Gracias! ESL Teacher Thanks His Immigrant-Students for an Unforgettable Birthday Surprise!

Did you know that the traditional Mexican cuisine has been inscribed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in its Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity?

According to UNESCO, “Mexican cuisine is elaborate and symbol-laden, with everyday tortillas and tamales, both made of corn, forming an integral part of Day of the Dead offerings. Collectives of female cooks and other practitioners devoted to raising crops and traditional cuisine are found in the State of Michoacán and across Mexico. Their knowledge and techniques express community identity, reinforce social bonds, and build stronger local, regional and national identities. Those efforts in Michoacán also underline the importance of traditional cuisine as a means of sustainable development.”

So, what are tamales? They are traditional dishes consisting of steamed “masa” or maize-based dough which is stuffed with delicious fillings like meat, vegetables, and other ingredients. They are wrapped in corn husks or banana leaves before cooking. The corn husk or banana leaf wrapping keeps the tamale intact during the steaming process. At the same time, these wrappers give the tamales a unique aroma that will make you crave more.

You might have also heard of guacamole, a famous Mexican appetizer and snack. It’s made of mashed ripe avocado that’s mixed with lime or lemon juice, tomatoes, onion, garlic, chili pepper, cumin, salt, and fresh coriander. It also goes well with tortillas, taco chips, maize wafers, and salads.

And when it comes to Mexican dessert, Pastel de Tres Leches is among the most popular choices. It’s decadent, creamy, and sure to please a person with a sweet tooth! It’s a sponge cake, soaked in three kinds of milk: evaporated, condensed, and cream. Just imagining this luscious dessert will whet your appetite.

It’s no wonder that this Original Poster who recently celebrated his birthday was overwhelmed by emotions and gratitude when the adult immigrants he’s been teaching in Texas suprised him with these traditional Mexican foods. There were also brigadeiros, Brazilian fudge balls that are similar to yummy, melt-in-the-mouth truffles.

OP did not expect this kind of appreciation for his work, and commenters on r/aww were just as thankful for his efforts to help these people who are seeking better opportunities in life.

Here are some joyful greetings from a Reddit user named kimishere2: “Someone brought individually wrapped homemade sandwiches too! That is an awesome spread. You must be a pretty fantastic person. Happy Birthday!”

More inspiring words from Xanthus179: “He’s definitely doing something right. Even when they remembered, my own friends never celebrated my bday this well.”

And this comment from dalittle was just as heartwarming: “OMG, my wife is a Mexican immigrant, and my first thought when reading this was I was so jealous of the food. When I first started dating her, I gained 25 lbs. I would probably weigh 400 lbs if I lived in Mexico. Congrats on your pachanga!”

To all of these, OP responded with a jubilant “Gracias!”