STOP USING TEA BAGS! After writing a paper in college about the commodity tea trade, Cindy Li realized that the industry was inefficient and inequitable, with centuries-old structures rooted in colonialism. After working at a tea farm in Maui, she realized there had to be a better way to get people this fantastic product. She started Uproot Teas about a year and half ago and has set out to run a 100% sustainable company that is as good for you as it is for the farmers.  She only works with 3 small regenerative farms ensuring that the product you get is absolutely the best tea you've ever had.

Give her tea a try at Uprootteas.com and follow them @uproot.teas on Instagram.  You can get 10% off your order using the code Asianpod10 at her site.  Thanks for chatting with us Cindy!

Special thanks to my cohost Kimberly Szeto who set up this call! You can see what Kim is up to @kyutiekimbers on Instagram

If you like what you hear, please subscribe/follow wherever you get your podcasts.  Drop us a line at [email protected] and follow us on Instagram @theinfatuasianpodcast to make sure you know every time a new episode drops!

Our Theme:

“Super Happy J-Pop Fun-Time” by Prismic Studios was arranged and performed by All Arms Around 

#tea #asiangirlboss #uprooteas #asianpodcast #asian #asianamerican #infatuasian #iinfatuasianpodcast #aapi #veryasian #asianamericanpodcaster #representationmatters

My sister Caryl and I had a blast chatting with Chef Ming Tsai last week.  Besides being an incredibly talented chef with a great personality, for me, Chef Ming was the first American-born Asian chef I had seen on TV. Representation matters.

We talk about what that was like starting his Food Network show, East Meets West, as well as some of the many other projects he's done over the years like Simply Ming, Ming's Quest, and Iron Chef. His current business and passion came about as a result of his wife's diagnosis of cancer a few years back. She has since beaten her cancer, but Chef Ming set out to move them towards a gluten-free plant-based diet.  This led to him creating Ming's Bings, a more delicious take on the veggie patty/wrap.  Hear more about the genesis of Ming's Bings as well as the good the company is doing for families struggling with cancer.

You can find out more about Chef Ming Tsai at Ming.com, and head over to Mingsbings.com to see where you can purchase some Mings Bings for yourself!  If you happen to be in the Boston area, go check out Ming's award-winning restaurant Blue Dragon!

Thank you Chef Ming for chatting with us!  And special thanks to my sister Caryl who set up the call!

As always you can write to us at [email protected], and DM and follow us on Instagram @theinfatuasianpodcast  We'd love to hear from you!

Please follow us on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts, and give us a rating at whatever site you are listening to us on.  That helps these sites recommend us to other potential listeners like you!

Our Theme:

“Super Happy J-Pop Fun-Time” by Prismic Studios was arranged and performed by All Arms Around 

#ironchef #mingsbings #chefmingtsai #foodnetwork #eastmeetswest #simplyming #asianpodcast #asian #asianamerican #infatuasian #iinfatuasianpodcast #aapi #veryasian #asianamericanpodcaster #representationmatters

Hey Y'All!  It's been a while since we've updated you a bit on the podcast so we start today's recording with a quick update.  Then we hope on the line with Sara Qiu, the Spanish cyclo-tourist who we talked with in episode 38. She's crossed over onto the continent of Asia and is riding through Turkey at the moment.  It was fun to hear how she's grown as a cyclo-tourist and as a person!

You can hear and see much more of Sara's story on her YouTube channel -  Journey From the Road.  She posts back and forth in Spanish and English.  Keep up with her @journeyfromtheroad on Instagram as well!

You can follow us @theinfatuasianpodcast on Instagram and Facebook.  Email us at [email protected] and we'll read your message on the air!

Thanks for listening!

Our Theme:

“Super Happy J-Pop Fun-Time” by Prismic Studios was arranged and performed by All Arms Around 

#cyclotourist #journeyfromtheroad #asianpodcast #asian #asianamerican #infatuasian #iinfatuasianpodcast #aapi #veryasian #asianamericanpodcaster #representationmatters

Need something to listen to while you peel 50 potatoes?  Why not have our chat with Chef Shirley Chung on in the background to inspire you!  Lots of great chef stories from Shirley and Caryl.

I can't help but feel thankful for all the people who have helped me with this podcast as a guest or co-host, and especially YOU the listeners!  I'm glad you've come along for the ride too.  Feeling grateful!

Hope you're all happy and healthy out there!  Talk to you soon!  - Curtis

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!  I'm taking the week off...  also... I got Covid.  Ugh.  So in honor of the American holiday that celebrates sustenance and gratitude, I'm reposting 2 of our earlier episodes about FOOD!

Tuesday, I'll be posting the first half of Episode 7 (from Aug 2021) where my friends Mandy and Kelly talk about our favorite YouTube Food channels!  

Wednesday, I'll be posting our episode with my sister Caryl and Chef Shirley Chung who was heaps of fun! (From Feb 2022)

Hope you enjoy these if you haven't heard them before, and we'll be back next week! 

Thanks for listening!

Where are all my plant people at? Having a collection of plants in the house gives me joy and peace, but keeping them green isn't always easy.  Today we are talking with two women who live and breathe houseplants.  They own and operate Bay Area plant shops. They give tips and advice all day long at work, so I thought we could tap into their knowledge and love of plants for our show.

