Whether it’s a must have dish that makes the season feel complete or a dreaded bite they’d rather skip forever, students aren’t shy about ranking their holiday foods. Their culture and traditions offer a varied and colorful picture of how different cultures celebrate through food. Students and teachers across grades shared their strong opinions on which holiday foods deserve a spot at the table and which ones should be banned forever.
For Aryan Sharma, an 11th grader, the holidays aren’t complete without butter paneer.
“I would have to say butter paneer, which is something we eat during Diwali,” Sharma said. “It’s basically just like cultural food in general.” He admitted that he has “a soft spot for his mom’s homemade samosas,” something he says is “100% of my favorites.”
On the sweeter side of things, Jeremiah, a 12th grader, was crowned an unexpected champion: Hot cocoa!
“I think hot cocoa is superior.” Christy said.
“Whether you like it or not, people will drink it just because. If you really like hot cocoa, obviously you’re going to enjoy it. I would say that it’s like a dessert because it is sweet.”
Clearly, warm drinks and cultural comfort foods are winning the holiday season for students.
Another opinion from a food expert, some might say. Mrs Holt, a middle school facs(family and computer sciences) teacher, does partake in food activities, as she teaches students what and how to cook! Her fresh perspective of her food opinions can be interesting, given her job. Mrs Holt shared her favorite holiday food, choosing a classic treat.
“If I had to choose only one holiday food to keep forever, I think it would be gingerbread,” she said.
She also mentioned family traditions like pepper jelly served with cream cheese and crackers, which she described as a holiday appetizer her family always has.
But not everything deserves a spot on the holiday menu. When asked which holiday food he would ban forever, Sharma didn’t hesitate:
“Gajukkati. It’s also another cultural food, and it’s gross,” he said. “It’s just cashews and stuff.”
Jeremiah, on the other hand, came for a classic, turkey.
“I think it’s just dry and not a lot of people enjoy it,” Christy said. “It’s like an unpopular topic… it’s a hot take.”
Mrs Holt agreed that some popular foods don’t live up to the hype. She said ham is overrated and would ban bean-related dishes entirely. “Mostly because it’s gross,” she explained.
She also shared that she prefers homemade desserts over store bought ones, saying store bought treats “don’t taste as good” and that homemade food is worth the effort, mostly because of nostalgia.
From butter paneer and gingerbread to hot cocoa and pepper jelly, holiday food means something different to everyone. While students and teachers disagree on what foods are overrated or essential, one thing is clear-holiday meals are more than just taste, they’re also about culture, family, and memories that come back year after year.
