Understanding American Culture From Melting Pot to Salad Bowl The old "melting pot" metaphor is giving way to new metaphors such as "salad bowl" and "mosaic", mixtures of various ingredients that keep their individual characteristics. Help yourself to some fruit. Write down "what fruit you are"... metaphorically speaking. And/or what fruit you might contribute to a fruit salad. pear tomato strawberry pineapple! kiwi raspberry a cherry uglifruit kiwi! cantalope (means "song of wolf") cranberry lemon (I keep it from going bad) grape lime raspberry (sweet but sassy) kumquat orange peach!