Category Archives: Uncategorized

Art of Asian Baking

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Photo credit: tastylittledumpling.com

Everyone can agree that desserts are amazing! You may enjoy super sweet, or just a bit more savory, either way, Asian desserts has you covered! Asian baked goods bring the traditional flavors of the East with the flavors of the west, creating a variety of yummy treats to satisfy your cravings. This culinary fusion binds cultural traditions that are groundbreaking and innovative, bringing new flavors, ingredients, and artistry to the art of baking. In this blog post, we will highlight the tasty wonders of Asian baking.

For many Asian Americans, Chinatown bakeries bring back nostalgic memories. Here in Minnesota Keefer Court became a much beloved Chinese bakery, serving world class Hong Kong baked goodies. Almost everyone I talked to asked ” Have you been to Keefer Court, their pastries are amazing”, so, what did I do? Got on my shoes and headed that way! I remember being greeted with warmth and hospitality, and the wonderful fragrance of Chinese pastries as well! I ordered their mooncakes, which at that time I think had lotus seed filling, I also ordered pineapple buns. Yum yum yum, the first bite is pure satisfaction! Luckily, Keefer Court will be opening again at Asia Mall in Eden Prairie, Minnesota.

In Vietnam there are colorful and refreshing desserts such as bánh bo nuong which is a type of Vietnamese sponge cake, usually made with rice flour, tapioca starch, pandan, and coconut cream. This sponge cake has a honeycomb like appearance when cut, hence the common name “Vietnamese honeycomb cake”. Many Chinese bakeries have mooncakes with a variety of fillings, some being more traditional, like lotus seed, red bean, or salted duck egg, while others are a bit more modern and experimental. This fusion of tradition and cultures creates a timeless tapestry that will inspire minds and satisfy the sweet tooth for many years to come.

A Splash Of Eternity

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A great artist was born in 1899 in the Sichuan province and his name was Zhang Daqian. His family was an artistic family that converted to Catholicism. Zhang Daqian studied traditional Chinese painting (Guohua) and by the 1960’s he became the worlds greatest artist with his forte being expressionism. Zhang’s works are elegant and bold, abstract, and yet so real, one can hear birds and feel the mountain mist whole enjoying Zhang’s works, which are also said to rival Picasso.

Zhang Da Qian (1965), Photo by Orion Museum

Notice the space of his compositions, well balanced, with a natural look. His mastery of splashing blues and greens on rice paper can truly be appreciated by any arts enthusiast. Zhang’s work blends tradition with the modern, not erasing the roots but embracing them, and with his talent creating a new technique called ink splashing. Yet did he know he would inspire the world with his mastery of watercolor.

His displays of blue and green are his signature trait which creates an illusion of light on leaves, fog at the foot of a mountain, or stone. Zhang’s paintings definitely are a splash of infinity and create breath taking landscapes that will forever be priceless history. To view his art is to view the creation of a true water color artist, an expert of our times.

Reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chang_Dai-chien

Yummy Boba Tea

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Photo by Caitlin Abrams

Boba tea is a much beloved beverage enjoyed across the world, many people are familiar with this tasty sweet drink, however do we know the history of its origins? Boba tea actually originated in Taiwan, in 1986 two tea shops named Chun Shui Tang and Han lin Tea Room both claim the creation of boba tea. “When we started to drink iced tea, we found there was a lot of variation. So my dad started to think, what else can we do?” says Angela Liu, the daughter of the founder of Chun Shui Tang. Story has it that Angela Liu’s father, Liu Han-Chieh, asked his staff to experiment with different textures and toppings, and one of the staff decided to add tapioca balls, hence the creation of boba tea. In Tainan, at the Hanlin Tea Room, its founder was inspired by the tapioca balls he saw at his local market. “He’d been thinking for a couple of days how to increase the value of his drink, when he suddenly noticed the starch balls in sugar water that a grandmother was selling,” “He thought: why is this only paired with sugar? So he added it to tea.” Jack Huang, operations manager at Hanlin Tea Room.

The tea became so popular that both claiming teashops took it court, which ended up in a decade long legal battle over who owns boba tea. In 2019 the courts decided that since boba tea was not patented they would dismiss the case. Boba balls are made from a mix of water, sugar and different starches. Then the boba dough mixture is rolled into tiny balls that are boiled till they are chewy. Because of its soft and supple texture, cassava root is the main starch used , however for a firmer finish sweet potato starch is used. The distinctive dark brown caramel color comes from using brown sugar instead of white sugar. The earlier boba teas were made from sweetened black iced tea, milk, and lactose free creamer. Today there is such a larger variety of boba tea available, many are made from jasmine tea, oolong tea, tieguanyin tea, and some are even made with fruit based drinks.

