Mandarin Lunch and Learn, Session 47: 05.02.25

The full recording of the May 2025 Mandarin Lunch and Learn Workshop.

China Institute Lunch and Learn journey is continuing now!

Would you like to explore the rich culinary landscape of China? Far beyond the familiar Chinese takeout in U.S. cities, Chinese cuisine is a complex tapestry of regional flavors and ethnic traditions.

Starting February 2025, our Lunch and Learn series will focus on food and food cultures in China’s various regions as well as the remarkable cross-cultural journey in New York. We will showcase dishes that exhibit their unique foodways and culinary identities.

We will discuss how history and migration have contributed to the development of cuisine culture in Beijing; how geography and social changes have defined the food on table in Yanji (in northeast China); how Nuosu people’s careful collection of grains and animal sacrifice have generated remarkable feast from the highlands in Xichang (in southwest China); and lastly, how the neighborhood of Flushing has witnessed the expansion of Chinese cuisine from Cantonese and Sichuan restaurants to the new addition of eateries from Northern and Central China in New York City. With this season’s four interactive online sessions, we hope to explore delicious food as well as the values and history embedded in diverse culinary traditions in China and beyond!

Speaker
Jinglin Piao 朴景琳
Jinglin Piao, recently returned to China after completing her doctoral dissertation at Cornell University, United States. She is working on her book manuscript about housing and hygiene in rural China. Her research interests also include body, gender, ethnicity, and proliferation of trades. Her work was presented at American Anthropological Association and Association for Asian Studies annual meetings. She is a fluent speaker and reader of Mandarin Chinese, Korean, and English. Previously, she worked with Chinese food delivery drivers in Flushing, NY, for labor justice and work protection.