Undergraduate / "I explored the countless cultures" - Yale "exotic food" [11]

Finished completely revising it! 497 words! I love harsh criticism so feel free to completely rip this apart! I'm gonna sleep now (at 8AM cool) but I will critique back (:

Thanks in advance for reading!

EXOTIC FOOD IN COUNTRIES

"Uh, are you sure this is edible?" A plate filled with hundreds of black shells covered with a gooey green sauce has been placed in front of us, the faint aroma of the sea suspiciously seeping into the air. My parents seemed delighted with this foreign delicacy but I was not amused. After waiting for thirty minutes with my stomach growling, I was supposed to eat this? Disappointed, I scowled and crossed my arms, silently screaming at my parents for ruining my appetite.

I guess you could say I wasn't the most adventurous person when it comes to eating. Lobsters and sushi? Those I can devour in a flash. But snails, frogs and turtles? I'm pretty sure no one would dare touch those. Then again, not everyone's parents are willing to try anything that was considered edible. Understanding that I couldn't possibly starve myself whenever my family went out to eat, I decided to learn about how these dishes came to be.

I sat in front of my computer that night, prepared to do some research. With the clickety-clacking sounds ringing out from the keyboard as I typed in "strange delicacies", I realized that I was... excited to learn about how these dishes were created. I searched through thousands of links, pouring over the origins of dried squid and why ants are considered a delicacy in South America. My curiosity got the best of me and I stayed up all night, not only reading about each country's delicacies, but also its entire culture. The food people ate around the world only gives a small taste of what each country represents; I soon found myself enthralled with the traditions of Swaziland and the national anthem of Liechtenstein.

It was an inspiring night as I explored the countless cultures that I previously knew little about. Hailing from a small town in xxxxxxxx, I felt as if I was traveling the world, encountering people who all had their own story to share. I understood that behind the countless faces and religious ideologies, each of us have something special to offer, something unique to give to one another. While we may have our share of similarities and differences, it was the aggregate of the intimate pride and happiness, fear and anger, love and remorse in all of us that made our own cultures one of a kind.

I probably won't enjoy every exotic cuisine that is placed on the table, but each one allows me to gain a glimpse of a country's culture, a chance to become inspired by its history and traditions. Just like each country's unique flag, the variety of foods represents the idiosyncratic customs of its people. It whispers the story of their past -- the times of joy and triumph, wars and famine. Perhaps the next time my family goes out to eat, I'll take a bite out of a rich society of which I've never tasted before. Who knows, maybe I'll find one that I love.