If you can’t make it to Taiwan to try boba tea, don’t fret, you can try in Minnesota too! You can find boba tea in St Paul, Minneapolis, and in other locations. Some of the most well known boba tea shops in Minnesota are:

  • Tii Cup
  • Sencha Tea Bar
  • Feng Cha
  • Pa Tea and Poke
  • Tiger Sugar

If you have not tried this delicious Taiwanese drink you are missing out!

Reference: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/what-is-boba-bubble-tea-taiwan https://mspmag.com/eat-and-drink/it-s-boba-tea-time/

Shamisen In Modern Music

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The Shamisen is a traditional Japanese 3 stringed instrument, shamisen meaning ” three strings” in Japanese. This lute like instrument has its origins in China where it is named sanxian, also meaning ” 3 strings” in Chinese. Both Shamisen and Sanxian were instruments used by common folk, and the history of the pieces played on these instruments reflects its evolution through the centuries. The Shamisens construction varies, usually changing depending on musical genre. Shamisen used in Kabuki are usually called Nagauta Shamisen, and shamisen from the northern Tsugaru peninsula is called Tsugaru Shamisen. Nagauta Shamisen music is very elegant, with unique tone bends and ornamentations that highlights this musical genres flavors. Tsugaru folk music is a bit more intense, fast in tempo and incredibly complex, exciting and very bright to the listeners ears. Below are some videos of Shamisen in all its glory:

Here is a video of Nagauta shamisen

Here is a video of Tsugaru shamisen

This traditional Japanese instrument has gracefully found its way into the modern world, captivating the global audience and leaving music enthusiasts in awe. With only 3 strings, a pick ( bachi) and a sound chamber, this instruments simple construction reflects its long history. Although this instrument is steeped in tradition it has become popular in many contemporary pieces and genres, highlighting its versatility. In the hands of skilled innovative musicians the shamisens voice carries the voice and soul of ancient Japan into contemporary musical genres.

The Yoshida Brothers have become masters of both traditional and contemporary music taking the world by surprise with their virtuosity. Here they have transformed shamisen music, bridging east and west.

Music is a language, and the shamisen in modern music is creating new possibilities for cross cultural musical conversation. This cross cultural conversation enlightens us, teaching music enthusiasts the many unique ways of expressions across the globe. As Japans national instrument, the shamisen will add a new flavor to the global palette for many generations to come.

~Jarrelle

The Multicultural Art of Minnesota

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The twin cities is a culturally diverse place with an incredibly active art scene. Every year in the Twin Cities artists join forces creating incredible multicultural art. The Twin cities is also home to Somali, Vietnamese, Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Tibetan, African American, Mexican, German, Lebanese, Hmong, Thai, Cambodian, Indian ethnicities and more! The Twin Cities is certainly a cultural melting pot of ethnicities.

Over the last 30 years Minnesotas culture has been influenced by recent immigrants who brought their traditional arts, music, poetry, painting, and fabric works to Minnesota. These traditional crafts have fused with the existing cultural arts of Native Americans, African Americans and Europeans. This diverse and collaborative fusion has created a uniquely Minnesotan art culture that may be hard to find anywhere else in the entire world.

Minnesotas rich arts scene continues to embrace multicultural identities in many ways. Through the unique collaborations of artists sharing traditional knowledge a new form is born creating a new path of artistic expression. Minnesotas Art scene encompasses the modern, the avant garde as well as the traditional. With a robust energy, the art of Minnesota has left a landmark in American history.

Reference:https://www.mprnews.org/story/2021/09/17/culture-as-cure https://twin-cities.umn.edu/news-events/community-university-health-care-center-receives-national-award-only-center-its-kind https://mspmag.com/home-and-design/leslie-barlow/ https://www.spmcf.org/blog/art-in-this-moment-indigenous-roots

Sitar In Modern Music

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Over 700 years old with a unique sound that highlights Indian music, the sitar has become Indias most popular musical instrument. There is a lot of debate over the origins of the sitar, however scholars believe that it may have originated from an ancient Persian instrument called setar. The sitar is popular in many forms of Indian music, from classics to folk songs and new age contemporary music. The instrument has been used in movies, commercials, in bands and has been explored even in the more avant garde world.

