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Season
1
:
Episode
7

The Business of Food and Identity

The Business of Food and Identity
Race and Power
November 19, 2021

Selling food that represents who you are and where you’ve been can be a tricky business. What does it mean to serve “authentic” food, and why should it matter? In this episode, we explore how ethnicity affects the experience of creating a food business. Brian Lowery talks to Toronto-based chef Eva Chin about how she is reclaiming her family history and cultural identity through her dishes. Then Brian visits Nong Poonsukwattana, owner of Nong's Khao Man Gai in Portland, Oregon, to hear how she built a mini-empire on one simple Thai dish.

Brian Lowery

A Photo of Brian Lowery

Brian Lowery is a Professor of Organizational Behavior and a social psychologist by training. He received his doctorate from UCLA in 2001 with a minor in statistical methods.

Eva Chin

Eva Chin

Chef
Eva Chin

Eva Chin is the new Chef de Cuisine at Kōjin in Toronto. She grew up on her grandmother's farm in Kahuku, where she learned to cook food in “earth ovens” called imu.

Nong Poonsukwattana

Nong Poonsukwattana

Owner of Nong's Khao Man Gai

Nong Poonsukwattana is the founder of a food cart business called Khao Man Gai in Portland, Oregon, and is particularly known for her classic Thai-style chicken and rice dish.

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