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introduction from the editor by didi jin
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roxy diner: just don't by ben dennison and mercer meeks
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book and a bite by belle fraser
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food: a stress reliever by henry gillis
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recipes for a wannabe healthy athlete by tara kerr
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mealtime customs by isabel mudannayake
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the single orchid experience: ichiran ramen riview by wonyoung park
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bubble tea that pops by lynn rong
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how americans consume the world by jaden schapiro
table of
CONTENTS
Introduction from the Editor Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Didi Jin, and I am one of the current co editors-in-chief of The Highliner alongside Belle Fraser. You might have noticed that this issue, our first publication of the 2019-2020 academic year, is a little bit different from our past news magazines. It is smaller in size and has a distinct focus. The original idea for creating a ‘zine’ like this to supplement our seasonal news magazine—which is still to come later this fall—was first founded in a project that last year’s managing board undertook in March. After attending the South by Southwest conference in Austin, Texas, we decided to publish a zine—similar to this issue in size and form—flush with our different takeaways from the panels, events, and general goings on of the conference. Although the SXSW Zine was never released to the public, we published a few additional copies for the school to have, and the feedback was wonderful. Faculty members, teachers and students that were able to lay their hands on it told us that they enjoyed the nimble format and piquant writing. Todd Shy, the Head of the Upper Division, said: “The writing made my day. There was real optimism in the pages. It wasn't light or frivolous optimism either; it was the hard-won kind, the honest kind, 1
the critical kind, but nonetheless it was there, and I was so grateful to be an audience for it.” From this exciting response, we decided to create a similar type of zine to start this school year, something that The Highliner has never done before. We wanted to open up the year writing about a topic that everyone cares about and can relate to. Something that every living being on this earth needs to survive—quite literally, in this instance—but also can enjoy. And so, we decided on one word, a theme, which according to Merriam-Webster, is defined as “material consisting essentially of protein, carbohydrate, and fat used in the body of an organism to sustain growth, repair, and vital processes and to furnish energy”—or, as you probably know it, “food.” Enclosed are restaurant reviews and home recipes, but also philosophical and thought-provoking articles revolving around the central themes of food and its ties to cultural criticism. Our talented staff aimed to represent the broad spectrum of food writing, the serious to the mirthful. Without further ado, sit back, grab your favorite casse-croûte, and enjoy. Didi Jin ‘20 2
Roxy Diner: Just Don't By Ben Dennison and Mercer Meeks
S
o, a little bit of a backstory: After watching many episodes of Gordon Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares, we wondered, “Is there a kitchen nightmare in Manhattan?” The chances of this were low in our mind. Rent here is expensive, so bad restaurants should fizzle out quickly due to lack of customers, right? This was the question we sought to answer. To do this, we had to set up some parameters. First, the restaurant must be in Manhattan. This is for two reasons: one, we’re lazy, and two, going more than seven miles is too far, once again, because we’re lazy. After a few laborious minutes of searching, we landed upon Roxy Diner. Upon first inspection, Roxy Diner’s dilapidated exterior exudes intense feelings of “retro-but-we-didn’t-try-hard-enough”, and isn’t particularly inviting. The assorted pastries and cookies in the window look, well, fine, but certainly are not homemade
(and certainly not made any time recently). Colorful red letters spell out “ROXY,” followed by a yellow “DELICATESSEN.” At first glance, it’s what’s expected of a Times Square diner, and it camouflages perfectly with the surrounding scenery; lost in a mess of similarly named, shaped, and sized delis and diners littering 8th Avenue. However, Roxy Diner is infamous for one thing: terrible food. Not just regular terrible, I mean two stars on Yelp terrible. Terrible terrible. Thus, we knew we must investigate further. Entering the diner, one can really only feel one thing: neglect. From the sad, misshapen cakes in the fluorescent display case, to the fake red chandeliers that look as though they were hit with a hammer— or perhaps an earthquake—Roxy Diner clearly hasn’t renovated in a year or two, or thirty. We were seated instantly. There was
If this cheesecake were alive, it would likely be screaming in agony.
