Foodagogy

In this episode of Foodagogy, Angeline Aow sits down with Umtata Tybora. They delve into the intersection of Roma heritage and the kitchen, exploring how the simple act of preparing a meal can become a powerful tool for deconstructing hierarchies and building trans-local solidarity.About Our Guest: Umtata Tybora Umtata Tybora is a Berlin-based cultural producer, performer, and anti-discrimination trainer of Roma origin. His work is situated at the intersection of art, mindfulness, and community empowerment, with a dedicated focus on creating visible and valued spaces for marginalized voices. Through impactful projects like "Cooking with Mama" and collaborations with the European Roma Institute of Arts and Culture (ERIAC), the Romani Power Theater Collective, and the Polish Roma Foundation, Umtata utilizes food and storytelling as tools to challenge dominant narratives and build trans-local solidarity. Connect with Umtata:Instagram: @umtata7Explore: The "Cooking with Mama" series through @politicalkitchenberlinKey Discussion PointsThe Kitchen as a Living Space: Umtata recalls the kitchen not as an aesthetic or calm environment, but as a "very alive space" full of movement, tension, and laughter, where care and responsibility were nurtured by the women in his family.Hierarchies and Softening: Food acts as a tool for deconstructing rigid power structures; Umtata notes that hierarchies "soften" when people engage in the communal, simple act of cutting onions or stirring a pot together.The "In-Between" Identity: Coming from both Roma and Polish backgrounds, Umtata discusses how food provided a sense of being "grounded" during a childhood where his intersecting identities felt unstable or unwelcome.Queering Tradition: Umtata explores the concept of "queering the food," which involves transcending binary gender roles in the kitchen and allowing recipes and traditions to grow and evolve rather than remaining rigid and exclusive.Surprise as a Narrative Tool: By serving "basic" dishes like cabbage and potatoes (Bigos) instead of the "exotic" meals often expected of Roma culture, Umtata uses the element of surprise to challenge stereotypes and reveal the true history of poverty, movement, and adaptation.Food as a Human Right at the Border: A profound reflection on his time providing warm meals for activists and migrants at the Polish-Belarusian border, highlighting how food restores dignity and serves as a tool for decompression during humanitarian crises.Quote:"The cultures and identities are not abstract anymore. They are not the academic concept. They're embodied... Food opens conversations about identity without forcing them."Connect with us:🎙️ Subscribe to Foodagogy on Substack: foodagogy.substack.com 💼 Connect with Angeline on LinkedIn________________Foodagogy is produced by EKG Collective, with editing by Gitane Reveilleau and Kirk McDavitt. Music by Paul Romaine and artwork by Xoài David. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit foodagogy.substack.com

In this episode of Foodagogy, Angeline Aow sits down with Berlin-based food writer, content creator, and cookbook author Sissi Chen. They delve into the intersection of heritage and the kitchen, exploring how the simple act of preparing a meal can become a powerful tool for social advocacy.About Our Guest: Sissi ChenSissi Chen is a Berlin-based food writer, content creator, and cookbook author. Born in Beijing and raised in Yunnan and Vienna, she now uses her platform, Eating in Berlin, to explore Chinese home-style cooking alongside themes of cultural identity, diaspora, and belonging. Sissi is the author of the award-winning cookbook Einfach Chinesisch, which aims to make Chinese home cooking accessible to everyday German kitchens. Beyond recipes, her work focuses on reclaiming cultural narratives, challenging racism, and fostering intercultural connection.Learn more at: Eating in BerlinFollow Sissi on Instagram, Tiktok and YoutubeKey Discussion PointsDeep Respect for Labor and Produce – Growing up with a direct view of how animals and produce reach the table fosters a deep respect for food. Sissi describes how the cultural memory of manual labor in rice fields—where every grain represents a person working in the midday heat—instills a refusal to waste food. This traceability of food back to its source invites consumers to question origins of what we eat.The Problem with "Head-to-Tail" Trends – While modern Western gastronomy now celebrates "head-to-tail" cooking as a trend, these practices have deep roots in cultures that were previously looked down upon for eating parts like fish heads or pig ears. Sissi discusses the discomfort of seeing these traditional practices whitewashed or turned into high-profit marketing concepts without acknowledging the original cultures — and asks whose standards of excellence get to count, and why.Authenticity vs. Adaptability – Sissi defines "authenticity" as a spectrum influenced by personal experience. In her cookbook, she encourages adaptability—such as using spaghetti if wheat