Park This

Korean Food in Los Angeles

A couple of weeks ago I was interviewed for an article in the New York Times about Korean food in Los Angeles. I'm not quoted or mentioned in it at all. Although there is information in the article that the writer culled from our conversation, my sound bites must have been left on the cutting room floor.

Actually, I mostly provided back story and context for the evolution of Korean food and immigrants in Los Angeles. And why Korean food and ingredients are becoming trendy now.

Overall, a well researched and written article. The writer, Jennifer Steinhauer, is also the Los Angeles bureau chief for the New York Times.

"Korean food has blipped on the radar of culinary trend watchers before, but it never seems to gain momentum. In part, Mr. Benson said: “It is because there is a misconception about Korean food. Japanese food is high protein, low in fat and is this very clean cuisine, where Korean food has a reputation as being not healthy."

I have no idea where Benson came up with this. I've been Korean my entire life and I talk, write and teach about food professionally to diverse audiences. I've never heard of Korean food being considered not healthy, quite the contrary. Koreans and Korean-Americans have extremely low rates of obesity.

What Happened to Slow Food Pan-Arab? Part l

Nothing. And I don't know.

I was one of five original board members, the only non-native to represent a country from North Africa and the Middle East. Initially, there was a list of PR driven activities, media contacts, and a few initiatives on the table.

For a brief moment it all seemed very exciting, at least the possibility of working with culinary "elites" from this part of the world; scholars, academics, food writers, producers and chefs. But I already knew people like this and didn't need to serve a big, bloated organization to participate in the culinary glamour that Carlo Petrini is so adept at marketing.