For hundreds of years, mutual influences in Asian and Latinx cuisines have birthed some truly drool-worthy foodways. At Chow x Mundo Latinx, learn more about the unique cultural and culinary phenomenon of Chino Latino. And get an insider’s look into the exchange between Chinese and Latinx foodways, cultures, and the (re)migrations that led to the collisions of ingredients and experiences that have shaped these diverse societies for hundreds of years.
Join MOFAD and Ming River in welcoming culinary experts from the Latin American and Chinese diasporas. And get saucy with an evening of “salsas y salsa” featuring Cuban salsa dance lessons for all levels and some salsa-inspired snacks to warm up before the official program begins.
Cómo es la cosa? (What to expect):
Chef demo and “Intro to Chifa (Chinese Peruvian) Cuisine & Culture” by Carlos C. Olaechea
Dynamic presentation from Lok Siu (UC Berkeley) on “The Socio-Cultural Importance of Chino-Latino Restaurants”
A cross-cultural conversation about Chino Latino food, cultures, and remigrations
Chino Latino small bites prepared by Pao & Cha Cha and other local vendors
A special Cuban Chinese dish, recipe courtesy of Colada Shop (“Little Havana done right”) chef and co-owner Mario Monte prepared by MOFAD’s culinary team
Ming River baijiu pairings and cocktails inspired by Latin American and Chinese diaspora regional flavors crafted by Chicago-based mixologist, Jef Tate
Complimentary beer provided by Brooklyn Brewery
Beginner Cuban salsa dance lesson to kick off the evening
Doors open at 6:30 pm with an optional beginner Cuban salsa dance lesson. Official program begins at 7:00 pm. Last call will be at 8:30pm. Tickets include museum admission, light bites from local Chino Latino vendors and other guests, Ming River baijiu and Brooklyn Brewery beer. Ages 21 and over. This program is part of our Chow x series.
¡Buen provecho!
Our Partners
About Carlos C. Olaechea
Carlos was born quite unexpectedly in Lima, Peru. The family lore is that the Andean feast that triggered his birth sparked his lifelong love affair with culture and cuisine. His family moved to Miami when Carlos was five years old, and his fascination with food continued in the US. In 2016, Carlos received a Master's Degree in Liberal Arts in Gastronomy at Boston University, one of the first programs of its kind established by Julia Child and Jacques Pepin, as well as a Graduate Certificate in Sustainable Tourism Development. A long-time food writer, Carlos is also a consultant, food stylist, culinary tourism developer, lecturer, and a current contributor to Food52.
About Guillermo Hung
Husband and wife Guillermo and Mariantonia Hung opened Pao & Cha Cha in Astoria, Queens in 2014, serving a unique mix of Latin and Asian cuisine, specialty coffee drinks, and to-go dishes inspired by their shared cultural heritage. Both were raised in Caracas, Venezuela, where Guillermo also learned to make Chinese food in his family’s restaurants. Listen to Guillermo talk about his vision of “Chino-Latino” food in this Remezcla video, along with other local Chino-Latino vendors from New York City.
About JC Gibbs
JC, la Cocinerita, is a Panamanian cook studying food history while loving life through food writing, photography, and eating--especially churros and Southeast Asian food. In her hometown of Panama City, she studied graphic design and became obsessed with food thanks to her mother’s tamales and corn tortillas and her father’s love for tropical fruits, his mother’s cakes, and big family dinners. JC later moved to Washington, DC where she currently serves as Media & Marketing Manager at Thip Khao, an award-winning Laotian restaurant in the heart of Washington’s own Barrio Latino, Columbia Heights, and their sister restaurants, Padaek and the forthcoming Hanumanh. She also manages digital marketing for The Shooting Espresso and blogs at Little Lady Cook. In her free time, JC goes on long walks, meditates, researches healthier ways to cook her favorite delicious Panamanian foods, reads comics, writes cheesy poetry, watches horror films, and searches for a perfect arancini.