noodles aren't available—recognizing the flexibility of food cultures (like westernised dishes such as sweet-and-sour pork) has its own valid history of resilience and creativity.Racial Battle Fatigue and Accountability for Identity-Based Harm Sissi recounts a live radio interview where a host made a racist joke about eating dogs — but the deeper wound was what followed. The station defended it as "creative freedom," compounding the harm with a systemic refusal to take accountability. Sissi also describes something beyond this single incident: a constant bodily tension, an anticipation of harm before it even arrives — whether walking her dog in her own building or sitting down for a media interview. This is Racial Battle Fatigue: the accumulated toll of navigating racist environments daily. Causing harm doesn't make someone irredeemably racist, she notes, but denying it makes change impossible.Reclaiming the "Ethnic" Kitchen – Working in food often means being "othered" or held to rigid standards of authenticity that French or Italian cuisines are not subjected to. Sissi emphasizes the importance of taking back these narratives and educating the public on the vast diversity within Chinese cuisine, which represents 56 ethnic minorities.Books MentionedChen, Sissi — Einfach Chinesisch: Jeden Tag chinesisch kochen"I see the story of the first Chinese people coming to Germany. They didn't have access to ingredients, but they had to make a living. They had to adapt. They had to be resilient and really be creative and think outside of their box and really make something out of it, make something out of the ingredients that they had." — Sissi ChenConnect with us:🎙️ Subscribe to Foodagogy on Substack: foodagogy.substack.com 💼 Connect with Angeline on LinkedIn________________Foodagogy is produced by EKG Collective, with editing by Gitane Reveilleau and Kirk McDavitt. Music by Paul Romaine and artwork by Xoài David. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit foodagogy.substack.com

In this episode of Foodagogy, Angeline Aow sits down with storyteller, educator, and author Kevin Wilson—widely known as the "CEO of Chai." About Our Guest: Kevin WilsonKevin Wilson is a storyteller, educator, and content creator who uses the art of chai making as a tool for connection, cultural reflection, and intercultural bridge-building. Born in Sri Lanka and having lived in Oman, Lebanon, California, and now Michigan, Kevin brings a transcultural perspective to his work. Through his engaging TikTok videos and his book The Way of Chai: Recipes for a Meaningful Life, Kevin explores how chai fosters mindfulness, empathy, and belonging. He is the founder of Cross Cultural Kev, a platform dedicated to creating spaces where people feel seen, known, and loved across difference.Learn more at: crossculturalkev.comFollow Kevin on Instagram: @crossculturalkevKey Discussion PointsChai as ritual and presence — Unlike coffee culture in the United States — often consumed as fuel — chai invites slowness, presence, and connection. The laborious, intimate process of making chai from scratch (water temperature, ginger, spices) is itself a form of hospitality: an invitation into the kitchen, one of the most intimate spaces we have.Food is never value-neutral — Drawing on a theologian friend's research into food and drink in scripture, Kevin reflects on how food throughout history has been used to heal or hurt, to elevate or demonize. Chai can be a tool of genuine solidarity — or subtle manipulation. Awareness of that power matters.Indirect communication as a pedagogy of change — Kevin explains why he favours indirect communication over data-driven, direct messaging. Rather than presenting information to change minds, he creates multi-sensory experiences — stories, recipes, humour — that shift what people desire and love, drawing on James K.A. Smith's thesis that we are what we love, not merely what we know.Hurry as the enemy of belonging — Kevin argues that rushing is one of society's greatest barriers to genuine connection and inclusion. Building a "tea room" — a slow, safe, unhurried space — is the prerequisite for any real bridge-building across differences.The kitchen as a portal — Inviting someone into your kitchen is a different cultural act than inviting them into your living room. It is vulnerable, intimate, and generous. This is the spirit Kevin tries to carry into every piece of content he creates.Books that Kevin mentioned:Smith, James K.A. — You Are What You Love: The Spiritual Power of Habit (2016)Wilson, Kevin — The Way of Chai: Recipes for a Meaningful Life"If you really want to build lasting bridges between yourself and the other, you can't just give them information. You have to provide them a space where they're seen, they're known, and they are loved." — Kevin WilsonConnect with us:🎙️ Subscribe to Foodagogy on Substack: foodagogy.substack.com 💼 Connect with Angeline on LinkedIn 📬 This episode is brought to you by April Remfrey, from Remfrey Educational Consulting — subscribe to the REC newsletter for research-informed insights and practical strategies for inclusion in international schools.________________Foodagogy is produced by EKG Collective, with editing by Gitane Reveilleau and Kirk McDavitt. Music by Paul Romaine and artwork by Xoài David. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit foodagogy.substack.com