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This egg’s parents would probably say, “we’re not mad, we’re just disappointed.”
only one other family (drinking cocktails at the window) and a supposed “birthday party” upstairs. After quickly swapping tables (our first one wobbled too much), a friendly waitress presented us with the menu. Dearest Roxy Diner, in what world should yogurt cost $14? Is it made out of the tears of baby alpacas? Other items were little improvement—$21 corned beef hash and eggs, $17.99 pastrami sliders, and a $15.99 burger. After a few minutes and several visits from the very attentive wait staff, we ordered an egg breakfast sandwich and a hamburger. After a nine minute wait, our waitress emerged from the depths of the kitchen with two enormous platters and placed them in front of us.
Mercer and the Egg Sandwich: I suppose it would be accurate to call the egg sandwich a sandwich, but certainly not edible. This was a complete and utter perversion of food. The crumbly bread of the Walmart-quality croissant lacked any sense of flavor or texture and was toasted yet somehow soft.
A stack of oily, mostly unmelted Kraft singles stood proudly atop an overflowing bed of scrambled eggs. There is a lot to unpack about these scrambled eggs—which considering the simplicity of the dish—is no compliment. The eggs were so solid and overcooked in the center that they snapped with the consistency of styrofoam. Despite this, I was able to find partially runny egg coating the side of the sandwich, which should be mathematically impossible. The side of fries (a replacement for home fries) was the only salvageable item, being surprisingly crunchy and salty Honestly, making 17 miniature paper airplanes and subsequently throwing them into a volcano is a better use of $17 than whatever this abomination is. Eating this sandwich will make you look and feel sadder than that poor, poor cheesecake.
Ben and the Burger: I had some intuition that the hamburger would be bad even before I ordered it. This was not because of the sketchy restaurant decor or wood panels that had fallen off of the wall, but because when ordering, the waiter did not ask how my 4
burger was to be cooked. While I said I would like it medium-rare, after a few awkward moments of silence, I knew no matter how the burger was ordered, they would cook it all the same. When the food came out, it didn’t look terrible. Yes, they did pile two Kraft singles sloppily on top of a patty, and yes this was a surcharge of $2, but at least it looked better than a McDonald’s cheeseburger. That belief held true until I bit into this “burger.” There are not many things I consider myself an expert in. But the one thing I believe I know is a good burger. What seemed mundane and average on the outside was a chemical weapon inside my mouth. The meat tasted of nothing while the Kraft single sent a sharp jolt of vertigo to my brain. As the burger traveled from my mouth to my esophagus, I could feel the unseasoned beef taking some of my taste buds with it in final defiance of the
idea of “decent food.” I hated this burger and it hated me. After paying the absurd value of $17 for this piece of excrement, I felt a rock drop in my stomach. This was not only due to the meat that refused to dematerialize, but the fact that THERE WAS A SHAKE SHACK RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET! I was livid. I get that the burger was not their specialty, but if you have one of the best burger joints right across the street and you serve this, you should only feel shame. In conclusion, Roxy Diner is not just a waste of your time, but a detriment to your health. After consumption, we both felt rather sick. In fact, we both got food poisoning, with Ben leaving school early the day after, and me almost vomiting in math class. Nice. After receiving no less than four receipts per person for our combined $35 worth of sadness, we thanked the waitstaff and headed out. •
If Roxy Diner was a drug dealer, Shake Shack is basically its cooler older brother that’s a decorated war vet, a doctor, an astrophysicist, and President of the United States.
