Episode 11: Shailee Koranne on Racial Food Stereotypes, Cultural Identity, and David Chang's Ugly Delicious

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This week on AnthroDish, I am interviewing freelancer writer and journalist, Shailee Koranne. Based out of Toronto, ON, she writes about pop culture, bodies, cultural production, politics, and identity. She has written for major news outlets like VICE, Huffington Post Canada, Bitch Media, GUTS, and the Aerogram. On top of all the amazing writing she does, she also studies Equity Studies at the University of Toronto. 

I was introduced to Shailee through a mutual friend and read a piece she wrote for Bitch Media called The Fried Chicken Dilemma: Ugly Delicious wants us to love our foods and ourselves," where she explores the negative role that food-related stereotypes have on the relationships between people of colour and their cultural foods. She has a writing style that expertly intertwines her personal experiences of racism and food stigma with broader themes of racial stereotypes and identity.

On today’s episode, we discuss how food stereotypes inform and maintain historically racist attitudes and biases, particularly for Asians in North America, as well as the role that food plays in everyday racial microaggressions. We also talk about how cultural foods are sterilized and removed from their contexts in order to present them to white and Western diners, and the implications of "trend" culture (i.e. charcoal ice cream, superfoods, and any restaurant with a line up around the corner in Toronto) on cultural foods. Shailee discusses how she learned to unpack and unlearn some of the harmful attitudes through her writing on the topic as well. I’m so excited for you to check this interview out, as Shailee has some really amazing insights and powerful reflections on the ways in which food shapes and changes personal and cultural identities.

Check out the episode above, or download on iTunes, Spotify, or Castbox. 

Love Shailee and want to read more of her work? Check her out on social!

Website: www.shaileekoranne.com

Instagram: @shailee.jpg

Twitter: @shaileekoranne

Episode 2: Rylee Booroff on Plant Based Diets & Vegan Lifestyles

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Today I interview the lovely Rylee Booroff. Currently living in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Rylee has has been following a vegan lifestyle for just over 8 years. Prior to moving out east, Rylee managed a vegan restaurant in Toronto. Today we talk about her experiences as a vegan and it’s lasting impact on her life and wellbeing, explore whether or not veganism’s popularity is lasting or trendy for North Americans, and new movements in the Halifax plant-based scene.

Check out her episode here, or on iTunes and Spotify!