In Episode 3 of Foodagogy, host Angeline Aow sits down with Vicky Truong—an educator, community organizer, and founder of Pockets of Change. Together, they explore the intersection of culinary heritage and social justice. Vicky shares her personal journey growing up in a cross-cultural household with Thai, Chinese, and Vietnamese roots, and explains how the universal concept of a dumpling (or "pocket") can serve as a profound tool for teaching diversity, equity, and inclusion in schools.About our Guest: Vicky Truong is an educator and social activist. She is the founder of Pockets of Change, an initiative that uses food and communal cooking to facilitate cross-cultural exchange and promote systemic equity in educational spaces.Connect with Vicky:Instagram: Pockets of ChangeKey Discussion Points:The Power of Communal Cooking: Vicky reflects on her childhood in Australia, where preparing and sharing large family meals fostered deep bonds and trust.Pockets of Change: The concept of a "pocket" (like a dumpling or spring roll) exists in nearly every culture. Vicky uses this shared culinary phenomenon to bridge cultural divides and spark deep conversations about identity.Food as a Catalyst for DEI: Traditional Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion training in organizations often lacks deep personal resonance. Using food as a medium allows participants to reflect on their own histories, build empathy, and create genuine intercultural exchanges.Creating Psychologically Safe Spaces in Schools: By integrating diverse culinary experiences into the classroom, educators can help students of the global majority feel seen and valued, challenging dominant cultural norms and fostering true belonging.Related Research & InterestsThis episode drops on the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (21 March). Because anti-racist change-making starts interpersonally, one meal, one story, one shared table at a time. 🌍Join a community dedicated to anti-racism:European Network Against Racism (ENAR) and communities for Teachers, Academics and DEI practitionersAssociation of International Educators and Leaders of ColorPlease email links to local communities in your region to [email protected] so we can add to this list."...because of migration and what ingredients are available to a community, what can be used to fill this pocket that still allows people to hold onto something from their culture and pass it on to the next generation that they might have been displaced from" — Vicky TruongConnect with us: Are you an educator or a foodie interested in how these themes play out in the classroom? Subscribe on Substack so the next conversation lands straight in your inbox.________________Foodagogy is produced by EKG Collective, with editing by Gitane Reveilleau and Kirk McDavitt. Music by Paul Romaine and artwork by Xoài David. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit foodagogy.substack.com

In episode 2 of Foodagogy, Angeline Aow welcomes Jake Potashnick, a visionary chef and the force behind Feld in Chicago. Jake shares his journey from the elite kitchens of Europe and Japan back to his hometown, where he is redefining fine dining. They discuss the "Relationship to Table" philosophy, the challenges of being a culinary disruptor, and how social responsibility—from health insurance to a four-day work week—is the secret ingredient to a sustainable restaurant.About Our Guest: Jake PotashnickJake Potashnick is a chef, writer, and the founder of Feld in Chicago’s Ukrainian Village. His impressive career includes stints in 14 acclaimed kitchens across eight countries, including Michelin-starred institutions in France and Japan. In 2026, Jake was recognized as a finalist for Best Chef: Great Lakes at the James Beard Awards, and Feld has earned a Michelin Star for its innovative, minimalist approach to Midwest ingredients.Connect with Jake and FeldWebsite: feldrestaurant.comInstagram: @feld_restaurant and @Jake.potashnickKey Discussion PointsThe Science Fair Spark: Jake recounts his "origin story"—emailing the world-renowned restaurant Alinea for an 8th-grade science project and getting a personal tour from Grant Achatz, which cemented his path toward becoming a chef.Relationship to Table: Moving beyond the "farm-to-table" buzzword, Jake explains his commitment to knowing every producer personally, from trout farmers in California to fishermen in Maine.Navigating the "Disruptor" Label: Jake reflects on the intense internet backlash Feld faced during its first month and how the team used that period of "scrunity" to refine their vision, cut through the noise and emerge stronger.The Comfort of Hospitality: How Feld uses warm, "Midwestern hospitality" to earn