Spanish Club: the taste of Latin America
By Hannah Stephens
Every month, the Spanish Club meets with Ms. Avila in her room to eat and learn more about Latin cultures. But recently, they were able to take a trip to Tulsa to indulge in Latin American cuisine. They toured around Pancho Anya, Supermarcadio and a Latin ice cream shop to learn more about the diverse types of food.
One member of the club, Lauren Collins, states that it was important “to see Spanish culture and have to use our knowledge of Spanish to speak and order.”
The purpose of the trip was not solely leaving school to eat snacks, however. The students also were able to work on their Spanish-speaking skills. Being able to listen to people who actually speak the language helps with the auditory understanding of that language.
Another member of the club, Kiera Jensen, explained, “[I learned] that even knowing the smallest amount of a language can get you far.”
She proudly announced, “I ordered all my food in Spanish!”
During the trip, the members of the club got to experience eating a wide range of dishes and desserts, some of which they had never had before. Some dishes included mango ice cream, wedding cookies, sugar bread, churros and chorizo quesadillas. The students were all able to browse the different pastries in the bakeries and meals at the food truck to choose which ones they liked the best.
Picture of mango ice cream taken by Kiera Jensen
Camryn Charles adds that they also had “birria tacos, burritos and sopes.”
While the students loved the desserts they ate, the food truck they visited was a crowd favorite.
“My favorite was the chorizo quesadilla. Reason being it was my reward to myself for ordering fully in Spanish. It was so good!” Jensen reminisced.
Charles’ favorite dish was the birria tacos because she loved the cheese, but she had stated, “All of the food was delicious.
Picture of chorizo quesadillas taken by Kiera Jensen
Everyone adored all of the wonderful food they were able to try on their trip. All of the students were able to broaden their flavor palettes but also learn from real-world experience how to carry out conversations in more diverse areas of Oklahoma. The new skills they gained, paired with the new dishes they tried at the different businesses, will stick with them forever, all thanks to their simple trip down to Tulsa.