19. Choosing a New Path and Preserving Singapore's Food Heritage with Yeo Min

In this episode of Before We Get There, host Nicholas Braman interviews Yeo Min, an author, pastry shop owner, and co-founder of the Museum of Food Singapore. Yeo Min shares her journey from studying social work to becoming passionate about Chinese pastries. She discusses the challenges of maintaining traditional food heritage while making it profitable, the process of writing her first book on Chinese pastries, and her various projects aimed at preserving and educating people about local food heritage. The conversation covers her childhood food experiences, the transition from a nine-to-five job to pastry school, and the societal perceptions of food valuation. Yeo Min also talks about her future goal of establishing a physical space for her Museum of Food to bring communities together and enhance cultural understanding. Yeo Min's links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yeomyyyy/    Pastories: https://www.instagram.com/pastoriessg/    Food Museum of Singapore: https://www.http://foodmuseumsg.com/    Podcast links: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2h9gsrWKH9C1KY1OzR12kr?si=2a4d19970632465f       Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/before-we-get-there/id1775182252 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beforewegettherepodcast/    Linktree: https://linktr.ee/nicholasbraman Website: https://nicholasbraman.com/before-we-get-there-podcast/    00:00 Introducing Yeo Min: Author and Pastry Chef 01:33 Understanding Chinese Pastries 05:27 A Journey into Cooking 12:46 Returning to Singapore and Career Choices 14:59 The Decision to Pursue Pastry School 22:01 Challenges in Traditional Pastry Shops 24:37 Balancing Custom Cakes and Traditional Pastries 30:16 The Importance of Education 39:06 Publishing her Book 43:39 Future Goals and Conclusion