How 4 Chefs Are Preserving History Through Food

some meals are as old as time and modern day chefs are determined to preserve their authentic tastes join us at the table and dig in to these irresistible flavors serve dried up with a side of history people need to understand that all of north america is indigenous land it is native land people tend to forget that there was a vibrant native culture living in all parts of north america and food is really the piece that's going to help us move forward into a brighter future [Music] my name is sean sherman and i am a chef i own the company the sous chef so this is going to be two pieces per plate for these our mission is revitalizing native american foods and re-identifying north american cuisine we've tried really hard to maintain authenticity by removing all of the colonial ingredients like dairy wheat flour processed sugar beef pork chicken and we're just using a lot of wild game a lot of the native agricultural heirloom varietals a lot of the wild foods around us and really making those plates that taste like a region most of these ingredients are very familiar to people but the usage of a lot of the wild plants really talk about a place in a community [Music] we prioritize purchasing from the indigenous vendors first because we really want to open up a lot of opportunity for indigenous people growing out farms or collecting things from the wild or raising animals so for the big dinner we're actually cooking this bison down with a bunch of fresh cedar and some bergamot we will purchase from anybody raising these indigenous pieces because it is such an important part of the landscape in the history you know you want it [Music] as we travel around the country we like to make dinners and foods that really represent those areas what's great about being able to do these dinners especially in non-indigenous communities is just to bring awareness this kind of food that we're eating today like you're going to feel really good when you leave here you're not going to feel heavy and weighted down you're going to feel energized and just happy because you're knowing where this food is coming from we feel like anybody across north america will benefit from the understanding of the indigenous food systems around you and it's all going to help us move forward [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] foreign [Music] [Music] okay [Music] foreign [Music] my name is cecilia chan people said i bought chinese food to america julius char french since election brought chinese [Music] this is all my sisters that's me in 1959 i came to san francisco visiting my sister sophie we leave the edge of chinatown the first time i noticed the food i said is this a chinese food my sister said yes i look at the venue chop say egg foo young i'm originally born near shanghai and i said i don't remember we tasted any of this in china so my sister said they say american chinese food i decided i want to introduce my chinese food to usa i opened the bathroom on 1960 this is mandarin with the mayor masconi the customers oh my goodness the food tastes a total difference a lot of dishes that we've never seen before we had hot and sour soup the lettuce cup the pot sticker picking up i was the first one served in several seconds i didn't create that but i introduced that to americans and now everyone has it i met alice when i she came to the mandarin and one thing another i'm a hummer i'm ellis waters and i'm the owner of chopin east restaurant i've known cecilia almost 50 it's years cecilia's restaurant was incredibly important and so many people came there and learned and opened chinese restaurants or taught cooking you want the ginger juice [Music] so this way all the juice comes out her food is very delicious and if it is a little strange she'll tell you a story about it and you'll want to try it every time i have a meal with cecilia i learned something i don't get all the credit but i think i did something people always said you put this in the menu i think americans don't like it i said good food is good food it doesn't matter you are american and chinese you put good food i think everybody will like it don't you say [Music] i am leah chase chef and co-owner of duke and chase's restaurant i'm 94 years old i've been in this kitchen 71 years every day i come in this kitchen 7 30 in the morning i hit this floor and i don't leave until we close but guests come to this city they know when they come here they're going to get a good bowl of creole gumbo they're going to get some jambalaya they can get some good fried chicken they're going to get what i serve the butter just melts in there and gives it all kinds of good flavor [Music] every day i meet new people and they come to taste the food i cook that makes you feel good this place back in the day was a landmark we became a meeting place in the civil rights movement and so you had always thurgood marshall ernest wright all those big naacp people black people knew they could come to duke and traces and would not be disturbed by anybody it was illegal for whites and blacks to be together but they came here this was a safe haven for all of us i fed mr obama he was going to eat the gumbo and he gets the hot sauce bottle oh my god i said mr obama you don't put hot stocks in my gumbo [Music] now that gets around all the neighborhoods so they said you told him good miss tooky don't be messing up your cupboard i was recognized by james with the lifetime achievement award to me that was unbelievable sometimes i said i don't know how i got here but it gives you energy to keep going and my whole thing is to make this restaurant go i want to be one of the best restaurants there is [Music] [Music] you

Channel: Great Big Story

Views: 512,095

Keywords: great big story, gbs, lag, documentary, docs, new releases, great big reels, food & drink, flavors, cooking, traditions, ancient, cooking history, Native American, Konosuke Yamada, comfort food, creole cuisine, gumbo, japanese food, chef, history of food

Id: Efmh3-08MFI

Length: 10min 44sec (644 seconds)

Published: Tue Jul 14 2020