara sauce, it is baked with an alfredo sauce and Catupiry cheese.

“Whenever I would go to Brazil, I would make sure to bring a ton of [Catupiry cheese] back,” she said.

Marks was introduced to Brazilian cuisine by her close friends and family who lived in Brazil. Before COVID-19, she often traveled there to visit them in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. 

One of Marks’ most memorable moments with Brazilian food was spending time with her mother-in-law. She recalls watching her make Brazilian pizza every Friday while listening to soap operas. 

“[My mother-in-law] would always make the pizza with Catupiry cheese because she knew I loved it so much,” Marks said. 

Sophomore Ryan Heshmati enjoys Spanish cuisine, especially Spanish tapas. Tapas are small appetizer-like dishes traditionally served in Spain and usually shared among a group.

“I remember [at one restaurant] the tapas were so good so we kept ordering,” Heshmati said. “When we finally asked the server how much the bill was, it ended up being $250, so I was like alright, we can stop.”

Heshmati recalls going to a tapas restaurant in Los Gatos called Teleferic Barcelona and sharing croquetas and patatas bravas with a group of friends. He said a unique aspect of tapas is forming a consensus of what to get before ordering.

“I like that family style, so whenever I go out with my friends we can order and share the same dishes,” Heshmati said. “We decide what we like, and it’s the bonding part of it that I especially enjoy.”

For French teacher Elaine Haggerty, Japanese cuisine is her go-to. Her love for the cuisine stems from fond memories of sushi dates with her husband and trips to Japan to visit her cousins.

One of Haggerty’s most prominent memories was when her cousin invited her to eat at a kaitenzushi restaurant in Japan, also known as a conveyor belt sushi bar. It had a unique service system that allowed customers to conveniently grab as many plates of sushi as they wanted from a revolving sushi bar. 

“You could grab all the sushi you want,” Haggerty said. “There were six of us at that table, and we ate a lot of sushi.”

Meanwhile, sophomore Richa Kandlikar enjoys the abundant spices and rich flavors of Indian cuisine. 

Growing up in an Indian family, Kandlikar has eaten Indian cuisine for as long as she can remember. One of her favorite dishes includes butter chicken, a popular Indian dish that consists of cream, butter, tomatoes, chicken and an array of Indian spices. 

Kandlikar’s favorite aspect of Indian cuisine is the creativity associated with each dish, and how so many flavors can be produced with similar ingredients.  

“There are so many spices and different flavors, and there’s just so much variety,” Kandlikar said.

She recalls going to an Indian restaurant in Milpitas called Mirch Masala every Friday night with her family as a small, yet heartwarming, tradition.

“I remember being really tired and sleepy during those Friday nights, but I was always really excited to go,” Kandlikar said. “My sister and I would order butter chicken and my parents would order paneer.”

By sharing their favorite cuisines with friends and family, students and staff members kindle stronger bonds.

“[Spending time together while eating meals] brings us really, really, really close,” Marks said.