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AnonymousAs far as restaurants go I feel strongly that food is greatly determined by the proximity to where the actual raw materials are being produced. I think the real authentic Asian foods are going to be in Asian of course because that's where the raw materials are coming from: the fish, the water chestnuts, the curries, and their own brand of basic oils, flours, salts, and spices. Also, the aroma of a building can influence the food tasting experience. I ordered the same dishes at Thai restaurants here in LA and even though the ingredients themselves were the same as in Thailand, the food hasn't tasted the same.
Something else I noticed in Asia is that they like to package food very decoratively and bright! Especially their noodles. In Thailand and in Taiwan I found out for the first time that you can buy individually sliced piece of bread (yes one slice) with butter and some cinnamon spread. Very tasty, but you would have to eat about 3 of them to fill up. At their gas stations in Thailand they also sell drinks only their serving sizes are much smaller than ours.
Lastly, I always though that pizza was supposed to be Italian. Yeah right! In Thailand I ordered a pizza and it came with crab, pineapple, and mayonaise sauce. The crust and cheese was good, but I was so thrown off by the crab and sauce.
AnonymousThat is a fabulous idea (and what kid doesn't like a cookie?). Also, you can incorporate language arts and/or history by having them write a rhyme, saying, or proverb connected to their illustration. You may want to also get the Home Economics teacher involved (at our school we call Home ec. "Life Management"). They could help with the baking aspect of your assignment. I hope some of these additional suggestions to your great lesson helps. You've inspired me to include this as an assignment of mine for next year. Thanks!
AnonymousThis is a link to a wonderful article in the APA Magazine regarding food and history. There is a small museum in New York's Chinatown called MoCA, the Museum of Chinese in the Americas. (Not to be confused with our own MOCA in Los Angeles). Chinese restaurants were recently featured at the museum as one of the key symbols of Chinese culture in America.
The article reveals the common question "Have you eaten yet?" to be a standard phrase used in Chinese greeting, and interpreted in the English language as "How are you?" The article goes on to describe the historical importance of food in Chinese America. One interesting and significant section explains how Chinese food was originally despised by Americans because Chinese were blamed for contagious diseases. The restaurants continued to spread due to 3 main reasons: they prevented Chinese people from participating in any mainstream or profitable jobs; Chinese Restaurants served as an ethnic resource for immigrants; and food traditions and cooking are highly esteemed in Chinese culture.
There was much racism directed towards the Chinese until the 1940's when China became an ally of the US during WW2. All things of China became exotic and desirable. This is a resource that all students can understand, as it relates to something that all people need and use daily, food. Here is a link to the museum itself, where you can get more information on current exhibitions: MoCA
AnonymousWhat a great idea! I wanted to share a "food" assignment that I did with my students this year during the Japan unit. As a class we compared, discussed and researched the Japanese and Chinese Tea Ceremonies. This lesson was focused mostly on Chinese and Japanese culture. After gaining great knowledge about both ceremonies, I put the students into small groups and asked them to come up with a food ritual ceremony that would show their understanding of the tea ceremonies. The students had to pick a food to bring in to share with the class, and create a poster and presentation about it's significance, and a step by step process of the ritual. I was quite suprised at the level of creativity that my class showed! From Oreo cookies to Japanese noodles, the students had the opportunity to show their understanding of this important aspect of Asian culture in a hands on manner. It was really fun! Anytime you can incorporate food into a lesson is alright with me!!
AnonymousThis is a great assignment. Sometimes when learning about a culture, I forget to study the food. In the race of trying to reach all the standards it makes it difficult to do these types of things. When I taught elementary school it seems like we did stuff like that more often. Those types of activities seem to engage students and make learning fun. Unfortunately the higher the grade, the more we seem to focus on lecture and content without the flair. I am going to try this assignment next year when we cover Ancient China.
AnonymousI was also going to mention that Chinatown would be a great place or start for students to get an Asian experience and not only for food. Little Tokyo and Koreatown would be other suggestions.
