Overheard my aunt say family recipes should never be shared outside the bloodline

At Thanksgiving dinner last month, my cousin brought his new girlfriend who asked for my grandma's stuffing recipe. My aunt shut it down hard, saying it stays in the family. Now I'm stuck wondering if recipes are really family secrets or just gatekeeping food. The girlfriend looked super embarrassed and my cousin hasn't brought her around since. What do you all think, is it okay to keep recipes locked down or does that kind of thing just make gatherings awkward for newcomers?

3 comments

3 Comments

paige42729d ago

I feel for your cousin's girlfriend, that's a rough spot to be put in over some stuffing. "Stays in the family" sounds more like a power trip than anything else when you're just talking about bread and herbs. Honestly, sharing a recipe is such a small kindness that keeping it secret just makes the whole gathering feel a little cold.

josephl6729d ago

That post actually changed my mind on this.

leo61227d ago

My grandma once told me her secret to perfect pie crust was "love" and then I watched her use Crisco from a tub, so I'm not sure how sacred these recipes really are. Getting all dramatic over stuffing ingredients feels like the family version of people who won't give up their Netflix password. I get wanting to keep some things special but making someone feel bad at dinner over bread cubes and sage just seems like a lot. Maybe it's just me but if a recipe is that fragile maybe it wasn't that good to begin with.