Aki Berry grew up in Texas with a Japanese mom and Colorado-cowboy dad. This instilled in her a unique perspective on cross-cultures and identity and it exposed her to a variety of vastly different foods. After graduating from the University of California Santa Cruz with a degree in the History of Art and Visual Cultures, Aki embarked on several trips -- to India, Japan, Czechia, Poland and Central America -- exploring how culture affects art and art affects culture, and creating itineraries which revolve around local food.  She now lives in Northern California with her husband and three boys, juggling children, cooking, writing, and chaos. Aki loves being a soccer mom, but her oldest son has insisted that she's a futbol mom! She has 18 chickens, two cats, an alligator lizard, and her goldendoodle named Roo. She prefers her marshmallows burnt and her bananas green.