Here you can listen to sitar in Norah Jones song named Easy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jguri1qOCY0

Here is as picture of a 19th century sitar:

A sitar can have 18 to as many as 21 strings, and several of those strings stretch over raised curved frets. The remaining strings are left to resonate with the strings that are being played. The sounds from these strings are used to set the mood for a raga. The frets are moveable and are used to fine tune the instrument. The wood that’s used to construct the sitar is typically teak, and the sound chamber is made from calabash gourd. The bridges are made of deer horn, ebony and sometimes camel bone, synthetic materials are also used.

Ravi Shankar and tabla player Alla Rakha brought the sounds of India to the west in the late 1950’s to early 1960’s. This introduction was the base for many more experimental musical collaborations with sitar and western instrumentation. The sitar was used in music with the legendary Beatles, and also the Rolling Stones featured sitar in their music. During this time elegant Indian sitar became very popular leading Ravi Shankar to name the trend “the great sitar explosion”. Now today, across the globe, many people are familiar with the beautiful serene sound of the sitar, even if they have never seen it in person.

Reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sitar

https://hellomusictheory.com/learn/facts-about-the-sitar/#:~:text=The%20Sitar%20Is%20Over%20700%20Years%20Old,-What%20is%20this&text=It%27s%20one%20of%20India%27s%20oldest,the%20guitar%2C%20and%20the%20violin.

RACE AND AMERICA

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Race in America is a complex discussion that has many facets. We can not ignore POC history, we can not push aside the sad and very real issues we are faced with in the USA. Today we are here, we are present, and our goal is to dismantle white supremacy and build a path for all cultures and identities now, and in the future.

THE FACTS:

  • White supremacist disapprove multiculturalism
  • White supremacists only support ” white ” identity
  • White supremacists sometimes use violence and fear to achieve their goals

THE METHOD:

When we are faced with the pain, trauma, violence, and hate of white America it is important that we BIPOC do not give rise to hate within our own hearts, or we become no different than them. It is important that we cultivate our hearts with love, peace, and non-violence in the quest of racial equity. For most of us BIPOC it is frightening to even think of the tragic history of America, and yet alone live today in the aftermath. So the question arises, “how do we end racism in America?”. First of all, you are NOT the problem, it is not your issue, the problem is within the engrained racism in our society and roots of white nationalism. To end racism we must educate, make our voices heard, and promote peace and equity in our new American culture. It may be difficult for some white nationalists to accept culture, this is not the problem of our BIPOC communities, and we should not internalize it, or it then becomes transformed into internalized racism. We can only continue sharing our cultures, freely expressing our identities and living as genuinely true to ourselves as we possibly can. Radiate love and peace, and eventually a cold heart will become warm.

END GOAL:

The end goal for our bicultural Asian American Pacific Islander AAPI and Black Indigenous People Of Color BIPOC communities is to promote the cultural message of acceptance, love, understand, and appreciation. Many of us come from different cultures and in many ways socially as well, but this does not mean that we disassociate with our neighbors. Many of us have cultural ties to countries that are incredibly diverse and have long histories of peaceful cultural interactions and exchange. Our goal is to appreciate and to embrace the differences, so we can create a better future together.

References: https://www.britannica.com/topic/white-supremacy

The Japanese Fiddle

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Kokyu

Sounding as if it were weeping from the depths of an eternal dream, or sounding like wind through cedar trees in winter, a maiden is longing for her love, the Japanese fiddle known as kokyu (胡弓) brings a certain emotion to traditional and modern pieces of Japanese music. You may have heard the kokyu and wondered what it was, or have seen pictures of it and wondered what it sounded like. The kokyu is actually quite a rare instrument, and one that is also not too commonly used in Japanese music. Before we talk more about this amazing traditional Japanese instrument lets first have a listen at its unique sound.

Here is a video of a kokyu performer skillfully playing the instrument.

The history of the kokyu began earlier in China from an instrument called the huqin(胡琴). The huqin closely resembles the kokyu in playing method and techniques, however in appearance it is very much Japanese. The kokyu has 3 strings that stretch over the sound body, the finger board, and to the tuning pegs which are used to tighten the strings into place and tune the instrument. Unlike the kokyu’s cousin, the huqin from China, the kokyu uses 3 silk strings instead of just 2. The sound is very refined, very much capturing the sound and essence of Zen. The kokyu is usually played as a solo instrument, however it has been traditionally played with other instruments in duet form, or in ensemble form. Newer styles have been created highlighting the voice of the kokyu and showing the many countless possibilities of the instrument in tone color. Below is a video of the Chinese huqin or the kokyu’s relative, have a listen.