AnonymousIn Chinatown, once the new Chinese-American museum is finished, a field trip could be based on this with a quick meal at a local restaurant. For a good experience, you should stick to under a couple of dozens of a trip for restaurant lunch crowd-control. Not too many busy establishments are kind about "low-spending" groups taking over large groups of tables. But if takeout food could be order ahead of time, then a local place to sit and each could be had near Chinatown if you look hard enough. But with students, taking large school groups in the narrow, busy streets of Chinatown might be not such a great idea. Not that I have done this, but I have hard a time just going to Dim Sum with a small group or family. For some of us on the public transportation lines, the Redline Metro line is the key....
Koreatown I think is easy to get to, with bus or Redline, but there are not too many foodie experiences to be had in large groups. I thing I wish a lot of my students could have seen and gone to is when Korea was in the World Cup this summer, thousands saw it on the big screen in a plaza in Koreatown and also at the Staples Center. The Red Devil fans surely excited anyone that even walked by it... I know I see similar fever with other cultures sport traditions... I wonder if the Staple Center offered special menu items for the guests...
In Little Tokyo, I took a busload of students to visit the Japanese-American Museum for a few years. A short-guided tour in the morning, a quick lunch in the area, and a quick bus ride back after lunch. The museum area and the walkway that connects to MOCA has stairs and sitting areas for students to eat lunch. Some went to buy food in Little Tokyo Plaza without incident. The area is pretty low-key and relatively traffic-free. Many Japanese places there have quick takeout food and some at low lunch special prices for the students and teachers.
My suggestion is to go over everything for the learning before the trip. Give a little freedom after the tour to explore with guided supervision. I usually only take 30 or less students who complete pre-trip assignments the week before. I also learned to invite the DHH or Special Ed teacher with me for the rest of the empty space on the bus. They have small classes with adult aides who could serve as extra sets of eyes for the teacher.
Just related to Japanese food, this is a web site I found students can look at for reference:
Kids Web Japan food
Hopefully, non-Japanese could look at this too for basic restaurant type foods. For "Iron Chef" fans, watch Channel 18 KSCI on Saturdays at 8PM for Japanese cooking show "Dotchi Ryouri Showdown." I love this show for both the food and the history of the food...
KSCI Ch18 link
[Edit by="ssaito on Jul 28, 1:32:42 PM"][/Edit]
AnonymousA while back I read an article on Thai cuisine in Northeast Thailand. And with so many wonderful Thai restaurants here in Los Angeles I thought it a great article to comment on.
The article begins with a comment on Westerners aversion to things we don’t normally think of as food, i.e. bugs. Jennifer Gampell explains that in Thailand you do get your KFC’s and your Pizza Huts but for those true foodies interested in the local flavor there are also markets with stalls and stalls of fresh and quite alive insects.
The article explains that the region was one of the poorest in Thailand and thus the eating of insects stemmed from necessity rather than what it stems from now—interest in delicacy and gourmet foods. The region has been prosperous since the 90’s and people continue to eat the insects, larvae, frogs, et al like we eat burgers and fries here in America. What I think the most fascinating is the way in which people eat and prepare poisonous black scorpions.
Gampell says in her article, “Crunchiness and sogginess are, respectively, the most and least desirable physical attributes of any food I eat.” And yet like almost every other westerner in this situation she eats the bugs and she likes them.
I feel that the article can be an excellent teaching tool, a way to introduce new ideas to our kids. Maybe get them thinking creatively. What else can we eat that we don’t usually eat? Possible Lessons: Write some recipes, segue into the Donner party for you historians, read some Swift and write some short stories.
The article can be found at: http://travel2.nytimes.com/2006/06/22/travel/22webletter.html?ex=1151726400&en=48a7e5f9bce6284f&ei=5070&emc=eta1
If you have a chance to read it, I hope it makes you as hungry as it made me. Good eating.
AnonymousI am amazed at how much Asian cooking has influenced California cuisine. We even have our own style of food, right? Cal-Asian fusion. I was at the mall today and I saw a sushi joint, a Thai place, a Chinese booth and some sort of Pacific Islander/Korean BBQ spot. Now the politics of this mix also amazes me. We all know from childhood that Chinese is fun food—Noodles, fortune cookies and Shirley temples, or did I get the Roy Rogers. Oh yeah, and the slab of mustard enclosed in ketchup that for some reason burns your tongue. (I am being facetious of course, but I find it sad that for too many Americans this is the all they know and will ever know of Asian cuisine.)
