An artifact that is meaningful to me in the context of Latin American studies is food. Each country has different dishes that they believe identify their culture. For example, in the Dominican Republic, there is a dish called Los Tres Golpes. This dish consists of mangu (mashed green plantains), unions, fried white cheese, fried salami, and fried eggs. Mangu is the most important component because it was derived from the African slaves sent to Santo Domingo. In addition, in Colombia, there is a dish called Arepas. Arepas are made of ground maize dough, and it is usually filled with meat. Colombia inherited this dish from their indigenous pre-Colombian ancestors. Thus, although the food that different Latin American countries make is delicious, they each hold history. Food reminds people where they came from and helps them connect to their heritage on another level.
