LEHIGH ACRES, Fla. — Lehigh Acres represents so many diverse cultures, and a lot of them you can learn about through the food. In Lehigh, there are plenty of locally run food trucks to choose from that celebrate Hispanic culture and heritage.
Ana Ruiz runs the food truck Me sabé a Peru in Lehigh Acres.
Ruiz said, "Siempre es una persona emprendedora, que siempre me ha gustado tener mi negocio hacer una trabajadora independiente.
(Always been an entrepreneur, I've always liked to have my own business and work independently.)
She came to the U.S. more than 20 years ago and combined her love for cooking with her dream to own a business.
Watch Lehigh Acres Community Correspondent Ella Rhoades report below:
"Me gusta, porque trato con gente latina americana y es bonito tratar con las personas y que te digan que wow tu comida está rica. Me gusta, me encanta y recomiendan a otras personas, ¿no? Entonces orgullosa de tener este negocio," Ruiz said.
("I like it because I deal with Latin American people and it's nice to deal with people and have them tell you that wow your food is delicious. I like it, I love it and they recommend it to other people, right? So, I'm proud to have this business.")
She serves classic Peruvian dishes like ceviche, steak and rice with tomatoes, onion and potatoes.
Ruiz cooked one of her favorite dishes, steak and vegetables, for Lehigh Acres Community Correspondent Ella Rhoades to try."
Other Latin American countries use similar ingredients, and she said in Lehigh you can try different countries versions of similar dishes.
Ruiz said, "Cultura se unan y probar de todo, no, porque todos tienen sus sus delicias, no todo tienen sus costumbres todo tienen sus riqueza, todo país tenemos lo lindo, lo bonito y todo. Entonces, hay que disfrutarlo de todos no solamente lo nuestro sino."
("The culture comes together and tries everything, no? Because everyone has their delicacies, everyone has their customs, everyone has their riches, every country has their own beauty, the pretty and everything. So, we have to enjoy it all, not just our own.")
Ahmed Avellante's food truck combines his Puerto Rican cooking with his Cuban wife's cooking.
His Lehigh food truck sits next to others with cuisine from Mexico, El Salvador, Honduras, Cuba , Colombia and more.
Avellante said, "Instead of going on a plane and doing a trip, try the food here first."
He added, "People are hesitant sometimes. I don't know I never tried it. They've become like regulars. They start coming over and over and over it's like I can't stop eating it. I love it."
Ruiz said, "Es importante también unirse y y demostrar cada país no cada cultura latina que ahorita se va a celebrar entonces demostrar que tenemos lo nuestro también, aunque."
("It is also important to unite and demonstrate that each country, each Latin culture, is going to be celebrated right now, so that we can demonstrate that we have our own thing.")
Celebrating culture in a language we all understand eating delicious food.
