The first time I tasted sopes was at my uncle and aunt's house in California. I was five and had never visited my dad's family before. When we arrived, my grandmother was in the kitchen mixing maize and water. She kneaded it into a firm dough, then expertly shaped it into circular discs by patting and rotating the dough in her fingers with an unmistakable slapping sound. She fried the perfectly shaped discs in hot oil to make them crispy on the outside. Meanwhile, my aunt was making arroz rojo, a type of rice containing chicken broth, spices, and tomatoes to give it a distinct red color. My grandmother allowed my cousin to crush the cooked beans before topping them with crumbled queso fresco. My family has always stated “Beans are the most important ingredient in any Mexican dish.” Finally, my grandmother assembled the sopes, layering the thick corn patties with beans, rice, chicken, lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, and crumbled queso fresco. The expertly cooked ingredients combined for a mouthwatering meal of delicious flavors I had never tasted before. Since that life-changing experience, sopes have been my favorite food.

We only visit my family in California once a year, so to satisfy my craving I decided to try making sopes myself. I bought the ingredients at our local Mexican grocery store. The recipe I followed came from the Internet, since my grandmother does not have hers written down. I began by mixing the masa flour with warm water. The recipe called for one tablespoon of salt, but by mistake, I added a cup. My dough was a grainy, salty, inedible mess. Feeling discouraged, I tossed it in the trash and temporarily gave up my dream of making sopes. I decided to leave that to the professionals.

Even though my attempt to make sopes failed, I succeeded in strengthening my connection to my grandmother and my heritage simply by trying. I couldn't speak to my grandmother when I was little because of the language barrier, but I connected with her through our appreciation of cooking and eating delicious food. Although my Spanish is better now, we are still not able to communicate fluently. When she cooks authentic Mexican food, though, I feel our strong bond.

Connecting through the enjoyment of food is not unique to my family. Many families prepare and eat special dishes that reflect their identity. Most family gatherings revolve around food; people remember the food served at special holidays when they were young and serve the same meals to their children. Generation after generation connect to their ancestors in this way. I will try to learn the art of making sopes from my grandmother during my next visit. Hopefully, I can learn to cook these traditional foods so my children don't miss out. Whether it's sopes or another food, however, identity and heritage are the most important ingredients passed down through families.