Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by calamansi503
Fresh Off the Boat: A Memoir by Eddie Huang
4.0
Some people will not get this book at all. For the people who do, it can be hilarious and thought-provoking. Since there's a code-switch function in my brain, the language made sense to me and didn't bother me like it may for other readers (heads up: there's a considerable amount of profanity, violence, drug references, etc.) I thought this memoir was fascinating and entertaining; the author has definitely led an interesting life that does not fit the "model minority" stereotype. I also love reading decent descriptions of food and recipes, especially within an Asian-American context, so if that's something you're looking for, then this might be a book to look into.
Also, this excerpt:
'When Chinese people cook Chinese food or Jamaicans cook Jamaican, there's no question what's going on. Just make it taste good. When foreigners cook our food, they want to infuse their identity into the dish, they have a need to be part of the story and take it over. For some reason, Americans simply can't understand why this bothers us. "I just want to tell my story?!? I loved my vacation to Burma! What's wrong with that?" It's imperialism at work in a sauté pan. You already have everything, do you really, really, really need a Burmese hood pass, too? Can we live?
Writers ask me: "So, should Americans be allowed to cook ethnic food they didn't grow up with?"
I reply by asking: Are you interested in this food because it's a gimmick you can apply to French or New-American food to separate yourself from others? Or, will you educate your customers on where that flavor came from? Will you give credit where it's due or will you allow the media to prop you up as the next Marco Polo taking spices from the Barbarians Beyond the Wall and "refining" them? The most infuriating thing is the idea that ethnic food isn't already good enough because it g--damn is. We were fine before you came to visit and we'll be fine after.'
Also, this excerpt:
'When Chinese people cook Chinese food or Jamaicans cook Jamaican, there's no question what's going on. Just make it taste good. When foreigners cook our food, they want to infuse their identity into the dish, they have a need to be part of the story and take it over. For some reason, Americans simply can't understand why this bothers us. "I just want to tell my story?!? I loved my vacation to Burma! What's wrong with that?" It's imperialism at work in a sauté pan. You already have everything, do you really, really, really need a Burmese hood pass, too? Can we live?
Writers ask me: "So, should Americans be allowed to cook ethnic food they didn't grow up with?"
I reply by asking: Are you interested in this food because it's a gimmick you can apply to French or New-American food to separate yourself from others? Or, will you educate your customers on where that flavor came from? Will you give credit where it's due or will you allow the media to prop you up as the next Marco Polo taking spices from the Barbarians Beyond the Wall and "refining" them? The most infuriating thing is the idea that ethnic food isn't already good enough because it g--damn is. We were fine before you came to visit and we'll be fine after.'