KNORR/UNILEVER
Cardi B never considered herself a chef, but things changed when she became a mom of two. While the Grammy winner, Billboard Hot 100 chart topper, rapper, songwriter, and actor would be the first to say she’s not an award-winning cook, her priority these days is seeking easy-to-prepare and healthy homemade meals. Cooking has also become an avenue for Cardi to share her Dominican culture and traditions with her two little ones with husband Offset — Kulture, 4, and Wave, 2. As a result, she recently partnered with Knorr to introduce the brand’s new Taste Combos: a collection of delicious, affordable, and practical recipes that includes dishes made with fresh ingredients like chicken, veggies, and the Knorr Chicken Bouillon, a nostalgic kitchen staple from Cardi’s childhood.
“I have so many great memories using Knorr for big family dinners growing up,” Cardi tells POPSUGAR. “Now that I’m a parent and have my own family, Knorr has become a staple in my own pantry. So, when the opportunity came up to partner with Knorr on this Taste Combos campaign, I just had to say yes.”
Chicken bouillon, which is often referred to as caldito de pollo, is a staple ingredient in many Puerto Rican and Dominican recipes. And while Cardi prefers making easy meals like chicken with pasta (a favorite of Kulture’s) or tacos, she’s been finding small ways to instill her Dominican tradition in the meals her kids eat, even if it’s by simply using certain cultural ingredients like chicken bouillon.
“I love adding a touch of spice to my dishes. I think it’s important for my kids to know their Dominican culture and background,” she says. “My mom used Knorr to cook for us as kids, so the Knorr Chicken Bouillon brings me back to my childhood.”
Cardi, a proud Dominican and Trinidadian, shares how one of the ways she’s been teaching Kulture and Wave about their Dominican culture is by constantly spending time with her family in the Bronx. She also frequently visits the Dominican Republic, where she has a summer home in Las Terrenas, with Offset and the kids. Just last summer, Cardi’s family enjoyed the country life on her native island; she posted cute photos and a video where Kulture is seen playing with ducks and speaking in Spanish.
“I want my kids to know where their family and ancestors are from. I brought them to where I grew up and learned my first life lessons,” says Cardi, who grew up visiting the island when she was younger. “They saw firsthand what their mom experienced as a girl. I hope it taught them to appreciate the hard work and not take for granted growing up having all the toys, fancy cars, and a big home. They have to work for all those things.”
Cardi loves teaching her children Spanish and is proud that Kulture has picked up a lot of the language so far. She even loves speaking to her family in Spanglish and incorporating fun Dominican slang terms like “que lo que.”
“I’m always listening to Spanish music and having [the kids] around me and my family speaking Spanish. It’s good to know Spanish because the Latin community is growing, [there are] more opportunities, and knowing the culture is important,” she says. “Kulture doesn’t have a specific [Dominican] slang word, but she does speak really good Spanish, as we continue to be bilingual in our house and kids pick up everything.”
Between speaking to her kids in Spanish and having them visit their relatives in the Bronx and the Dominican Republic, it’s clear that preserving her Dominican roots and traditions is important to Cardi. Another way she stays connected to her culture is by is exposing Kulture and Wave to authentic Dominican food. While Cardi prefers making easier and more practical meals, she shares that her favorite Dominican dish has always been her abuela’s sancocho, a traditional dish that often includes various meats and root vegetables like green plantains, yucca, pumpkin, various squashes, and potatoes. It’s also often made with traditional spices like chicken bouillon.
“I watched my grandma cooking Dominican food my whole life. I would watch her in the kitchen and try to replicate her recipes,” she says.
Cardi didn’t learn how to cook until she lived on her own; she claims her mom was too “impatient” to teach her. While the self-taught cook doesn’t typically make Dominican meals for her family, there are a few Dominican dishes that Offset and the kids love that she occasionally whips up.
“Rice and beans are my go-to. My whole family will eat it and it’s super easy to make,” says Cardi says who also loves cooking with the Knorr Caldo de Tomate Con Sabo de Pollo. “We use that with everything . . . slap it in your beef stew, sofrito . . . makes everything taste so good. Pollo guisado with rice and beans on the side. Chicken stew (pollo guisado) requires all the things, but the tomatoes are definitely what makes the stew delicious.”
As far as mom life goes, the only unexpected challenge Cardi admits to really struggling with these days actually has nothing to do with the kitchen. It’s keeping up with her nails.
“You know they always have to be on point,” she says. “I just have to handle so much as a mom that it makes upkeep difficult.”
We hear her on that.