By Kai Bwor

Despite California’s famously warm weather, festive decorations, peppermint treats, and the lingering scent of cinnamon and pumpkin spice have begun filling stores and kitchens alike. Yet many overlook a simple yet complicated question: What truly makes a holiday food a holiday food? Is it the warmth of the familiar flavors, how often you make the dish from scratch, or the joy of sharing something homemade with the people you love?

Granada Hill Charter’s (GHC) culinary students, our most qualified student chefs on campus, shared their thoughts on the dishes that define the season for them. Senior Carrie Antler highlighted the importance of intertwining culture and holiday celebrations. 

“My favorite holiday food is dumplings,” Antler said. “It’s a somewhat easy food we make during Lunar New Year. This year in culinary, we’ve learned how to make mac and cheese, one of my favorite foods, for Thanksgiving.”

For Antler, holiday foods are more than ingredients and recipes, they are a way to blend family heritage with their freshly-learned techniques in class.

Senior Sonny Vela takes a different approach, embracing what he jokingly calls a holiday paradox. His all-time favorite holiday treat? Cheesecake. 

“You can eat it every day, but you can also eat it for the holidays,” Vela said. “If you have it on that day, I consider it a holiday food.” 

Vela enjoys the versatility of the dessert, with the option to feast on peppermint cheesecake in December, pumpkin cheesecake in November, or classic cheesecake any time. For Vela, what makes a holiday food special is the experience. 

“If it fits the celebration, or you have a holiday twist on it, it counts,” Vela said. 

Senior Alexandra Lester ties her holiday favorites to the atmosphere of the season. 

“My go-to holiday dish is baked mac and cheese, especially when made from scratch,” Lester said. “We actually just made it in culinary, and it’s really easy to make. We added bread crumbs and chives, which sound simple but are really good additions.”

To Lester, a food becomes a holiday food when it’s something warm, comforting, and meant to be shared. 

“It has to be shareable,” Lester said. “It’s not a holiday food if it’s a single serving.” 

For junior Olivia Rodriguez, the revolve around one ingredient: potatoes. 

“Anything potato-y is my favorite holiday food,” Rodriguez said. 

Her family has generations of potato expertise with her grandma, dad, and mom having their own signature style.

Her mom cuts potatoes in half, seasons them with oil, thyme, and rosemary, bakes them, then tops with cheese and sour cream. Her dad makes thin, circular, scalloped potatoes in the air-fryer. For Rodriguez, holiday foods are defined by their flavor profiles. 

“Potatoes are so versatile,” Rodriguez said. “Whatever seasonal spices, like pumpkin spice, make it feel like Thanksgiving or the holidays.” 

Across all interviews, one motif remained clear: holiday foods aren’t defined by strict rules, but by tradition, comfort, versatility, and the joy of sharing a homemade dish. Whether it’s dumplings for Lunar New Year, mac and cheese for Thanksgiving, or a family recipe for scalloped potatoes, GHC students celebrate the season by turning simple ingredients into lasting memories.