What is a kind way to ask about cultural foods a child does not recognise? 

Parenting Perspective 

Children are naturally curious about foods that look, smell, or sound different from what they are used to. If left unguided, this curiosity can emerge as blunt or even mocking remarks like, ‘Ew, what is that?’ which can hurt a friend’s feelings and shut down a valuable opportunity for cultural learning. The aim is to help your child channel their curiosity into respectful questions that show genuine interest rather than judgment. 

Replace Reaction with Respectful Curiosity 

Teach your child that the first and most important rule when encountering something new is to pause before reacting. Even if they are surprised by a food, they can hold back comments like ‘weird’ or ‘gross.’ Instead, give them a safe and respectful script to express their curiosity. A simple question like, ‘That looks interesting. What is it called?’ or, ‘Can you tell me about this dish?’ invites the other child to share without feeling judged. 

Normalise a Variety of Foods at Home 

Talk openly and positively at home about how different families around the world have their own staple foods. You might say: ‘Some families eat rice every day, some eat bread, and some eat both. None of them are strange; it is just what they are used to.’ This helps to prime your child’s mindset, teaching them to see culinary variety as normal and interesting. Sharing cookbooks, watching food-related videos, or trying new cuisines together are all excellent ways to build familiarity and respect. 

Provide and Practise Kind Phrases 

Give your child a few ready-to-use lines that they can rely on in social situations. 

• ‘That smells really nice. What is it?’ 

• ‘I have not tried that before. What does it taste like?’ 

• ‘Your lunch looks very colourful. Is that something you eat often at home?’ 

Practising these phrases in a relaxed setting makes them easier to recall in a real moment. 

Teach Empathy Through Perspective-Taking 

Ask your child to imagine how they would feel if a friend frowned at their favourite home-cooked meal and called it ‘weird.’ Connecting the situation to their own potential feelings of hurt or embarrassment helps them to understand the importance of using gentle and respectful words when encountering something unfamiliar. 

Spiritual Insight 

Islam strongly emphasises respect for diversity and gratitude for the provisions that Allah Almighty gives to people in different parts of the world. Food, in particular, is described as a sign of His bounty and a marker of the cultural variety that deserves to be honoured, not mocked. 

The Quran on Respect for Provision 

Allah Almighty states in the noble Quran at Surah Al Maaidah (5), Verses 87: 

‘O you who are believers, do not deprive yourselves of the purities (in food and otherwise) which Allah (Almighty) has made lawful for you; and do not transgress, as indeed, Allah (Almighty) does not love those who transgress (the boundaries of morality).’ 

This verse reminds us that all lawful foods, even those that are unfamiliar to us, are blessings from Allah Almighty. Teaching your child to ask kindly about different cultural dishes helps them to see the variety in our food as a sign of Allah’s generosity, not as something to be belittled. 

The Prophet’s ﷺExample with Food 

It is recorded in Sunan Ibn Majah, 3287, that the holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: 

‘Eat together and do not eat separately, for the blessing is in being together.’ 

This hadith teaches us that food is not about judging what others are eating, but about sharing, appreciating, and building a sense of community. When children learn to ask about unfamiliar cultural dishes with kindness and curiosity, they are practising the spirit of togetherness and gratitude that brings blessings (barakah), rather than turning a shared meal into a moment of mockery or division.