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Book and a Bite By Belle Fraser
Art by Belle Fraser
W
hat does it mean to have an education? Tara Westover’s response might differ from yours. Growing up in a Mormon family in the mountains of Idaho, Tara saw more scrap metal than books, and heard more about the end of the world than the fundamentals of algebra. Her memoir, Educated, details this unconventional upbringing, highlighting the ways in which her father’s extremist beliefs dictated the lives of the entire Westover family. There was no greater danger than the government, and no greater safety than God. This ideology kept the six siblings
out of the public school education system, and fiercely steered them away from any sort of health care that did not involve the home remedies of their mother. Their world was the fields, mountains, scrap yard, and single grocery store in town. That was all they knew because that was all that they were given. Educated, in essence, is a coming-ofage story. However, it is not filled with the dilemmas of middle school dances or first kisses. Instead, it addresses overcoming toxic relationships, straying from religion and constricting family norms, and becoming someone that does not match 6
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the expectations at hand. You cling to the book as Westover describes the horrors that ultimately forced her to discover her independence and self-worth, proving to be the biggest challenges she would face. The text is overwhelmingly humbling and leaves you with a little sense of guilt––or perhaps it is renewed determination. Submerged in the struggles and triumphs of the Westover family, you are forced to reflect on the choices you have made, the relationships you have, and your impact on the world. Above all, her story is simply inspiring. It is easy to forget that the book is a memoir and not a fictional piece. As Westover begins to navigate
her way through a life that is free from the paranoia of her father, it becomes clear that, regardless of the circumstances, embracing one’s self is never an easy task. It is a heavy read, but an important one. Educated has a sort of raw and rustic feel and an uplifting tone––it is a story of success intertwined with the overcoming of indescribable odds. Flooded with serious reflections on Westover’s life, the book somehow turns into a feel-good read. It is rich and eye-opening—just like the meals offered at Emporio at 231 Mott Street in Nolita, Manhattan. The industrial feel of the restaurant and the mouth-watering Italian cuisine will leave you with the same
sense of satisfaction that Educated provides. Sitting a little way down from the corner of Mott and Spring, Emporio’s location in and of itself makes the experience
that much better. Nolita’s colorful walls and quirky shops create the perfect setting to enjoy the Italian delicacies they have to offer. Light pours into the restaurant through the sunroof in the back and plants
are scattered throughout, making it a serene environment. Emporio offers a range of appetizers, pizzas, and pastas, making it a hard choice for the customer to decide what to eat. I ultimately decided to start with the veal and pork meatballs before digging into the rigatoni alla norcina pasta as my entrée. My friend, Mickey Carton, a healthy eater, opted for a grilled chicken breast salad and concluded that, “The chicken and avocado were a perfect balance of flavor. Fresh and delicious.” The other two plates impressed as well. The meatballs came in three, sat upon a chickpea purée, and were topped with ricotta and eggplant caponata. Lightly fried instead of baked, they had a nice crisp as I bit into them, and they oozed with flavor that went hand in hand with the rest of the dish. They are definitely not your average meatballs and I would definitely eat multiple servings of them for my full meal. Best for last really stands true here: the rigatoni alla norcina is, hands down, the most amazing pasta I have ever had. Sorry to be dramatic, but it truly was that good. House made sausage, porcini, fresh ricotta, and crushed truffle were dispersed throughout the rigatoni, creating a creamy sensation that prevented me from putting down my fork until the plate was scraped clean. There is not much more that I can say than that you must drop everything, run to Emporio, and order the rigatoni alla norcina right now. Whether you are craving a good read or a heavenly meal, Educated and Emporio have got you covered. •
Photos by Belle Fraser
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Food: a Stress Reliever By Henry Gillis
Art by Belle Fraser
