43: The thin line between the evolution and bastardization of dishes | Loh Yi Jun, food writer, content creator, and founder of the Take a Bao podcast

Loh Yi Jun: “Experimentation is very natural. Having food evolve over the years is a very natural occurrence, and within all these experimental foods, there will be some that don’t taste good – there will be some bastardized versions. But at the same time, there will be some really great, inventive dishes that drive the food industry forward as well. An example that comes to mind is Dominique Ansel’s cronuts. Croissants and donuts, those are two things that you wouldn’t think of putting together. When you first hear about the cronut, you’ll think it’s the bastardized version of a croissant and a donut, but when you actually taste it, it’s really good and there are lessons you can learn there in terms of technique or inspiration, so it is a natural step in moving the food industry forward.”Loh, a food writer, content creator, and founder of Take a Bao podcast, chats about how he started on this journey of sharing about Asian food, plus: *What drives the work that he does* *What does it mean to preserve food culture?* *The role of experimentation in traditional dishes* *Motivation behind the Take a Bao podcast* *Balancing personal curiosity as a content creator and audience curiosity* *Shining a spotlight on the older generation and the challenges involved*