Herbs, spices, and flavoring ingredients found in the homes of low-income people from five races/ethnicities
Creators: name: Kairios, Ricardo
Publisher: name: No Publisher Supplied
Year: 2023

description: Using seasonings, such as herbs, spices, and other flavoring ingredients, in recipes is a common practice often passed down through cultural norms and family traditions. Nutrition education programs, like the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP), use recipes as a means of helping program participants improve their dietary quality behaviors. To help alleviate the cost burden low-income participants who choose to use the recipes would experience, it is important for recipe developers to include seasonings that are already commonly kept in their target audiences’ homes and exclude any seasonings that they do not typically keep in their homes. Since cuisines vary in flavor by culture, it is likely that these seasonings vary, as well. Knowing the similarities and differences of seasonings owned by various racial and ethnic groups could help recipe developers ensure that the recipes provided to diverse audiences are culturally appropriate. This descriptive study compared the seasonings owned among New Jersey (NJ) EFNEP’s largest racial and ethnic groups (Puerto Ricans, Mexicans, Dominicans, and non-Hispanic Blacks and non-Hispanic Whites). The interview script contained demographic questions and a comprehensive list of 124 seasonings, 85 of which had been previously identified by the Palmer-Keenan lab. The additional 39 seasonings were found by the author in 12 stores located in low-income Hispanic neighborhoods that were reportedly frequented by NJ EFNEP’s participants. Study inclusion criteria were being: 1) age 18 or over; 2) self-identified as female, 3) the primary shopper and cook of the household (self-reported), 4) orally fluent in either English or Spanish; and 5) able to be interviewed via Zoom, a phone, or in-person at a community agency. Semi-structured interviews to discover the seasonings commonly owned among participant groups and those that were not commonly owned, based on the use of a Likert scale were conducted, both in English and Spanish, with 172 eligible participants. The interview script queried the ownership of 124 seasonings, some of which had been previously identified by the Keenan-Palmer lab. In the first phase of this investigation, the author identified an additional 39 seasonings found in 12 stores located in low-income Hispanic neighborhoods. The stores were chosen in accordance with staff claims that they were commonly frequented by their NJ EFNEP’s participants. In the second phase of the study, study participants were asked whether they “never,” “rarely,” “sometimes,” “often,” “usually,” or “always” kept each seasoning in their homes. Descriptive statistics were conducted to compare other demographic data by racial/ethnic group. Analysis of Variance (ANOVAs) were used to detect seasoning ownership differences. The number of seasonings kept in participants’ homes ranged from 4 and 101, with the mean number owned being 32.5 + 16.7. Comparisons were made between Hispanic and non-Hispanic groups, and between all 5 racial/ethnic groups. The mean number of seasoning ownership by group for Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, non-Hispanic Whites and Blacks were 41 + 16.4, 27.8 + 18.6, 29.7 + 14.8, 33.3 + 16.3, and 30.5 + 15.6, respectively. Seasoning ownership was distinguished among the Hispanic and non-Hispanic groups, and those of individual groups. Regarding similarities, there were 3 seasonings (fresh garlic, ground cinnamon, and table salt) identified to be “usually” or “always” kept in the homes of most participants from each group. While 42 seasonings were recognized as being “rarely” or “never” kept in the homes of most participants from each group. Adobo, fresh cilantro and saźon were kept homes of most Hispanic participants, and bouillon blends and ground oregano were noted to be commonly owned. Paprika and red pepper flakes were commonly owned by the 2 non-Hispanics groups. Seasonings not owned by most Hispanic participants included ground allspice, curry powder, ground ginger, cayenne pepper, and fresh thyme. Saźon was not common to the 2 non-Hispanic groups, and annatto and fresh culantro were not kept in the homes of most non-Hispanic participants. Of individual groups, Mexican participants owned a significantly greater number of hot pepper varieties (9) than all other Hispanic (p&lt;0.05) and non-Hispanic (p&lt;0.0001) groups. Additionally, significantly more Mexicans owned table salt than non-Hispanic Blacks (p&lt;0.05). This study, although preliminary in nature, provides valuable insight for recipe developers who produce materials for these target populations. Recipe developers should be mindful to the commonalities and differences identified, and limit the seasonings included in recipes to those commonly owned by their target audiences. Future research should expand on this study by comparing these findings with similar groups living outside of NJ, and by identifying and comparing the seasonings owned by other Hispanic and non-Hispanic groups.