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utch vanilla ice cream. One of God’s many great creations. I can’t remember a time growing up that I didn’t want to consume a pint of the exquisite stuff. Even at 2 a.m. cramming for a “Celebration of Learning,” I can always make time for an ice cream break. In fact, those breaks have allowed me to study more effectively. Every bite cooled me down, relaxed my muscles, and allowed my stress to dissipate. Since ice cream swirled itself into my study routine, I decided to try and perfect it. One January morning I worked fastidiously. I woke up at 7 a.m., eager to begin and popped open my copy of Frozen Desserts created by The Culinary Institute of America. As I flipped through the pages
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I came across a simple, perfect recipe. It was exactly what I wanted: Dutch vanilla ice cream. I sprinted out the door, arrived at the grocery store a minute later and bought the required ingredients: vanilla beans, and heavy-cream. That's all I needed aside from the general shelf items already in my pantry: egg yolks, sugar, and whole milk (and to make the task much easier, an ice cream maker to whisk, freeze, and mix the cream). I wasn’t so patient during the time that it took to prepare the ice cream mixture, but the boiled milk, sugar, and egg yolks came together perfectly. It was a sauce-like fluid absent of any scrambled egg bits that might have formed had I not stirred the
saucepan enough. I was left speechless after my first bite. All the store-bought ice creams had lost any ranking I had given them. Now my ice cream topped the leaderboard as the most full-bodied, silky, and rich vanilla I had ever tasted. I made more and downed two pints as quickly as possible, freezing my brain over and over again. Although I was left with a slight ache, I still worked efficiently and productively to complete my homework. I associated my productivity with the experience of taking the time out of my day to do something that satisfied me. Mr. Yarborough, a former psychology teacher at Avenues, explained the physiological aspects of cooking and satisfying oneself. He explained that humans’ brains reward us for doing things that are good for ourselves by releasing dopamine, a chemical compound that “elicits a sense of euphoria.” It is the release of this feelgood chemical that de-stresses us. Yarborough also explained that food acts as a de-stressor because of its ability to “call us back to a simpler time in our lives when we didn’t have to worry about college applications” or arguments we had with friends, or personal frustrations about a test we should have studied a little harder for.
“When life is changing, some food can be a comforting constant,” Yarborough said. His mother would make him a potato, sausage, and pepper dish that gave him great satisfaction, and it still does. The serenity comes from both the ingredients and the taste. The food takes him back to a time of safety and comfort. I can relate to this experience as well. Throughout my life, I have often traveled to New Mexico and I have eaten a lot of Mexican food. Whenever I go to Santa Fe, I always go to one of my favorite restaurants: The Shed. Having been to that restaurant so many times, I find the food very comforting. Whenever I help my dad in making carne asada—which is practically the only dish I ever order at The Shed—, I am suddenly transported to Christmas Day. Snow is falling on my head as I sit in a hot tub. I smell the smoky and rich mesquite burning, and my face is illuminated by the crisp moon and the farolitos, which are paper lanterns. Now, when I have a day that I know will be filled with a nightmarish amount of things to do, I am able to work more contentedly, knowing that a delicious meal is not far in the distance. Food has truly given me an outlet for my stress. •
"I associated my productivity with the experience of taking the time out of my day to do something that satisfied me."
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Recipes for the Wannabe
Art by Mel Douer
Healthy Athlete By Tara Kerr
U
nlike a lot of my friends at Avenues, I don’t eat very healthily. My parents do not exclude anything from our grocery store purchases, resulting in me dropping multiple boxes of Oreos and Froot Loops into our shopping cart. A lot of you reading might be jealous of my snack freedom, but it has resulted in some pretty bad habits, like how I can’t eat dinner without having dessert afterward. At first, I didn’t see anything wrong with eating poorly. I thought that since I played a lot of sports I could eat whatever I wanted. However, things are a little different now. I have to hold myself to a higher standard athletically because I am playing a college sport next year. I need to fuel my body with the right foods in order to get stronger and faster. Not only do I have to start training harder, but I also have to start eating better as well. This is not an easy transition for me, especially since I am not the greatest cook. However, I am slowly starting to change my habits. I’ve collected a couple easy go-to recipes that are not only good for you, but are also full of macronutrients that give you energy. Whether you’re hitting the field or just looking for a healthy––but still tasty––alternative, these recipes are the ones for you. I hope you enjoy!
