Food is Love
If food is love, and love is political, then food must be political, right?
So, I’ve started buying those little rice snacks from Trader Joe’s - the ones that come in all different shapes, with the wasabi-flavored crackers, the little flower shaped crackers, and the seaweed wrapped crackers. My daughter asked me what they were called. I told her that they were called “Rice Crackers.” Which was a half-truth. They were called “Oriental Rice Crackers.” My daughter asked me how you spell the name… and I started spelling R-I-C-E… then she stopped me, “NO! There’s an O.”
Eh.
In support of local Asian American art, I recently went to check out a new Asian American owned South End eatery. I was excited about this restaurant. The windows have giant silhouette of a dragon, which I thought was pretty cool. Visually. I have to say though, that when I walked in and saw Chinese newspaper for the placemats, I was kind of taken aback. Like, really? We’re eating off of Chinese newspaper? The kind they use across the street at grocery store to wrap up my kimchi? And this is supposed to be cute? And sanitary? And South End cool?
And later in the meal, I noticed that there were kitschy little messages scribbled on the mirrors that lined the back wall of the restaurant:
“The Great Wall is a BIG ASS wall, but great?”
Eh.
But, food is love, and food is art. I had a super yummy kimchi-tofu-baby-bok-choy dish. And I just tried making something similar, and well, clearly I’m no artist. It tastes nothing like what I ordered, but oh well. But food is food, and food will nourish you in a way nothing can. Food can create home for you. Food can create space for you. Food can help forge identities, which is about as political as you can get.
And me, well, I’m not so much a fan of “oriental” food and “Confucius says” kinds of restaurants. But that’s my choice, and my politics.
Last 5 posts by delia
- Asians Rock: What's your story? - May 11th, 2008
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- Our Month - May 2nd, 2008
- Ivy League Skills? - April 28th, 2008
- Happy Pay Equity Day!! - April 22nd, 2008