Cultural Identity & Food | Hisa Franko Restaurant Focuses on Risk and Re-Learning Traditions

In this interview with Ana Ros, she shares her personal story and insights on the history of her journey as a chef, including:

• A history of the Hisa Franko restaurant
• An overview of why it’s important to learn about different cultures and their cuisines
• An overview of how different cultures help blend modern and traditional lifestyles
• An explanation of kilometer zero ingredients, making dishes that are affordable to all customers, using doubt to better oneself, and other cultural insights Ana uses while she cooks

Expected Learning Outcome:

This lesson includes clear expected learning outcomes that support students in understanding cultural identity through first-person perspectives, while building intercultural awareness and connections between individual experience and global traditions.

• Students will identify and describe key cultural practices and beliefs from the lesson’s focus community (i.e., Slovenian culture).
• Students will articulate insights into their own cultural identities and how those identities relate to what they learned.
• Students will analyze how cultural expressions (like food) reflect values, history, and social traditions.
• Students will compare perspectives across cultures while finding similarities and differences through human themes.
• Students will make connections between cultural traditions and broader global contexts (food, exploring different cultures), showing critical thinking about identity and intercultural understanding.