Adjusting to a new culture and language can be overwhelming. When grocery shopping in the market, how do you say, “What is this called?” or “How do you prepare this?” There are some foods we recognize but many we don’t.

We want to purchase some green vegetables to go with our rice. There are super-long green beans and several types of cabbage that look like bok choy. There is also a tough-stemmed grass-like vegetable called “morning glory.” But what are all these other things?

For yellow vegetables, there are nice carrots and something like a winter squash they call pumpkin. Ah! Here is some corn as well.

Fruits come in amazing varieties. Mango season is basically over, though green mangoes are still available. There are delicious pineapples, which we recognize, and lychees and guavas. Then there is an array of unfamiliar things—salak, longons, dragon fruit, jack fruit, custard apples and rambutans among others. It will take time to learn what we like.

Finding whole-wheat bread here is just about impossible. Beans can be found with some difficulty. Peanut butter is extremely expensive, though peanuts are readily available. Seasonings are generally fresh onion, garlic, lemon grass, basil and various other things we can get in the market if we recognize them. There are also at least three varieties of chilies—the smaller the hotter.

Today I asked a Thai lady how I could learn to cook Thai food. She said, “Just get a Thai cook book.” Realizing I don’t yet read Thai, she continued, “Most of the seasonings you can buy premixed. Just buy your pork or chicken or whatever, cook it together, and you have a meal.” Oh well. I will need to spend more time learning how to shop and cook.

“Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink? … your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matt. 6:31-33) —Janella Abbey

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