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avocado rice cake toast Ingredients: Avocado spread I buy the spicy avocado hummus from Trader Joe’s or the avocado-lime spread from Costco, however, you can also mash your own avocados. Rice cakes I love the Quaker Oats tomato basil rice cakes (they sound weird but are amazing, I promise). Optional: cherry tomatoes, salt, red pepper flakes Instructions: 1. Spread avocado on rice cake 2. Optional: cut cherry tomatoes in half and put them on top of rice cake 3. Sprinkle a little salt or red pepper flakes on top This is a super easy snack or breakfast that is really filling and energizing! This is a go-to recipe after a morning workout for me. 12
honey lime shrimp Ingredients: ½ lb to 1 lb of uncooked shrimp ¼ cup of olive oil 2 tablespoons of honey 2 limes, juiced ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon pepper ¼ teaspoon chili powder ¼ teaspoon ginger powder Instructions: 1. Put all ingredients in a large ziplock bag and press out as much air as possible. 2. Chill bag in refrigerator for 25 mins, flip the bag halfway through. 3. Cook the shrimp over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, flipping shrimp halfway through. When I make this meal, I usually eat the shrimp in lettuce wraps with avocado, cherry tomatoes, cilantro, and a little more lime. You can also serve the shrimp over rice. 13
chocolate banana protein shake Ingredients: 3/4 frozen bananas 2 tablespoons milk 1 tablespoon Nesquik 2 tablespoons chocolate protein powder Optional: A squeeze of syrup Makes it sweeter if the banana isn’t sweet enough. Optional: A scoop of peanut butter Instructions: 1. Put all contents into the blender. 2. Blend at a slow speed. Make sure to push fruit down while blending. 3. Turn speed up a little to get rid of chunks. This is perfect after a strength workout because it is really important to eat protein and carbs after a taxing workout to refuel. 14
Mealtime
Customs By Isabel Mudannayake
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verybody eats. But the ways that we view the practice of eating and our mealtime traditions vary tremendously depending on our culture, background, and family. For some students, it might be considered normal to grab a sandwich independently on the way to or from sports practices every evening. For others, it may be a nightly routine to have a sit-down meal with family and discuss the day together. Everybody has different norms surrounding this and no two families view meals exactly the same way, from the configuration of their dinner tables, to their go-to dishes, to various holiday traditions and customs. In America, however, especially compared to other cultures, weeknight meals are typically a faster affair and more about filling our stomachs than relaxing and unwinding. I come from a multicultural, unit-
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ed family and am accustomed to sharing meals with them most nights. But it was not until I lived in Italy with a host family last year that I truly gained a new appreciation for family dinners. In Italy, these dinners were long (very, very long) and drawnout. There was never any rush. Regardless of their work and homework schedule, my host mother and three siblings sat down to dinner together for a minimum of an hour every single evening at eight-o’clock. If ever someone was not home for dinner, it was a big deal and always involved a million questions from my host mom about why they could not make it, what they were doing, where they were going and, of course, what they were going to eat instead— because it could not possibly have been better than whatever she was planning. I remember one Saturday evening when I had told my host mom that I
would not be home for dinner because I was going out, but because of a sudden change of plans I ended up coming home early—right at dinnertime. While in my American family this would not be any problem, she was beside herself that she had not made enough food for everyone (although of course, she had) and it was clear that her entire rhythm for the evening had been thrown off because of me. To her, it was not simply being one-hundred grams of pasta short, it was her embarrassment and intense feeling of guilt that came with that. She apologized profusely, repeatedly saying how she felt terrible and unwelcoming, and immediately pulled countless cheeses and cured meats from the fridge, offering all of them to me. Despite her sweet intentions, this reaction shocked me and at first, I could not understand why it mattered to her all this much. As the year went on, however, I began to realize just how important those dinners were to her and to my entire family. My host family worked full time and my host sister and I were both in school, so this was our time to really be together, to bond and laugh and share the ups and downs of the day. My host mom prided herself on her wonderful cooking and wanted to please everyone—especially me, in the beginning—and cook