Visit Natalie and her rare and unique plants at The Plant Sitter at 1989 Quimby Road, San Jose, CA and follow her Instagram @plantsitter_california  If you're in the East Bay, go party with Dom in her indoor jungle at Pamana Plantas located at 1615B Solano Avenue in Berkeley, CA  She can be found on Instagram @pamanaplantas  Visit Pamanaplantas.com to see some of the fun events Dom hosts at the shop!

Please give us a follow over @theinfatuasianpodcast on Instagram and Facebook, or you can write to us at [email protected]

Follow us wherever you get your podcasts and we'd love it if you gave us 5 stars on Apple Podcasts or Spotify!

Our Theme:

“Super Happy J-Pop Fun-Time” by Prismic Studios was arranged and performed by All Arms Around 

#houseplants #asiangirlboss #asianpodcast #asian #asianamerican #infatuasian #iinfatuasianpodcast #aapi #veryasian #asianamericanpodcaster #representationmatters

*Warning: Possible Spoilers* We are back at it again with our annual K-Drama Draft!  This time we are partnering with the hosts of the Pocha Playlist!  Jennifer, Nadira, and I had so much fun recording with Jenny, Andy, and Brandon!  We picked dramas from the following categories; school dramas, supernatural dramas, and workplace dramas as well as an anything-goes round.

If you like K-Dramas, especially current shows, you HAVE to listen to the Pocha Playlist!  It’s a super fun show with really great co-host chemistry!  You can find Pocha Playlist wherever you get your podcasts.  Also follow them @pochaplaylist on most social media.

Did you like our picks?  You can let us know your thoughts on the draft at: [email protected], or via direct message on Instagram and Facebook @theinfatuasianpodcast 

Please follow us wherever you get your podcasts.  We would really appreaciate your ratings and reviews over at Apple Podcasts and Spotify!

Our Theme:

“Super Happy J-Pop Fun-Time” by Prismic Studios was arranged and performed by All Arms Around 

#kdramas #asianpodcast #asian #asianamerican #infatuasian #iinfatuasianpodcast #aapi #veryasian #asianamericanpodcaster #representationmatters

Vegas Baby!  Ever wonder what it's like living in Sin City? This week we talk with Allen who moved to Vegas to play poker and ended up becoming a dealer at the Aria Casino.  He gives us a glimpse into what it's like playing cards for a living as well as his favorite things about living in Las Vegas.

Thanks to Allen for chatting with us!  Did you learn something? That's one of our goals for this podcast.  Drop us a line at [email protected] to let us know your thoughts.  You can follow us @theinfatuasianpodcast on Instagram or Facebook.  

Don't miss an episode!  Follow us/subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.  We'd really appreciate a rating on Apple Podcasts or Spotify!  And leave a review at Apple Podcasts, it would mean a lot to us!

Our Theme:

“Super Happy J-Pop Fun-Time” by Prismic Studios was arranged and performed by All Arms Around 

#lasvegas #poker #asianpodcast #asian #asianamerican #infatuasian #iinfatuasianpodcast #aapi #veryasian #asianamericanpodcaster #representationmatters

Korean culture has taken America by storm these past few years. Squid Game and BTS are now household names around the world. But before any of us had heard of Crash Landing On You or Black Pink, Korean food was making its way into our hearts and stomachs.

For today’s episode, I invited some friends to pick their favorite Korean foods and rank them on tiers. Lisa, who lived in Korea for almost 2 years, Keri who was born and raised in Seoul, and Korean American NYC native Ben came along to help me.  

I hope you find our picks and descriptions deliciously fun!  ***I'll post our complete list of picks in a few days, for now, you HAVE to listen if you want to know what foods got picked!***

You can follow Lisa @Ieatsleepplay, Keri @theigcoach, and Ben @nebnaa on Instagram.  Hear more of Ben’s hilarious takes over at The Worst Asian Podcast on all the major podcast carriers, and @worstasianpod on social media

The outro is Rikki Lee’s new single, “Why Can’t I?”  If you remember Rikki was our guest on episode 32!  Stream “Why Can’t I?” on Spotify, Apple and most streaming sites including YouTube! @rikkileerocks on Instagram

Special thanks to Super Producer Madison for helping me record an intro!

As I always mention, you can write to us at: [email protected], and please follow us on Instagram and Facebook @theinfatuasianpodcast 

Please consider giving us a rating and/or review over at Apple Podcasts and Spotify!

Our Theme:

“Super Happy J-Pop Fun-Time” by Prismic Studios was arranged and performed by All Arms Around 

#koreanfood #bulgogi #tteokbokki #bibimbap #kimchi  #asianpodcast #asian #asianamerican #infatuasian #iinfatuasianpodcast #aapi #veryasian #asianamericanpodcaster #representationmatters

Friend of the podcast Rikki Lee (Episode 32) has a new single out!  It's called "Why Can't I?" And it's super fun and has a great message!  

You can hear part of it Here on Spotify as well as Madison's and my reactions to it.  

You can hear the full version here on Spotify Here!  or most any streaming platforms or YouTube.

Give it a listen the next time you need to get pumped up or inspired!  It's a bop for sure!