Food, Identity & Belonging
Weidenfeld & Nicolson
Food can tell us a lot about where we come from – and sometimes, about how we misunderstand one another. On this week's show, we look at what happens when food crosses borders, cultures, and identities.
We begin with Anna Sulan Masing, a writer, poet, and academic whose work explores food, culture, and identity. Based in London, Anna comes from a family whose story crosses continents and cultures. She was born in Australia to an indigenous Iban father from Borneo and a New Zealander mother of predominantly Scottish heritage. Her debut book, Chinese and Any Other Asian, considers how mixed identities are shaped – and often distorted – by language, stereotypes, and cultural appropriation. Anna joins us to discuss her family's remarkable story and what food and restaurants can reveal about how we understand other cultures.
Then, we look at what happens when a cuisine takes root somewhere new. We meet Chef David Schuttenberg, co-owner of two Chinese restaurants in Charleston, South Carolina: Kwei Fei focuses on Sichuan cooking, and Beautiful South showcases the cooking of Southern China. David talks to us about learning a cuisine from the outside, staying true to its traditions, and adapting those traditions to a new place.