The Chinese Huqin being played by a professional quartet

In present times, the kokyu is gaining popularity amongst music enthusiasts, its sound is melancholic and invokes profound emotions to the listener. Although the Kokyu is gaining popularity it is still very much a rare instrument and virtually unknown to most of the world. By its use in modern works it has been given another path to grow and inspire musicians for many years to come.

Jarrelle

Reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kokyū

Timeless Beauty

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HANBOK

The timeless beauty of traditional Korean dress is taking the modern world by surprise! With its elegant straight and curved lines, meticulously crafted over many centuries, we cant help but be amazed by this stunning visual symphony of a uniquely Korean traditional style. 

Photo Credit: Ahn Young-joon/AP

The Hanbok originated in Korea around 57 BC to 668 AD, and can also be found in the surviving arts of the Goguryeo tombs. The basic design of the Hanbok also originated during that period. The ancient Hanbok included a set of clothing that consisted of a Jeogori (top), Baji (pants), Chima (skirt), Po (coat), Jokki (vest), Durumagi (Winter coat) and the Magoja (overcoat), with the basic structure of Hanbok pretty much remaining unchanged today. In the past, royalty and nobility wore the Hanbok, and commoners wore white or off-white colors of clothing called Minbok which means (clothing of commoners). In present times, modern day Koreans wear Hanbok for special occasions such as weddings, festivals, ceremonies, and celebrations. The South Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism established “Hanbok” day encouraging Koreans to wear the traditional dress. 

The modern Hanbok is a term for the fusion of traditional Korean styles and Modern western styles. Modern Hanbok have become a popular fashion statement for celebrities, models and the everyday fashion enthusiasts alike. With this new fusion of tradition and the contemporary, all people regardless of class may enjoy the ancient traditional beauty of the noble Hanbok. Traditionally the patterns and designs on Hanbok consisted of natural scenes, such as flowers, phoenixes and dragons. Today, the Hanbok is going bold with western patterns adding a new style to the centuries old attire. 

Photo Credit: Sportsdonga 

Modern Hanbok offer a highly stylistic fashion choice for any lover of the fabric. With bold colors, straight lines and simplicity, it can be worn with a combination of modern clothes or simply just modern Hanbok on its own! Its up to the fashion, the feel and the flow, but either way, the wearer will certainly catch the attention of the room at any party. Modern Hanbok should still be worn respectfully and mindfully, just as when one would wear traditional Hanbok. You are not simply putting on a T-shirt and jeans, you are wearing a tradition that goes back thousands of years. So, when wearing traditional Hanbok or its modern cousin, always be certain to be respectful so that way you are honoring the legacy and tradition of a highly refined and ancient Korean art. 

Jarrelle 

Reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanbok

https://mhctc.missouri.edu/exhibitions/beauty-of-korea/

Tofu and Its Major Health benefits

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Who would have ever thought that tofu could actually have quite the major health benefits?! Well be prepared to be amazed, because TOFU is stealing the show!

Tofu or Dou Fu – 豆腐, it has a long history which began in China around 2000 years ago. It’s said that during that time a prince named Liu An of Anhui was the inventor of this humble and nutritious food. Tofu became a much loved and popular food in China and eventually took root in neighboring countries like Japan, Vietnam, Thailand and Korea. Tofu is a very versatile soy based food that offers so many health benefits, and this is why it has become popular now in the west. Tofu has an excellent source of protein and it contains all of the amino acids that our bodies need to function. Adding tofu into your daily diet supports muscle growth, which makes it the perfect choice of protein for Vegans and vegetarians or those who just simply dont want meat. This ingredient is also rich in many minerals such as calcium, iron, and magnesium. Calcium is important for bone and tooth health, and iron support oxygen in the blood and energy.

A study funded by the NHLB or the National Heart Lung and Blood institute found that a diet rich in soy and tofu products lowered the risk of developing heart disease. Data was researched on over 200,000 men and women participating in NIH-funded studies (Health professionals follow up study, Nurses Health Study, and the Nurses Health Study II). The researchers studies have shown that for those who ate soy product and had the highest intake of isoflavone, a compound found in tofu, had the lowest risk of developing heart disease. Researchers have said that including soy in ones diet would help in preventing heart disease. So, there is no doubt that tofu can improve ones health and lead to a healthy heart!

Jarrelle