food that made people genuinely happy. The food was not just what was on the plate, but it was all of the love and care for her family. Eating together was a way for us to show our gratitude and escape from our busy lives, putting time on hold until everyone had finished their last bites and sips and risen from the table. Her homemade seafood risotto was fussed over until it was just right and her heavenly tiramisú was not just a dessert and common birthday dish, but a work of art. Sunday lunch was an unmissable event—a lavish banquet with a delicious aperitivo beforehand. Holidays were opportunities to feast with family over hundreds of plates and sit together talking, long after all the food was gone, for hours and hours, just enjoying each other’s company. This relationship with food and family and overall attitude toward mealtime opened my eyes to so many aspects of Italian culture and revealed so much to me about who they are as a people and what they value. I had so many incredible opportunities and experiences traveling and seeing the sights, but I can say without a doubt that these family dinners have become some of my fondest memories from my time abroad. Since coming back, I have been trying to bring not only the amazing cooking, but also the Italian values surrounding it, to my family, friends and community here in New York.•
Art by Mel Douer 16
The Single Orchid Experience: Ichiran Ramen Review
By Wonyong Park
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Art by Frost Martin
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chiran isn't your typical ramen restaurant. As you enter, you’ll be surprised to see something different from your everyday bowl of noodles and charbroiled pork belly. Rows upon rows of booths span across your vision. In the background, there is calming koto music playing as well. Arriving in a booth, you’ll see a little curtain separating you from the chefs. A square button can be seen on the side, which you can press to order. For each item ordered, they give you a tray that you place onto the square button in the corner of the booth. When you receive your food the waiter will respond in Japanese as a sign of respect. I adore the peace at Ichiran compared to the hectic atmosphere at a regular ramen restaurant. I've eaten there over ten times in the last year and each time I went I was pleased with the restaurant’s consistency. You could say I’m a regular. Finding authentic Japanese food is important for me because it’s delicious and connects to my Asian roots. The unique aspect of the Fukuoka chain is that they only serve one ramen: Their famous Fukuoka tonkotsu (pork bone broth) with straight noodles.In fact, many of the soup’s components are imported from Japan for quality control.
You can even customize your ramen to match your taste preferences from an infinite number of choices such as broth saltiness, soup thickness, noodle firmness, and more. If you happen to still be hungry after finishing your noodles, you can order a kaedama (noodle refill) and place the ramen into the remaining broth. Personally, I usually order the same combination every time. When it comes to oiliness, I like to keep it on the low-side. I keep the saltiness and the amount of garlic at the restaurant's recommended level. I like the noodles to be a little chewy because they continue to cook in the broth, which is the most important aspect of ramen. Ichiran’s tonkotsu broth is packed with flavor; they add in their original spicy red sauce mixed with almost 30 different types of spices, made just right so that it doesn't burn your tongue. Eating each bite of the ramen is absolute bliss; the springy texture of the noodles goes hand in hand with the action-packed umaminess of the soup. If you're looking for a unique ramen experience, Ichiran is the place. Although each bowl will run you about $20 without extra toppings, the restaurant serves delicious food worth every cent. Entering Ichrian is like going to a different world. It won’t disappoint.• 18
Bubble Tea
that Pops By Lynn Rong
Art by Helen Maleeny
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ubble tea––traditional milk tea mixed with soft round boba––originated in Taiwan. People began to get addicted to its sweet rich taste, and the chewy delicious boba. Recently, there has been increased interest surrounding the drink. The intriguing flavors and fun toppings are seen within colorful plastic cups in people’s hands all over the streets of the city. As more bubble tea places open up in Manhattan, it has become easier to find tea, yet harder to identify the good tea. If you’ve ever wondered where you can get the best bubble tea in town, keep on reading
who focus their bubble tea on the texture of the boba. Teazzi serves to deliver the most delicate and fragrant tea base. Lucky for us, they succeed in doing so. Teazzi’s “Four Seasons Spring” is my favorite, with its tea base truly tasting as gentle as the beginning of spring. The concoction, complete with 30% sugar, oats, and a foam top, tastes magical. If you like a lighter taste, the tea is as delicious and fresh on its own. Because of the long lines, Teazzi is not ideal for those in a rush, and the pricing is slightly higher––their average bubble tea price is around $5––but it is very high quality.
