Born In The USA - The Surprising History of Chinese Food in America

11/16/23 • 38 min

There are more Chinese restaurants in the US today than there are McDonalds, Burger Kings and KFC’s combined. It's neck and neck with pizza as America's most ordered takeout. How did Chinese-American cuisine become so deeply embedded in American communities?

This week, we’re talking with New York Times bestselling author, journalist and documentary producer, Jennifer 8 Lee about the origins of 3 famous Chinese American dishes. Chop Suey, Fortune Cookies, and General Tso’s Chicken. We’ll uncover the American history that shaped them, and follow Jennifer’s journey to discover how understanding the past helped her find peace in the present.

Hosted by Claudia Hanna

Episode guest:

Jennifer 8 Lee - Journalist, Documentary Producer and Author of New York Times Bestseller The Fortune Cookie Chronicles

Episode recipe: Beef Broccoli

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Hosted by Claudia Hanna

Episode guest:

Jennifer 8 Lee - Journalist, Documentary Producer and Author of New York Times Bestseller The Fortune Cookie Chronicles

Episode recipe: Beef Broccoli

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Previous Episode

The Bison Are Back: Reclaiming Native American Foodways

Bison meat has been showing up on many restaurant menus lately, but Native Americans have a relationship with the iconic animal that goes back thousands of years. Today we meet Jayme Murray, who runs a tribal-owned bison herd on the Cheyenne River Sioux reservation in South Dakota, and Chef Ben Jacobs, co-founder of Tocabe in Denver. Their stories help explain why the bison is so central to Indigenous American history, and how a new generation of Native American ranchers and chefs are restoring indigenous foodways — and reinventing them for the future.

Hosted by Claudia Hanna

Episode Guests:

Jayme Murray, CEO of the Cheyenne River Sioux Buffalo Company.

Ben Jacobs, Co-Founder of Tocabe: An American Indian Eatery in Denver, CO. Tocabe’s online marketplace is here.

Recipe:

Bison Meatballs in an Agave Glaze

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Next Episode

The Holy Loophole: How a California Winery Survived Prohibition

Thank God for wine. No, really! Wine has always played a part in the culture of the church. It’s what Jesus drank at the last supper, priests bless it during Catholic mass, and if you drink enough of it you might start having visions of the divine. But in the early 20th century, this millenia-old church culture was under threat. The temperance movement ushered in an era of prohibition. Wine barrels were cracked open with axes. The streets and sewers ran red, white, and sparkling. And in Southern California, winery owners like Santo Cambianica were given little choice but to shut down. As an Italian immigrant and a Catholic, prohibition wasn’t just a response to the rise of alcoholism, it was an attack on his culture and religion. But a little known exemption in the prohibition laws was about to change that. Instead of shutting down, Santo’s winery boomed. In fact, he did better business during prohibition than before it. All thanks to the holy loophole.

Hosted by Claudia Hanna

Episode Guests:

Santo Riboli (President, San Antonio Winery, Los Angeles, CA)

Father Gregory Elder (Historian and Pastor, Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Palm Desert, CA)

Recipe:

Wine Pairings from Season One

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