FIMC agency Open Arms of Minnesota recently announced their Latinx Menu, the third phase of the nonprofit’s Cultural Meals Program, is currently in the research phase of development. To better serve their diverse community of clients, Open Arms started a Cultural Meals Program in 2022 to develop accessible and culturally appropriate medically tailored meals to serve Hmong, East African, and Latinx clients who are disproportionately impacted by severe illnesses. The development of the Latinx menu is especially relevant in the current moment as the nation celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month.
Research for this menu began with conversations between Open Arms’ research and development chef and local consultant/restaurateur Soleil C. Ramirez, an expert in Latinx cuisine and chef at Crasqui Restaurant in St. Paul. Her recipes, stories, and expertise provided a foundation of knowledge for Open Arms’s R&D journey. In addition, they solicited recipes from community members. In the next phase, the Open Arms team gathered data to identify the countries of origin most represented in their active client base. This helped narrow down the regional cuisines to focus on for the Latinx menu. Additionally, OAMN is drawing from research that identifies the most prevalent medical diagnoses within this population, allowing for a tailored menu to meet specific nutritional needs of individuals.
During the research phase of a new menu item, Open Arms’s Research and Development Chef, Fodge, reviews all submitted recipes, evaluating them for scalability and feasibility within their kitchens and logistics operation. Simultaneously, Chef Fodge and the Menu Specialist Dietitian research the history of the region and cuisine, staple ingredients, culturally significant foods, preparation methods, and serving styles to build a menu that best serves our target client demographic. A highlight of the research phase is community field trips to local establishments—such as restaurants and grocery stores—that offer authentic dishes or sell staple ingredients of Latinx cuisine. These visits allow Open Arms to gather valuable information on ingredients, preparation methods, serving styles, and seasoning levels. They also provide an opportunity to meet with local owners and chefs to ask specific questions about the foods and their preparation.
“As a Venezuelan living in another country, I understand the importance of keeping our culture close, especially through food,” said Chef Ramirez about her involvement in the development of the Latinx menu. “My passion for serving the Latinx community stems from a deep connection to our food traditions and the importance of sharing them with others. It’s a joy to create dishes that not only nourish but also bring a sense of cultural pride and home to those we serve.”
Open Arms will bring this information back to their R&D kitchen, where they will begin developing recipes and adjusting them as needed to meet nutritional standards, while preserving the authenticity of each dish. One of the most important parts of the development of the Cultural Meals Program are community conversations and tastings. Throughout the menu and recipe development process, Open Arms will engage community members for feedback through sample meals and community taste-testing events. Congratulations to Open Arms for going to great lengths to remain culturally sensitive and to develop extensive knowledge and responsiveness to the unique foodways of their diverse community. We are immensely proud of the work they’re doing in this space and for bringing this new Latinx menu to life!