the trust of guests, allowing them to experiment with "bizarre" dishes like a singular stalk of raw Michigan asparagus.Social Responsibility in Action: Jake details the ethical business model at Feld: a 4-day work week, comprehensive health and dental insurance, and a 20% service charge that goes directly to staff to ensure they are well-compensated.The "Doughnut Economics" of Dining: A look at how success isn't just about profit, but about staff retention and creating a sphere of influence that encourages other small businesses to prioritize their people.Jake's FavoritesGo-to Comfort Food: Thai food, specifically the "Fried Dried Beef" at Siam Noodle and Rice in Uptown, Chicago.The Ultimate Gesture: A perfect, slow-cooked French Omelet—a labor of love that represents both technical skill and deep care."I think we need to prove that traditional business can work in the context of a socially responsible business... If you can't do both, then maybe you shouldn't be running the business." — Jake PotashnickConnect with us: Are you an educator or a foodie interested in how these themes play out in the classroom? Reach out and join the conversation on how we can cultivate belonging, one meal at a time.________________Foodagogy is produced by EKG Collective, with editing by Gitane Reveilleau and Kirk McDavitt. Music by Paul Romaine and artwork by Xoài David. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit foodagogy.substack.com

In our inaugural episode of Foodagogy, host Angeline Aow sits down with Divya Ravindranath to explore how the simple act of eating is deeply intertwined with who we are and the power structures we live within. From the sensory memories of South Indian rasam to the complex politics of how food is weaponised as a form of tool of settler colonialism, this conversation digests how food can both build community and serve as a tool for oppression.About Our Guest: Divya RavindranathDivya is a researcher and writer currently pursuing a Master’s in Integrated Food Studies at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark. With a background in Politics, Philosophy, and Economics from Ashoka University in India, Divya brings a multidisciplinary lens to the table. Beyond her academic pursuits, she is a dancer and a cook who is passionate about decolonizing culinary narratives.Connect with Divya:Instagram: @muchroom4luvArticlesHow Food Is Weaponised as a Tool of Settler ColonialismBeyond Curry: Decolonising the Way We Talk About Indian FoodKey Discussion PointsThe Sensory Roots of Memory: Divya shares her early memories of growing up in India, specifically the sound and smell of the tempering—the sizzle of curry leaves and mustard seeds—that signaled her grandmother was making rasam.Food as a Carrier of Identity: Why is food such a powerful marker of who we are? Divya explains how the "mundane and banal" nature of food makes it an omnipresent vehicle for stories, care, and social cohesion.The Politics of the Plate in India: A deep dive into how food is used to stratify social groups in India. Divya challenges the international stereotype of India as a purely vegetarian nation, explaining how "pure vegetarianism" is often a tool of upper-caste power and "othering."Decolonizing Knowledge: How can we talk about decolonization without getting lost in "jargon-heavy" academic language? Divya discusses using food as a relatable entry point to understand imperial and colonial legacy.The Weaponization of Food: A sobering look at Settler Colonialism and the importance of humanising narratives. Divya discusses how claiming indigenous dishes (like falafel and hummus) without homage can be used to establish national legitimacy while simultaneously withholding food access from those same indigenous populations.Cultural Appropriation vs. Appreciation: From the "Matcha obsession" to the commercialization of cultural staples on shows like Shark Tank, we discuss what happens when food is stripped of its history for the sake of "aesthetic" or profit.Future Research & InterestsDivya is currently deepening her understanding of the "ugly" side of food studies, including:The Social Phenomenon of Disgust: How our biological reactions are often shaped by social conditioning and community influences.Food & Capitalism: Analyzing global food trends to reveal deeper truths about our economic systems.Intersectional Systems: How sustainable food systems, food waste, and policy are all linked to the politics of identity."Food is so mundane that I have access to it every day... maybe food can be something via which I do some attempt of decolonization." — Divya RavindranathConnect with us: Are you an educator or a foodie interested in how these themes play out in the classroom? Reach out and join the conversation on how we can cultivate belonging, one meal at a time.________________Foodagogy is produced by EKG Collective, with editing by Gitane Reveilleau and Kirk McDavitt. Music by Paul Romaine and artwork by Xoài David. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit foodagogy.substack.com