[0:00]When I travel overseas, I make a point to eat the country's cuisine.
[0:07]Bucha in Hanoi, Khao Soy in Changmai, Mole in Oaxaca. But when people come to Australia, I'm sometimes at a loss for what to recommend. I used to just tell people to go to the good restaurants, great service, decent wine lists, interesting food. But over time, I've slowly seen a shift in the Australian dining scene. I'm Jess Ho, and I've worked every job imaginable in the food industry. Back in my early days, I noticed that while the owners and the head chefs were white, the workforce was glaringly not. While we sold and served unmistakably European food with flourishes of East Asian ingredients, the most exciting food that came out of those kitchens was always staff meal. Made by an immigrant chef. I still remember deep fried soy beans being mashed up into fried rice served with blanched veg and num prick. Frozen beef broth for Nengyon on a 40 degree day. Momo that came with a sauce so fiery, it made me see through time. And with time, came change. So, who's cooking the food in Australia now?
[1:29]The texture is so good. They are good. Yeah. This series is about the power of food to connect, challenge and define who we are, while also looking back at where we came from. I'm privileged to live in Australia as a migrant, but half the stuff that we serve on the menu doesn't belong in Australia and it's grown on indigenous land. We question the myth of authenticity. I think so much like quote-unquote fusion cuisine happened in like your house and in my house. Wonder how to repackage cuisine without losing its heart. It's just 50 shades of brown. It's just like job of a hot city and it's freaking cave. How do we make that presentable and appetizing? And I ask the chefs of today, how they're doing it for the culture, and how they're creating something I can point to and say, this is an experience you can only get in Australia. I think ultimately, I am trying to define Melbourne cuisine a little bit. This is for the culture. Part cultural critique, part history lesson, part food tour, an SBS podcast about how food shapes us and how we shape food. There's a stage where we all turn into old aunties. That is true. But I'm not ready yet. Listen to the series in the SBS Radio app at sbs.com.au/fortheculture or in your favorite podcast app.
