I made Salvadorian "Curtido" and Vietnamese “Bắp Cải Chua,” and the ONLY difference between the two pickled cabbage and carrots dishes is the final herbs that season them.

Curtido (left) is flavored with dried oregano. Bắp Cải Chua (right), is garnished with Thai basils and Vietnamese mints (rau răm), right before serving.

I often ponder how closely linked we are, not just Salvadorian and Vietnamese, but humans in general, especially when it comes to food. No matter if our heritage hails from Southeast Asia, East Asia, Northern Europe, the Caribbean, or Latin America, we all have the basic drive to preserve and extend the life of our foods with similar methods. Because nothing this more important than knowing where your next meal will come from.

And perhaps once you peel back all the layers at the end of the day, the only difference that separates us, is the herbs and spices that flavor our lovingly prepared pickled cabbage.