Carlton Tucker

Carlton Tucker shared vivid memories of his childhood, shaped by the foods he was surrounded by and the labor that came with them. He humorously recalled refusing to eat tomatoes, and how his grandfather owned a mango grove where he and his cousin were made to climb trees to pick the fruit. That experience left a lasting impression—so much so that he still won’t touch a mango today. He described how, after picking, they had to bathe in turpentine and scrub with old bars of lye soap to remove the sticky sap, or “gum,” from their skin. Through his storytelling, Carlton highlighted how deeply food memories are tied not just to taste, but to work, family, and childhood experiences that linger long after the moment passes.