Teazzi
Moge Tee
47 W 14th St, New York, NY 10011
302 W 39th St, New York, NY 10018
The paper cups with traditional Chinese porcelain design, aesthetically-pleasing interior design, and traditional tea sets are what attract all bubble tea lovers to Teazzi. Awarded the 2018 Customer’s Favorite Bubble Tea, Teazzi is constantly packed with customers waiting for a taste of one of their award-winning drinks. They’re different from their competitors,
If you love the atypical, smooth and creamy cheese-topped bubble tea, Moge Tee is the place for you. When you push open the front door, matcha colored decorations and elegant flowers welcome you into the shop, and the seats along the wall are perfect for afternoon dates, hangouts with friends, and Instagram posts. But wait, there’s more! Moge Tee provides a
portable phone charger renting station, giving a much-needed charge to those in need. Beyond store aesthetics, their bubble tea has a unique taste. The cheese topping is Moge Tee’s signature, and it pairs with their entire tea selection. “You have to try the cheese-topped avocado tea,” a customer in the shop recommended. Although the combination of avocado, cheese and bubble tea may seem odd, the rich and thick flavors collide in beautiful harmony. My personal favorite is the peach oolong tea topped with cheese. The tea has a fresh, sugary, and subtle bitter taste that merges with the foamy cheese to create the perfect balance. For a bubble tea shop, Moge Tea is also on the expensive side. Their drinks range from $5 to $7, depending on the size. However, each serving is larger than most and is definitely worth it. What’s more is that Moge Tee is a chain with locations in Midtown, the East Village, and Flushing, making it easily accessible to people all around New York City. All in all, Moge Tee is an ideal choice for your casual Saturday afternoon bubble tea break.
Photo by Lynn Rong
Teado 145D Hester St, New York, NY 10002
In a hidden corner of Chinatown lies this small haven of serenity, peace, and bubble tea. Time slows down the moment you hear the Ghibli music playing in the background, accompanied by the crisp wind chimes hanging on the door. This bubble tea store seems to teleport you to an entirely different world. The worn-out comic books that lay on the shelves beneath vibrant green plants are half-illuminated by the sun. What adds to the beauty of this tiny shop is that it’s almost never crowded, which, although perplexing, is definitely a plus. Teado, opened by a married couple, only has two employees: the husband and wife themselves. They offer a wide selection of tea, as well as Japanese desserts. Every tea in Teado is of its own distinct flavor, and you can’t really go wrong. My favorite? Osmanthus oolong milk tea. The fragrance of the Osmanthus flower mixed with oolong is refreshing and has a natural sweetness to it, tasting like autumn. You can also top it off with brown sugar jelly, which adds a layer of sweetness to the drink, but just enough so that the slight, bitter taste of the flower still seeps through. It’s the little things that really make Teado special. The owner always lets you have a taste of your drink before serving it to you. You can alter the amount of sugar in the drink as much as you like, and he lets you feed the fish when no one is around. What’s more is that their prices are lower than most bubble tea shops, but the quality is twice as good. Teado really feels like the bubble tea shop I remember in China, filled with humanity and warmth. It’s the perfect place to go to when you want to escape the world for a minute. I love to just sit at the round wooden table, pick up a book, and enjoy the bubble tea. Time will pass by before you know it, and you’ll leave feeling more refreshed than ever. • 20
How Americans Consume the
World By Jaden Schapiro
Art by Penelope Thornton
Y
ou wake up and the first thing you do is grab a bowl of Koala Crisp with Oatly oat milk and sit down for a morning briefing of Instagram. It’s getting close to ten o’clock so you pull out your açai bowl you prepared the night before. Time for lunch and you head to your favorite bistro to grab a burger. Two o’clock—snack time again; you take out the box of shimmery dried seaweed and down the whole thing in a few fingerfulls. At four o’clock you go out with your friends to grab chai lattes at Starbucks. Dinner? A salami sandwich from the Italian deli down the block. To say the least, the diet of some Americans is diverse. Notice anything peculiar? As if all the foods belong, but maybe not together? Most of the foods are not from the States. Your breakfast came from somewhere in South America and Sweden; the first snack and lunch were
