A Taste of a Home Far Away
by Katherine Wong
In Chinese culture, asking how someone’s been is fairly uncommon. Instead, the go-to question is: ‘Have you eaten yet?’ Anyone who’s read books like Crying in H Mart or Joy Luck Club can understand the role that food can play in staying connected to cultures across the world. As a third-generation, half Chinese teen, one of the primary ways I’ve learned to carry some of my cultural roots with me is through food. A mix of Chinese and American food throughout my life has created exposure to many different cuisines. It’s always jarring to me when people have never heard of some of the best staple dishes of dim sum (or haven’t heard of dim sum of all). Things like custard egg tarts, shu mai, har gao and more have all been a key flavor of my childhood. Some of the only phrases I know in Cantonese are the names of dishes and how to say ‘very tasty!’ Dim sum has always been a form of connection for many families. It’s best to go in large groups, to order many different dishes, and there’s a huge multigenerational aspect as well; you can typically spot three to four generations at just one table. Every time we visit my grandparents in California, we get dim sum; and in our large family gatherings, language barriers don’t matter when you are eating and laughing together. Food can unite people throughout celebrations and hardships alike.
Taste, flavors and textures all help me determine a sense of identity among the chaos of having so many different parts — Cantonese, British, American — all condensed into one person. I can bond with other Asian-American friends over a shared love of a lesser-known dish, and recreate our favorite foods in the kitchen. While perhaps my identity is a little unorthodox in the grand scheme of things, it certainly does add a bit of flavor.
Judges' Comments
This essay touches on how important sharing food can be to a community. A delicious read! - A.K.
The author suggests that sharing a meal with families and friends can unite people from different ethnicities, and the cuisine does not have to be exotic, although it helps. - K.K.L.
This is a lovely and sweet (pun intended) essay, which does a great job of painting the vibrancy and importance of food for this author. This essay also made me very hungry, which I mean as a giant compliment: the author really brings the flavors and joy of dim sum to life here! Wonderful work, and what a great way in to exploring the importance of family, culture, and self!! - S.T.
by Katherine Wong
In Chinese culture, asking how someone’s been is fairly uncommon. Instead, the go-to question is: ‘Have you eaten yet?’ Anyone who’s read books like Crying in H Mart or Joy Luck Club can understand the role that food can play in staying connected to cultures across the world. As a third-generation, half Chinese teen, one of the primary ways I’ve learned to carry some of my cultural roots with me is through food. A mix of Chinese and American food throughout my life has created exposure to many different cuisines. It’s always jarring to me when people have never heard of some of the best staple dishes of dim sum (or haven’t heard of dim sum of all). Things like custard egg tarts, shu mai, har gao and more have all been a key flavor of my childhood. Some of the only phrases I know in Cantonese are the names of dishes and how to say ‘very tasty!’ Dim sum has always been a form of connection for many families. It’s best to go in large groups, to order many different dishes, and there’s a huge multigenerational aspect as well; you can typically spot three to four generations at just one table. Every time we visit my grandparents in California, we get dim sum; and in our large family gatherings, language barriers don’t matter when you are eating and laughing together. Food can unite people throughout celebrations and hardships alike.
Taste, flavors and textures all help me determine a sense of identity among the chaos of having so many different parts — Cantonese, British, American — all condensed into one person. I can bond with other Asian-American friends over a shared love of a lesser-known dish, and recreate our favorite foods in the kitchen. While perhaps my identity is a little unorthodox in the grand scheme of things, it certainly does add a bit of flavor.
Judges' Comments
This essay touches on how important sharing food can be to a community. A delicious read! - A.K.
The author suggests that sharing a meal with families and friends can unite people from different ethnicities, and the cuisine does not have to be exotic, although it helps. - K.K.L.
This is a lovely and sweet (pun intended) essay, which does a great job of painting the vibrancy and importance of food for this author. This essay also made me very hungry, which I mean as a giant compliment: the author really brings the flavors and joy of dim sum to life here! Wonderful work, and what a great way in to exploring the importance of family, culture, and self!! - S.T.