Across the Fence

   The term “melting pot” is often used to describe a place where people from vastly different countries or cultures come together. Oftentimes, the culinary result of these “melting pots” is an assembly of foods that represent a diversity of cuisines and cultural influences.
   For one Chinese family in Australia, it was this blend and immersion of cultures that introduced the contributor to one of their favorite dishes– and childhood memories to go alongside it.
   Over a neighborhood fence, the contributor and their family exchanged food with their Lebanese neighbors. The contributor’s mother often passed over fried rice and noodles, and in exchange, they received kibbeh, baklava, ma'amoul, and their favorite dish, kousa mahshi – cored zucchini stuffed with mince and rice, then stewed in a rich tomato broth – from their Lebanese “grandmother”.
   When the contributor developed a passion for cooking, their “grandmother’s” kousa mahshi was the first dish they tried to replicate. After stewing and coring countless batches, they eventually prepared one that resembled the kousa mahshi from their childhood. Only then did they fully recognize how much time and effort their neighbors had put into the food they once passed over the fence.
   Today, the contributor reflects on how these exchanges shaped their understanding of culture, community, and tradition. Growing up in Australia among friends and neighbors from many different nationalities allowed food traditions from different cultures to become part of their own childhood memories.
   Years later, the recipe continues to transcend boundaries. The contributor taught the recipe to their partner, who now prepares it for them as an expression of care and affection. What once traveled over a neighborhood fence has become part of another household's traditions.