When Fu Pei-mei left mainland China for Taiwain in 1949, she was one in a crowd of refugees. Over the next several decades, she became famous, a beloved TV chef teaching her viewers how to cook (and live) with grace and poise. A new book explores Fu's life and legacy.
When Chinese immigrants came to the United States, those who cooked for a living adapted the recipes they knew to match what local ingredients they could find and the palates of the folks they were feeding. How popular North American-Chinese dishes such as chop suey and chow mien were created. That was also the case for egg foo young, which evolved into being like a Chinese-style omelette that was either folded or shaped into a pancake-like shape. Mixed in to the beaten eggs used to make it, either before or during cooking, were other ingredients. When egg foo young was first being made, those other ingredients were basically whatever the cook had on hand, perhaps it was mushrooms, cabbage and some form of protein, such as ham or chicken.
For many, the practice of reconnecting with their native tongues has reinforced cultural connections. Fiza Pirani Mar 16, 2021 2:50PM ET
The quarantine of 2020 provided time for reflection, relearning and cultural reunification. Photo Credit: @ikan72 via Twenty20
Last summer, soon after countries around the world announced their first lockdowns and millions were forced into self-quarantine, multiple language learning programs, including the popular website and app
Duolingo, announced traffic spikes at all-time highs. The renewed interest in language inspired the question: how many people driven by the urgency to connect with loved ones out of reach are using the quarantine to learn their native or cultural tongues?