March 15, 2024 | Vol. 53, Issue 5

The only bilingual Chinese-English Newspaper in New England

food

Ultraprocessed Foods Linked to Cancer: An Interview with Tufts University’s Dr. Fang Fang Zhang

Last month, a study published in the medical journal The BMJ (a weekly peer-reviewed medical journal published by the British Medical Association) connected the consumption of ultraprocessed foods to a higher risk for colorectal cancer. Dr. Fang Fang Zhang, a researcher at the Tufts University Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, led this project, focusing specifically on the effects of ultraprocessed diets on cancer risk through a large cohort study over 28 years. A key finding in her study […]

District Kitchen: the Modern Chinese Restaurant

The modern Chinese food restaurant District Kitchen, located just steps from the Malden Center T station, is open for dine-in, takeout and delivery.  It has a cozy, but casual bar and dining room, differing from the usual, simple mom-and-pop takeout Chinese restaurants. We dined there recently for Lunar New Year, enjoying some appetizers to-go. Since it was the holiday, we wanted to order dumplings, or jiaozi. The dumpling shape resembles the ancient Chinese gold ingot. For Chinese people during the Lunar New Year, […]

Dine Like a Tiger: How Local Asian Americans Ate on Lunar New Year

For many, the Lunar New Year brings back fond family memories, filled with tradition, lively celebration, and, of course food. Let’s look at how several area Asian Americans celebrated with their favorite dishes: China Pearl Style New Year For Patty and Brian Moy, owners of China Pearl and Shojo restaurants, the dish that defines new year is nian gao (年糕). “I love the savory version with snow cabbage, shredded pork, and the nian gao is cut up from a thick, […]

Bubble Tea

Bubbles: It’s America’s New Cup of Tea

Asia has a long history of drinking tea. But one style of tea has long been bubbling above the other vareties — and taking the global market by storm. Originating in Taipei in the 1980s, bubble tea made its way to the United States in the 1990s. It became extremely popular within the Taiwanese American community on the West Coast. Shops began opening up all over California, becoming well known with the surrounding Asian American communities. But how did it […]

Japanese food Futago

Japanese Favorites at Futago

I was happy to see Futago restaurant (Japanese for “twins”) still open during a recent lunch time visit. Its owners also run the izakaya and soba house, Sugidama. They have been dishing up solid udon dishes at Futago since opening almost three years ago. The open and minimally decorated dining space has two beautiful paintings featuring steaming udon bowls ready to be enjoyed by a hovering hand with chopsticks.  I started with a favorite, takoyaki, a dish of grilled octopus […]

PuPu Platter

The Origins of the PuPu Platter

In an advertisement in the Boston Globe, October 14, 1982, Bob Lee’s restaurant, Islander, posted the claim, “We invented The Pupu Platter.” Did they invent it? If not, what is the truth behind the origins of the Pu-Pu Platter? There is no question that the term “Pu-Pu” derives from the Hawaiian word, “pū-pū”, which refers to “appetizers.” Originally, pū-pū only referred to shellfish, but was eventually expanded to include a variety of other foods as well.  During the 1950s, a number of Hawaiian newspapers mentioned pu-pu. The Honolulu […]

Conch salad

Southern Vietnamese style at Ban Tôi

The Ban Tôi (Vietnamese for “my friend”) Restaurant entered the Savin Hill neighborhood in 2019, expanding the availability of Vietnamese food in the area. Opened by Chieu Nguyen, a former nail salon owner-turned-chef, his passion for food allowed him to bring a variety of comforting southern dishes to the scene, such as Vietnamese hot pot and various street foods. We spied the conch salad  (gỏi ốc giac) for $10.50 on the menu and immediately wanted to try it. A popular […]

Vermont Wagyu

Vermont Wagyu: Pure Breed, Pure Deliciousness

Many people in the U.S. primarily know of Wagyu beef as an expensive cut originating in Japan. They may also believe some of the myths about Wagyu, such as that the cows must be fed beer or sake, and get regular massages. Although that might happen in some isolated cases, there are actually no regulations that mandate such matters. The vast majority of Wagyu cows are simply specific breeds with unique fat networks that create the rich, smooth flavor we associate […]

Sweet and sour pork

Korean-Chinese Classics Come to Allston

Seoul Jangteo (Jangteo meaning “market”) opened up last year in the former Bukkyeong space in bustling Allston, filling in the void to bring Korean-Chinese food to the Boston area. After hearing from a close Korean friend that the chef had worked at the Seoul Chosun Hotel, and receiving the recommendation from other friends over time, I figured it was time I go there, too. The must-eat dish is Jajungmyun (자장면) or Jjajangmyun (짜장면)  (The National Institute of Korean Language on […]

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