Fare
Tasty Traditions
By Gray Bennett | Photography by Rich Smith
What could be sweeter than dessert? For some, beloved sweet treats often go hand in hand with a special tradition shared with family and friends. From family game nights to birthday celebrations, a nostalgic dessert always adds more meaning to the memories. Here, we spoke with four locals to learn more about what makes their tasty traditions so sweet.
Crêpes are full of sweet memories for N’nako Kandé. In the crêpe-making process, “l’art du cotton” – or, “the art of the cotton ball” – is an essential part of the tasty tradition. As a child, Kandé and her sister were responsible for greasing the pan in between crepes with a buttered cotton ball. “You had to learn just how much butter to put on the cotton ball and how to hold and roll the ball across the pan so that you would not burn your fingertips,” she explains. “It was all in the little details, but somehow, what you did well with your cotton ball seemed to determine your success with your tasty crêpes!” Kandé shares that this tradition wouldn’t be complete without a little dancing or singing while cooking in the company of friends, family, or all by yourself. She compares traditions like this one to a palm tree, beautiful and enduring even in times of extreme weather and hardship. “Traditions are the invisible chord between our loved ones, our ancestors, and our future descendants,” she says. “They are necessary roots to a tree meant to grow strong.”
