‘Noboby hates tacos’- Roy Choi
This was the perfect response to David Chang’s question in the ‘Ugly Delicious’ episode we watched. He asked why a taco is the best method to represent his voice as well as the voice of other immigrants. Choi also considers the taco ‘portable vessel of love’. That made me smile. 😊
Chang explains the Kogi taco experience couldn’t have commenced anywhere else other than in that Los Angeles truck. The food doesn’t necessarily taste Korean or Mexican, as it seems to have its own specific identity. Choi then replies by discussing how other cultural experiences can’t possibly be recreated in places other than where they were originally rooted. He brought up the ‘Italian American’ experience in New Jersey.
This entire episode continued to be eye-opening for me as we saw the different way Mexican food is produced in America and in Mexico. In places like Los Angeles and New York, the most authentic eateries tended to be of the ‘street taco’ variety from food trucks. The cooking process in Mexico at the very end of the episode, however, was amazing to me. Being able to actually partake in the procedure and seeing it happen naturally adds a completely new layer of emotion to the food. You don’t feel that way with the food in America whereas you almost feel a part of the food in Mexico.
Taco Literacy 