appropriation vs appreciation

We talk culinary appropriation, sovereignty, pride and power today with two guest we #pinefor Sunyatta Amen and Krystal Mack. When we think about food, it’s easy to fall back comfortably into feelings of nostalgia, of sharing and savoring. But what happens when your traditions are taken by others that profit from them? We’re at a moment when kimchi is referred to as “trendy” and a “Best Barbecue” roundup doesn’t include any black people, and a chopped cheese (which are those NY bodega chopped hamburger sandwiches) are sold for ten bucks at an upscale supermarket. On the other hand, food can of course, build bridges. By learning the cuisines of others, we see through the lens of a culture we’ve never looked through before. Yet, if we exploit the food and those who create it for our own gain, we decidedly burn those bridges. So, where do we draw the line?