Clarissa Wei
Clarissa Wei | |
|---|---|
| Born | |
| Nationality | American and Taiwanese[1] |
| Occupation | Journalist |
| Known for | Food and politics writing |
Clarissa Weiis an American journalist and writer. Her focus is onTaiwanand in particularTaiwanese food and food culture.Her bookMade in Taiwan: Recipes and Stories of the Island Nationwas released in 2023.
Family and early life[edit]
Wei was born inLos Angelesto immigrant parents fromTainan.As of 2023 she resided inNew Taipei City.[2]
Career[edit]
Wei moved to Asia in her 20s and traveled extensively. In 2018 she moved toHong Kongand began writing for theSouth China Morning Post(SCMP). Her journalism initially focused on politics but she shifted to food after finding politics "too heavy and dark." However her food writing often inherently touches on politics.[3]Many of her stories in Hong Kong focused on aging restaurateurs or chefs who maintained important culinary traditions.[4]During this time she traveled aroundChinaproducing food and culture videos for SCMP.[1]
She moved to Taiwan following the crackdown on the2019–2020 Hong Kong protests.[3]She is one of the main authors writing about Taiwanese cuisine in English.[5]
She is a co-host of the cooking showKitchen RemixonTaiwan+.[6]
Books[edit]
Made in Taiwan[edit]
Made in Taiwan: Recipes and Stories of the Island Nationwas released in 2023.[7][2]Made in Taiwanis an exploration of Taiwan's food culture.[8][9]In it she emphasizes using Taiwanese ingredients and not substitutes more widely available internationally.[2]The book has proved controversial due to Wei's focus onTaiwanese identityand politics as embodied in food.[3]
Wei collaborated with recipe developer Ivy Chen onMade in Taiwan.[2]James Lin, a historian, was hired to make sure that the historical aspects of the book were accurate. Xin Yun worked as Clarissa Wei's research assistant. Yen Wei was thefood stylistand Ryan Chen handled photography.[1]
Podcast[edit]
Her show,Climate Cuisine,is part of the Whetstone Radio Collective.[10]It was launched in 2021 and examines how differentcuisinesand agricultural practices have developed in similar climactic zones across the planet.[11]
References[edit]
- ^abcLA CORTE, MICHAEL (2 September 2023).""Taiwanese food is an underdog": In her new cookbook, Clarissa Wei writes a love letter to Taiwan ".Salon.Retrieved21 September2023.
- ^abcdLin, Eddie (31 August 2023)."'Made in Taiwan' is the cookbook that couldn't have existed 20 years ago ".Los Angeles Times.Retrieved19 September2023.
- ^abcCheng, Martha (15 September 2023)."Clarissa Wei Knows All Too Well That Food Is Political".eater.com.Eater.Retrieved19 September2023.
- ^Haime, Jordyn (15 September 2023)."Letting Taiwanese cuisine speak for itself".thechinaproject.com.The China Project.Retrieved21 September2023.
- ^Tsai, Luke."Clarissa's Wei's 'Made in Taiwan' Is the Taiwanese Cookbook I've Always Wanted".kqed.org.KQED.Retrieved20 June2024.
- ^"Taiwanese Food With a Modern Twist: 'Kitchen Remix' on TaiwanPlus".koreaherald.com.Korean Herald. 9 June 2023.Retrieved19 September2023.
- ^Hubbel, Diana (15 September 2023)."'Made in Taiwan' Is a Love Letter to the Island Nation ".atlasobscura.com.Atlas Obscura.Retrieved21 September2023.
- ^Chen, Kat (18 September 2023)."This New Cookbook Is an Essential Guide Through Taiwan's Culinary Landscape".epicurious.com.Epicurious.Retrieved19 September2023.
- ^Lam, Doris (11 September 2023)."'What Taiwanese food really is': cookbook writer on a return to her roots to explore the island's complex cuisine and unique culture ".scmp.com.South China Morning Post.Retrieved19 September2023.
- ^Fox, Killian (17 September 2023)."Just for starters: 11 of the best food podcasts".The Guardian.Retrieved21 September2023.
- ^Babür-Winter, Oset."A New Radio Network for Food Lovers".foodandwine.com.Food and Wine.Retrieved21 September2023.