The recent media interest in Andrew - following the award of 2 Michelin stars to his restaurant A. Wong this week - has caused him to reflect on his identity and position as a British chef of Chinese heritage. In this special episode of XO Soused, Andrew and Mukta grapple with today’s thorny questions. Who has the right to cook what? What is cultural appropriation? What does borrowing from another food culture actually mean? How might chefs treat ingredients, techniques and dishes that seem far removed from their own background and cultural context?
I wonder if appropriation only makes sense under (late) capitalism. Because cultural artifacts (e.g. food) can very suddenly be taken and turned to a profit by people who have the means/power to do so and thus further extend their advantages.
I wonder if appropriation only makes sense under (late) capitalism. Because cultural artifacts (e.g. food) can very suddenly be taken and turned to a profit by people who have the means/power to do so and thus further extend their advantages.