In this story by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, the term real food means food that is traditional to a culture. In Nigeria, the staple traditional dish is a type of flour known as garri. The girl in the story feels sick when she eats “swallow” (small lumps of cooked garri dough dipped in soup). She complains that it makes her throat itch, which indicates she may be allergic to it. Although the girl’s educated mother is understanding and accommodates her eating preferences, less informed relatives see this as a sign that she has abandoned her culture. Themes: family, culture, identity.
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