And then there is sushi. A sophisticated delicacy that can only be prepared by a properly trained sushi chef. In fact one of our greatest restaurants here in LA is a sushi bar—Matsuhisa—though the Chow dynasty follows close on its heels. And my fascination with the American public continues. The majority of Americans are afraid to put a piece of raw fish in their mouths and yet they slurp up sweet and sour pork like it was meatloaf. Once again food politics. We fear what we don’t know. Pork makes sense—bacon tastes good, pork chops taste good—yes a line from Pulp Fiction, Quentin does love to steal form Asian cinema. But raw fish?
And not to mention kimchi. Oh yeah baby, to quote Emeril. I must admit the first time I tried kimchi was in college. I ate it to impress the Korean girl I was into at the time. And yet I loved it. To this day I can not eat Korean food if it does not have kimchi somewhere on the plate.
Thai I’ve always loved Thai and here in LA everyone seems to agree. Vietnamese gets a bad wrap. Pho is good and there is more to Vietnamese than Pho.
We are blessed to live in LA. Where else can you get chorizo and edamame on the same plate and then have the privilege of paying $25 plus because it is being served in a five star restaurant.
AnonymousCan I really give up names of my favorite sushi, ramen, bulgoki, dim sum and take out places without consequences??? Would other people really enjoy my recommendations or do they have different expectations of such foods in their own life experiences? In the grand swath of Los Angeles and California, we have an abundant supply of ethic restaurants and markets. But having that "perfect intercultural" food experience, where you understand the subtle nuances of service, special menu and even ethic cooking styles...
It helps to have friends of varying ethnic backgrounds in L.A. since this could also be your pass into some of these hard to find places. Is there such thing as not getting good Chinese food outside of the San Gabriel Valley? Japanese food in Torrance or the 'name brand' sushi on the Westside (I hate the $$$-ed sushi lovers; I'm a public school teacher for god sakes...) Can you find good Korean BBQ outside of Koreatown? All I could say is that the best way is to go and find it... Make Asian foods at least once or twice a week part of your diet. I seem to recognize now that Mexican food sometimes takes over my weekly diet more than my ethic food...
Going back to what I said in another thread, our school cafeterias need to do a better job serving more ethnic foods to the world. There are so much wholesome, fresh ethnic dishes to be had... For example, instead of high-fat premade burritos, why not have make your own burrito stations with healthier ingredients. This is so simple for things such as Chinese chicken salad or Japanese bento boxes...
The simpler way to try lowcost Japanese food is to try takeout/bento at local Japanese markets like Murakai and Nishiwa. I definitely see Japanese student nationals and Westside non-Japanese always buying food at the Sawtelle store on the Westside...
As for great L.A. restaurants, I'm going to write the names backwards so my friends and family won't get mad at me if the wait gets too long: IHSON SUSHI, UKOKIAD RAMEN, NAS-OHC KOREAN BBQ, EGALLIV RUOBRAH DIM SUM, and there is this one authentic tempura place in Torrance that has great tempura lunch special.... Good eating!!!
AnonymousSome good places to eat in the Southern OC
1. Japanese
a. Nobu Sushi in San Clemente
b. Gen Kai in Dana Point
2. Thai
a. Thai This
b. Thai That both in Dana Point
3. Chinese
a. China Sea in Dana Point
4. Indian
a. Natraj in Laguna Nig uel
Anybody know a good Korean restaurant in the South County?
AnonymousStop you are making me hungry.
AnonymousOne of the ways I would introduce Asia to my students would be to ask for volunteers to bring in food from the regions we were studying. It was amazing how many people would volunteer. One student would bring tea, another bogogi, someone else Kimchi, another rice, someone else music. A real great [and tasty]way to introduce culture to students.
AnonymousThe Korean version of this is called "kim". It comes in square sheets like paper, is greased, toasted and salted. You put a small sheet on your bowl of rice, grab it with your chopsticks with some rice in it and eat it. It's like instant make your own miniature sushi (with just rice in it). Or, I've also seen people eat it just by itself. A salty seaweed sanck. [Edit by="hlee on Aug 22, 9:41:11 PM"][/Edit]
AnonymousWhat about having them research simple, easy to follow recipes from Asian countries and make them on their own? YOu can monitor the list of recipes to make sure that they are not making the same things from the same country, or you can choose to give them the recipes yourself. This could also be a group project.