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Brazilian; the second snack was grown and baked in South Korea; your tea was either grown in India or China; the sodium nitrate in your processed meats was found in a South American mine. As a result of having no defining “American food”—no, technically not hamburgers either—it’s almost as if most Americans pick and choose different cultures’ cuisines for different meals. Many of us even seem to struggle with the fact that our American food culture is more tangible than our American food. Some go to great lengths, like First We Feast’s article on 10 Foods That are Actually American, to try and reassure that there are “American” dishes out there somewhere. Ironically, nine out of the ten listed have roots in foreign countries. Insider’s 14 “American” foods that aren’t actually American, on the contrary, reveal to its followers that all the nostalgic foods
they grew up with were ideas started from overseas (or from our neighbors to the north). Sure, it’s fascinating that some Americans have the ability to eat various cultures’ food for every meal, but those who do so are still not avoiding any American influence. When you go to a restaurant of a different culture, customers are already anticipating some of the dishes they might have on their menu. Although we consume the world, why do some parts of it get left behind? This is not “having a large selection of cuisines available” as much as it is “assimilating foods that culturally-influential Americans find palatable for them to eat more than once.” This, of course, is a critique about how some of the most popular foods in the “American diet” (e.g. pasta, sandwiches, processed meats, burritos—just to name a few) became customary. Ultimately, it was a result of mixing the choices of popular culture and wide accessibility in the past; their convergence in our culinary history has now evolved into what Americans define as their daily diet. The foods listed above, and the many others that belong on that list, tell us a lot about our food industry and our culinary demands. The majority of popular foods in America originated outside of this country as the native cuisine here was not only abandoned but disregarded entirely. Albeit many of our most popular ingredients are native to the Americas, we still rely on the rest of the world to produce them for us. According to the New York Times article Most of America’s Fruit Is Now Imported. Is That a Bad Thing?, 78 percent of blackberries, 64.5 percent of squash, and 57.2 percent of tomatoes in 2018 were imported to the States. Outside of major cities in many other countries, there can be a variety in the diet of their food, but not to the extent of an American’s. Even in popular destinations for tourists around the world like Kyoto or
Casablanca, dishes will rotate in contents but will largely remain the same in their cultural origin—in this case, it might be southern Japanese or western Moroccan. There might be an occasional pasta restaurant in an underground train station in Japan or a French brasserie in Morocco, but those are not visited by locals as frequently as someone from the States might think. The hunger to assimilate other cultures’ cuisines is not nearly as invasive as it is in America; this is how we find sashimi in gas stations, kombucha blooms growing in hipsters’ kitchens, and açai bowls in every health store across the country. Other than making a culture that riots for McDonald’s Szechuan Sauce, America is perpetuating a group of people that does not have a predictable diet like those in other countries, so what exactly does this do to our bodies? And what about our planet? It’s hard to imagine an America where pawpaws are as common as bananas or Le Phare du Cap Bon’s harissa surpasses Heinz’s sales of ketchup, but remember this is completely possible. The quinoa empire is a great example; a once relatively unknown grain has made farms from the midwest to South America ditch their small-scale operations in exchange to rake in more money. Thus the foods Americans popularize change local economies as well as create the monoculturing of crops in some areas. As Instagram-able food and contemporary diets are dependent on hyping “exotic” fruit or dishes—this means, yes, more effort will be made to mass-produce your Cha Cha Matcha—but at the same time will be stressing that same tea plantation growing the emperor’s uji matcha to provide for the American palate. When we consume the world, it’s not just another turmeric latte, but a culture that was absorbed into artisanal cafés in New York and forced a part of the planet to meet the produce quotas of Los Angeles kitchens. • 22