In celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, we dedicate our episode to memory and how it has shaped AAPI food experiences. Many of us have probably eaten meals where long after the plate has been cleared, the taste still lingers in our mind. But we don’t just remember food — food can spark and capture memory as well. For those who have immigrated across countries, food can act as a vessel through which the flavors and stories of their past live on.

Today, our episode explores how the smell, taste, or story behind dishes can inspire art, preserve heritage and forge connections across cultures and continents. First, we visit a family in the Bay Area to learn about how food has evoked nostalgia for them after immigrating from China. Next, we hear from an educational organization based in O’ahu about their mission of promoting environmental preservation. We then head to the backstage of a one-woman play, where we talk to the playwright about her relationship to food as an Indian-American. Finally, we flip through the pages of diasporic Vietnamese cookbooks to discover the narratives embedded within.

Further Reading and Listening:

Learn more about Papahana Kuaola.

Check out the website for the one-woman play, Meera’s Kitchen.

Read Jaya Saxena's article about the Lunchbox Moment.

Find Monique Truong’s essay, “A Suitcase of Recipes: Diasporic Vietnamese Cookbooks and the Stories They Tell.”

Explore HRN’s AAPI Heritage Month Playlist.

Keep Meat and Three on the air: become an HRN Member today! Go to heritageradionetwork.org/donate. 

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