Hotdish, bánh mì and the foods that connect us to family and culture

The height of summer means the height of area farmers markets. Minnesota’s growing season may not be long but when the produce is abundant it’s a feast for the senses. Bountiful tomatoes, sweet corn and chili peppers are just a few of the delicacies we love to cook with. And, coming out of quarantine means families are gathering around shared tables again. 

From barbecue to boiled crayfish, many of us have a special dish that connects us to our family, to summers past and to our cultural traditions. And some of these dishes are changing, as Minnesota’s citizenry is changing. If we are what we eat, how do our foodways define us? 

Host Angela Davis explores food and identity with three food writers and finds out the best place to find bánh mì in the Twin Cities.

Guests:

• Patrice M. Johnson is the author of “Land of 10,000 Plates: Stories and Recipes from Minnesota” and “Jul: Swedish American Holiday Traditions.”

• Sun Yung Shin is a Minnesota Book Award winner for poetry and editor of the anthologies “A Good Time for the Truth: Race in Minnesota” and “What We Hunger For: Refugee and Immigrant Stories about Food and Family.” 

• Ánh-Hoa Thị Nguyễn is a writer raised in St. Paul by parents from Vietnam and a contributor to “What We Hunger For: Refugee and Immigrant Stories about Food and Family.”