Cooking has always been something I loved to do, but it’s become even more amazing and emotional since we started doing it together as a couple. It’s truly become another love language for us, and this is the story of Cooking together as a couple: How food became our love language. Especially when we’re whipping up dishes from both of our cultures. Nicole brings her vibrant Costa Rican flavors, and I share my comforting Swiss dishes. We absolutely love trying new recipes and inviting each other deeper into our culinary worlds.
Even back when we were in a long-distance relationship, our cooking sessions via video chat were incredibly special. Those nights were a unique way to connect, preparing our meals together while talking about everything under the sun. It made the distance feel a little smaller, and our bond grew stronger with every shared recipe.
Blending Flavors and Learning Together
Now that we’re living together, cooking side-by-side wasn’t always easy at first. We quickly realized we had two completely different approaches to cooking, and sometimes, that led to some unnecessary squabbles in the kitchen. But with time, and a lot of honest conversations, we learned to truly listen to each other. We discovered that culinary culture isn’t just about taste; it’s also about the way you prepare food. We had to learn that there isn’t just one ‘correct’ way to do things.
It was a big adjustment for me, especially, to try things not in “my way” and to embrace a different approach, even if it felt a bit wrong at the beginning. But it’s so important to let each other experiment and do things in their own style. In the end, the result is often even better because we’ve combined our cooking methods instead of fighting over whose way is best. It might sound silly, but for us, it was a significant step in our relationship. We learned that making compromises isn’t just about supporting your partner; it’s also about learning something new yourself.
We’ve learned so much more about ingredients and dishes from each other’s cultures than we ever imagined. And we absolutely adore it! We regularly cook classics like Swiss Rösti and Costa Rican Gallo Pinto, along with many other traditional dishes from both our countries.
Beyond Our Borders: The Spätzli Challenge and More
Our culinary exploration doesn’t stop with just our two cultures. We love diving into Asian, Italian, and other cuisines. But of course, the most important ones for us are Costa Rica and Switzerland, given our deep connection to both. We’re constantly learning to cook new ingredients and prepare different foods we’d never even heard of before.
Speaking of challenges, we once did a hilarious one where Nicole had to make traditional Swiss Spätzli with only my instructions – and the twist was, I gave them in Swiss German/German! Nicole doesn’t speak much Swiss German or German yet, so as you can imagine, it was super confusing for her. This led to a lot of laughs and incredibly funny moments. In the end, we had an amazing dish and, more importantly, an amazing memory. It was a perfect example of how stepping out of our comfort zones, even in the kitchen, can lead to wonderful experiences. We even recorded a YouTube video of this Spätzli challenge, and also one from our long-distance cooking days, which we’ll link to so you can see the fun for yourselves!
And of course, not every dish is a masterpiece. Sometimes we fail, and the food doesn’t turn out exactly how we want it to be. Sometimes the Rösti doesn’t look quite like a Rösti, or the bread dough has a mind of its own (usually and most of the time it is still enjoyable!). But for us, it’s truly about the process and the time we spend together. Of course, if the food is delicious in the end, that’s even better and more amazing. But regardless of the outcome, we cherish the time we spend in the kitchen together.
Celebrate Cultures, Expand Your Palate!
Cooking together as a couple and even more in a long distance Relationship can be a challenge, especially with time difference between, but for us it was worth it and we can recommend it to everyone. We hope our story inspires you to celebrate different cultures and get out of your comfort zone. Let other cultures inspire your daily life, whether it’s through cooking, learning a new language, or exploring new places. The world is full of amazing flavors and experiences waiting to be discovered.
If you are interested in other Food & Culinary topics, dont hestitate to check out our other Food blog posts.