Food

Food is a distinct manifestation and celebration of culture, one that is easily approachable and shared with others. More than just a culinary experience, food offers a unique perspective from which individual tastes, traditional customs, and even cultural shocks are observed. Of course, Asian culture in America, including here in Northfield, is often associated with food, from egg rolls to tofu to sweet and sour chicken. Whether these commonly-known items are “authentically” Asian is a different story.

Toui Mohlke – “I always make it a point to bring Asian food to share. To let everyone try something, hopefully, different than… what they’ve tried before. But inevitably everyone always just asks for egg rolls.”

Toui Mohlke Transcription

Even with our, we have a, we have an annual block party where, where we live and, you know, we, it’s the typical block party stuff. Except ours is a little more elaborate, we sometimes have bands and fireworks and stuff too, but we haven’t done that in a little bit. But uh, you know, we all bring food to share, and so I always make it a point to bring Asian food to share. To let everyone try something, hopefully, different than, than, what, you know, they’ve tried before. But inevitably everyone always just asks for egg rolls. You know, and “No, I think I’m going to bring something different.” But that’s kind of, you know, the typical stuff that we run across all the time.

Hongyuan Lang and Dick Bodman “I’m still not quite used to the food here. … The thing that you think should be salty, it probably turns out to be sweet. You think it should be sweet; it turns out to be salty.”

Hongyuan Lang and Dick Bodman Transcription

Hongyuan: I’m still not quite used to the food here. When I just came… it seems starch and vegetables are served in exactly opposite ways. The vegetables should be cooked, but I eat raw vegetables after I came here. And then… also… the thing that you think should be salty, yet it probably turns out to be sweet; you think it should be sweet, it turns out to be salty. Dick: Right, we go to a restaurant and look at the menu, you really can’t figure it out if they are sweet, salty, or whatever. Hongyuan: Sometimes you saw “ah… tofu, let’s get some;” but when the dish comes, we realize it’s chicken… Haha…

Pei Yang – “We are now in Minnesota, the Midwest, so basically they emphasize sweetness… Sometimes it’s funny, they order a plate of fried rice, and they will ask me whether I have sweet and sour sauce. I ask what they need the sauce for. “Oh, I can add it to the rice.” Then I really want to say… isn’t that defeat the purpose?”

Pei Yang Transcription

We are here in the middle of America, compared to the West Coast… or somewhere… like the South, it’s not quite the same. We are now in Minnesota, the Midwest, so basically they emphasize sweetness, emphasize deep fried, umm… also meat… so… lots of the dishes have to be crispy; therefore, our recipes have also changed… our menu, in order to accommodate their taste, will make certain changes. Sometimes it’s funny, they order a plate of fried rice, and they will ask me whether I have sweet and sour sauce. I ask what they need the sauce for. “Oh, I can add it to the rice.” Then I really want to say.., th