There is a lot to learn if we stop chewing and think about the food we are enjoying. What are the ingredients and where did they originate? What methods were used in the preparation and why? Who first ate this food? When did they eat it? The answers to these questions can teach you a lot about history and various cultures. This curiosity about food led me to the key motivating factor in founding Zelnik - Nontraditional Macedonian, that is the idea that food is an amazing means of preserving culture.
The way that food preserves culture is quite simple. While food across various cultures may be composed of different ingredients or prepared in different ways, it all provides nourishment. That is some common ground that we all can share, and we often do share. Traditional cuisines are passed down through the generations and then shared with other cultures as immigrants continue their food traditions to maintain their identity. In doing so they are educating others about their people and preserving their culture in that knowledge. For a people who have long struggled for identity, this preservation of culture is paramount for Macedonians.
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