The Cultural Effect of Grape Leaves (there are many)
The cultural effects of grape leaves go beyond a simple food to enjoy amongst new and old company. Rather, an invitation to dinner will surely include grape leaves that have been meticulously rolled and neatly cared for. And be sure to not let the host catch you with none on your plate as it is considered a grave insult- especially if the host is your grandmother. Each succulent morsel is meant to be enjoyed in the company of your dearest friends and family. Hours have gone into picking out the perfect set of leaves from the vendor, gathering the spices from the souks of Egypt and then neatly rolling them. Here is a picture of a traditional Egyptian Souk- translating to market in Arabic.
It is one of the few common grounds held amongst all types of Egyptian. Whether you are Coptic Orthodox or Sunni Muslim, it’s like peanuts and hot dogs at an American Baseball game: hard to decline. Inherently, like many other immigrant families, my family continued these traditions when we moved to the United States. It is still in fact common for my mother to invite new and old company over to eat grape leaves. “Continuing to make food from their culture for family meals is a symbol of pride for their ethnicity and a means of coping with homesickness. Many open their own restaurants and serve traditional dishes. However, the food does not remain exactly the same.” (What Food Tells Us about Culture).