Ever since Debbie Lee made a, uhm, less than stellar attempt at becoming The Next Food Network Star, there’s been a noticeable lack of Asian Americans from the South talking about food.
Enter Natalie and Margaret Keng, a mother and daughter team from Smyrna, Georgia who describe themselves as two Chinese Southern Belles that instruct a course on Asian Fusion History at nearby Emory University in Atlanta. Here you can watch them go into a supermarket and explain oriental snacks, like Haw Flakes and the oh-so-mysterious Pineapple Cake.
Okay, so I jest a little bit. While the “Ni hao, y’all” at the end of the video made me bury my face in my hands a little bit, you gotta realize this video wasn’t made for us — I can only assume the video and class is made for a roomful of Scarlet O’Haras, middle-aged women that would faint at the sight of chicken feet not on a plantation served on a dinner plate. And personally, this Yankee is intrigued by the thought of Fried Rice-a-Roni or five-space rutabaga. I’ll try anything once, y’all.
(Hat tip: Stan, who is my favorite Chinese Southern Belle. Total in-joke, sorry.)
- Excited
- Fascinated
- Amused
- Disgusted
- Sad
- Angry
