International First Flights of Tiny Bites
When I was writing the article on the history of baby food in America, I asked my mother-in-law about common first foods in her native country of Nigeria.
She told me that although commercial baby food purees have become more popular in cities, the traditional way to start babies eating in Nigeria is not to use “baby food” at all.
Several traditional Nigerian dishes are so easy to swallow that no teeth or chewing is necessary. Slimy textured soups like ogbono and okra soup are paired with dough-like fufu or pounded yam. The food “slides right down” with little effort or eating know-how needed.
Ramsey’s first time trying pounded yam and ogbono soup at Grandmommy’s house
The conversation piqued my interest so I took some time digging into first food practices from different counties and cultures around the world. It was fascinating to learn about.
In contrast to the traditional first food of bland rice cereal in the US, babies in other parts of the world are experiencing bold flavors such as radish (Japan), endive (France) and turmeric (India) from the start.
I also learned that there are some cultures where colostrum is feared as something that will harm the baby. Instead of breast feeding for the first few days, honey is provided to the baby in place of breastmilk. (Concerning if you read the article about babies, honey and botulism.)
Beyond what babies are being fed, it is also interesting to learn about how babies are fed around the world. Throughout the world “kiss feeding” is a common practice. The caregiver (typically the mother) takes a bite of food and chews it up before passing it to the baby via mouth to mouth. The practice creates moist, easy to swallow food for baby without the use of fancy baby food makers, blenders, steamers or even electricity.
It’s a widespread and age-old practice however Americans apparently have little appetite for the practice as evidenced by the public shaming that occurred when the actress Alicia Silverstone posted a video of herself kiss feeding her son.
Here are some traditional first foods from around the world that I found interesting:
Brazil:
At around 4 months babies start to enjoy fresh squeezed orange juice from a bottle. According to my Brazilian neighbor who did this for both her kids, there is a specific type of orange that is extra sweet that is used for baby’s juice. After OJ, babies move on to banana and other soft fruits.
India:
"Kichadi" is a common first food in parts of India. It is a lentil and rice mixture which is seasoned with spices such as coriander, mint, cinnamon, asafetida and turmeric. Lentil dishes (daal) and stewed fruits are also common first foods.
Jordan:
Babies start off with a feast of yogurt with or without rice mixed in, smashed cooked vegetables, small pieces of pita, hummus and baba ganhoush.
France:
The French are certainly doing what they can to raise “petits gourmets”. French parents typically start babies out on vegetables such as leek, chard and endive as well as fine cheeses. The French focus on “taste diversification” and try to get a variety of different vegetables in the mix within the first month of baby eating.
China:
A typical food is a rice porridge called xifan with other foods mixed in to make a rice soup of sorts. Common mix ins include meat, tofu, fish, egg, seaweed and vegetables. Chicken soup, pumpkin and ground pork are also popular early foods for Chinese babies.
Peru:
A common first food in Peru is juice from the native granadilla fruit which is very similar to passion fruit. The seeds are strained out to create a flavorful, sweet and tangy juice. Other common first foods include the protein and fiber rich quinoa and vitamin packed chicken liver. Honestly it sounds like a meal you would order at a fancy restaurant. Lucky babies.
Japan:
When the baby is 100 days old a celebration called "first meal” or Okuizome is held. The baby is presented with an elaborate spread of fish, sticky rice with beans, pickled vegetables and octopus. The baby is too young to actually eat these foods so the ceremony is more of a ritual than an actual meal for the child. Once babies are old enough to start sinking their gums into food, it is common in Japan to provide rice cereal with radish, miso soup and rice porridge with meat and vegetables.
Tanzania:
Certain cultures in Tanzania who rely on hunting and gathering start babies off with bone marrow from wild game. According to Solid Starts bone marrow is a “true super baby food” as it is rich in iron, healthy fats (including omega fats), B-vitamins, antioxidant vitamins A and E, vitamin K, and immune-supportive minerals selenium and zinc.
While you may not be dashing out to the nearest butcher shop to buy bone marrow, it is interesting to reflect on the practices of other cultures and see what insights we can gain from them.
I think that if I had done this research earlier, I would have sought out some of these traditional first foods to try out when my boys first started eating to further widen their palate.