About Jason Oliver Chang
Jason is an Associate Professor of History and Asian American Studies at the University of Connecticut. He is also Director of UCONN’s Asian and Asian American Studies Institute. He earned his Ph.D. from the Department of Ethnic Studies at the University of California at Berkeley in 2010 and also holds a Masters of Public Policy from UMass Amherst. He is currently teaching courses at UCONN in comparative ethnic studies and maritime history. His first book, Chino: Anti-Chinese Racism in Mexico, 1880-1940, is published with University of Illinois Press and analyzes the regional histories of Chinese migration and integration in Mexican society to show how the racial image of the Chinese shifted over the course of the 1910 revolution and subsequent reconstruction to foster the revolutionary state’s mestizo nationalism. His current work compares histories of South Asian, Filipino, and Chinese sailors in Asia from the seventeenth century to the period of mass transpacific migration in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
About Jef Tate
Jef is a burgeoning student of cocktail and beverage cultures worldwide. He has worked at some of the nation’s most acclaimed cocktail bars, including MONEYGUN in Chicago. A 2019 Bacardi Legacy finalist, he will also be looking to head up a new bar program at the top of the year.
About Kathleen López
Kathleen is a professor of history and Latino and Caribbean studies at Rutgers University. Her research and teaching focus on the historical intersections between Asia and Latin America and the Caribbean, post-emancipation Caribbean societies, race and ethnicity in the Americas, and international migration. She is the author of Chinese Cubans: A Transnational History (North Carolina 2013) which received the 2014 Gordon K. and Sybil Lewis Prize of the Caribbean Studies Association. She has also published numerous articles, most recently “Fried Rice and Plátanos” in the Harvard ReVista issue on Latin America and Asia (Fall 2018).
About Lok Siu
Professor Lok Siu is a cultural anthropologist and faculty of Ethnic Studies at UC Berkeley. Her areas of expertise include Asian diasporas in the Americas, transnational migration, belonging and cultural citizenship, performance, and food. Her award winning books include Memories of a Future Home: Diasporic Citizenship of Chinese in Panama (Stanford U Press 2005) and Asian Diasporas: New Formations, New Conceptions (Stanford U Press 2007). She lectures at universities and museums throughout the US and Europe on a variety of topics, and she has appeared in CNN's United Shades of America with Kamau Bell and on WNYC's Brian Lehrer show. She is currently working on her book manuscript, "Worlding Asian Latinx: the Intimate Publics of Cultural Mixing."
About Mario Monte
Mario was born in Miami to a Cuban father and an Italian mother, and then raised in Venezuela. With over 10 years of hospitality experience, Mario is Co-Owner and Food and Beverage Director for Colada Shop, which The Washington Post food critic Tom Sietsema lauded as "Little Havana done right" on his 2017 list of DC's top 10 restaurants. Mario’s parents' cooking introduced him to indigenous ingredients like corn, quinoa, and cilantro, which still influence his cooking today. Before moving to Miami, his first introduction to Cuban culture was through coffee. "I grew up always trying to make the perfect cup of Cuban coffee for my father or grandfather," says Chef Mario.
Chef Mario has since mastered his Cuban culinary skills and has become quite popular in the DC Latinx and restaurant communities for his infectious good humor and the delicious foods he serves at Colada Shop in DC and Virginia.
About Inca Kola
Inca Kola: The Golden Kola originated in Lima Peru in 1935. The beverage was influenced by the ancient Incan Culture from the Andean country. Inca Indians from Machu Pichu had a similar beverage made from herbal ingredients indigenous to the high Andean Mountains. Today Inca Kola: The Golden Kola is produced with the same mystical influence leaving you with a unique taste that refreshes with a blend of exotic flavors. Inca Kola is so unique that it leaves everyone who taste it with a different flavor. Drink an Inca Kola Today and conquer your thirst!
About The Girl Mob
TGM is a digital sisterhood founded by Yari Blanco where Women of Color are celebrated and highlighted. Our goal is to bridge the communication gap between the women in our communities! Through interviews, personal essays, photo journals, our podcast and our events — we hope to create awareness, solidarity and sisterhood across social lines.
About Ming River Sichuan Baijiu
Ming River is the original Sichuan baijiu. It is produced by Luzhou Laojiao, China’s oldest continuously operating distillery, whose production dates back to the year 1573. Ming River’s Ming Dynasty recipe has been passed down from master to apprentice for over 20 generations.