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“...holding a stack of dumpling skins, thinking of all the hours that Mom and I spent at the kitchen table folding minced pork and chives into the thin dough. Sobbing near the dry goods, asking myself, Am I even Korean anymore if there’s no one left to call and ask which brand of seaweed we used to buy?”

This quote appears in the first few pages of Chapter 1, when Michelle is explaining the emotional experience that shopping in H Mart has become for her since her mother’s death. Her memories of her mother are deeply intertwined with the sights, tastes, and smells she associates with Korean food, causing memories of her mother to be recalled by familiar flavors and scents. Because of this, her mother and her Korean heritage are intrinsically connected, and she fears that the loss of one will result in the loss of the other. The question she asks in this quote sets up a theme for the rest of the book—Michelle’s struggle to connect with her cultural heritage with and without her mother there to help her. The seemingly minuscule detail of which brand of seaweed to buy demonstrates how even the smallest deliberations trigger Michelle’s sense of disconnection, reminding her that, with the loss of her mother, she is no longer sure of her own cultural identity. 

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