"Mouth Waters Food" ― an evening where Taiwanese culture, food, and art come together on a table to be shared ― will be held at the Asian American Writers' Workshop in New York City on Oct. 1.
Chiengfang Chang (張健芳) is a Taiwanese blogger, backpacker, and author of two short stories collections ― "One Traveler, Sixteen Tables" and "A Foreign Journey Through Dining Tables," with a third collection forthcoming in 2018. Chang's writing identifies food and shared table space as a cornerstone of greater human understanding and sympathy.
Pyna Yang (楊思靜) is a chef, writer, and world traveler from Taiwan. In her restaurant that doubles as an art space, Pyna works closely with indigenous artists, focuses on seasonal ingredients from the mountains and streams, and highlights traditional cooking methods. Through her curation of food, Yang hopes to evoke the spirit of an art piece with a culinary experience that weaves together historic stories of humanity and food.
Chang, who is currently serving residency at the Vermont Studio Center, will share pieces of her recent works. Yang will lead guests through the process of preparing aiyu, a plant-based jelly made from the gel-secreting seeds of the awkeotsang variety of creeping fig plants. The aiyu will serve as a delicious medium for discussing Taiwan’s local traditions, food, and social justice.
Seating for this event is limited to 50, as each participant will receive a sampling of aiyu. RSVP through Eventbrite required.
‘Mouth Waters Food’