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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Azalina Eusope fought the good fight. As probably the Bay Area’s most famous Malaysian chef, she kept her two San Francisco restaurants open for as long as she could, \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://sf.eater.com/21559441/sf-indoor-dining-shutdown-coronavirus-chef-reactions-mahila-benu-nari-eight-tables\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">burning through her personal savings to avoid layoffs\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> during the roughest stretches of the pandemic. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">It wasn’t enough: Last March, Eusope \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/food/article/Inventive-Malaysian-restaurant-Mahila-permanently-16012250.php\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">closed Mahila\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, her love letter to Mamak street food—the food of her people, Muslim Malysians who speak Tamil and have roots in India. She also shut down Azalina’s Malaysian, her more casual food stall in the Twitter building. It was a heartbreaking end of a chapter for a business that Eusope had built up over the course of a decade, one bowl of noodles and jar of fiery sambal at a time.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">But now, Eusope, who describes herself as a fifth-generation street vendor, is ready to give it another go. In a little over a month, she’ll open a new incarnation of \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.azalinas.com/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Azalina’s\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> at 499 Ellis St. in the Tenderloin. The first day of service is tentatively slated for September 1.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">For fans of Eusope’s bold-flavored food, Azalina’s 2.0 will be a reintroduction to many of the chef’s most popular dishes: smoky, wok-charred hokkien mee; coconut-filled sweet potato dumplings; and nests of steamed rice noodles known as rice hoppers. These are dishes you’d be hard-pressed to find at any other Malaysian restaurant in the Bay.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13916803\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2038px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13916803\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/Mee-Mamak-credit-Jane-Sim-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"In the foreground, a bowl of turmeric noodles topped with greens, scallions, a charred lemon, and a fried egg.\" width=\"2038\" height=\"2560\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/Mee-Mamak-credit-Jane-Sim-scaled.jpg 2038w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/Mee-Mamak-credit-Jane-Sim-800x1005.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/Mee-Mamak-credit-Jane-Sim-1020x1281.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/Mee-Mamak-credit-Jane-Sim-160x201.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/Mee-Mamak-credit-Jane-Sim-768x965.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/Mee-Mamak-credit-Jane-Sim-1223x1536.jpg 1223w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/Mee-Mamak-credit-Jane-Sim-1630x2048.jpg 1630w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/Mee-Mamak-credit-Jane-Sim-1920x2412.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2038px) 100vw, 2038px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Azalina Eusope’s mee mamak, one of her signature dishes at Mahila, will occasionally show up on the menu at the new Tenderloin location of Azalina’s. \u003ccite>(Jane Sim)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“There are 16 states in Malaysia. There are 30 million people,” Eusope says. But despite the amazing diversity of food in her home country, she says most Malaysian restaurants in the U.S. all serve the same 10 dishes. The new Azalina’s won’t be as tightly focused on Mamak dishes, specifically, but Eusope says her overarching goal will be the same: to expand the way that most Americans think about Malaysian food. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“We’re not going to make another laksa. We’re not going to make another satay,” she says. “There are thousands of Malaysian dishes that people don’t know about.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">At least to start, Eusope’s plan is to keep things simple. The new Azalina’s will be open for dinner Thursday through Sunday, with a prix-fixe tasting menu only—about five courses, with drink pairings included, for $100 a person. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Tenderloin restaurant only seats about 35 people, so the idea is to create an intimate dining experience. “Imagine you’re walking in the evening in the streets of Penang,” where, as Eusope explains, life doesn’t really start until nighttime. The dining room will be lit up with string lights, so diners feel like they’re sitting outside at one of the island’s open-air markets. And dinner will consist of the kinds of dishes you’d eat while wandering from food stall to food stall.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13916804\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1186px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13916804\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/Rendered-Floor-Plan-5-copy.jpg\" alt=\"A color sketch of one section of the new Azalina's dining room. Text reads "Perspective of East Wall."\" width=\"1186\" height=\"821\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/Rendered-Floor-Plan-5-copy.jpg 1186w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/Rendered-Floor-Plan-5-copy-800x554.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/Rendered-Floor-Plan-5-copy-1020x706.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/Rendered-Floor-Plan-5-copy-160x111.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/Rendered-Floor-Plan-5-copy-768x532.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1186px) 100vw, 1186px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A sketch of one section of the new Azalina’s dining room. \u003ccite>(Sketch by Lisa Klien; design created by Academy of Art students Patricia Hernandez, Lisa Klien, Jayden Lu and Krinal Patel with guidance from Tom Collom)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Dinner might include a plate of char kway teow, a sizzling stir-fried noodle dish. It might include Eusope’s wildly popular \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/bayareabites/137174/check-please-bay-area-presents-mahilas-mamak-fried-chicken\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Mamak-style fried chicken\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> or rice hoppers served with curry. There might be yong tau foo—fish paste stuffed inside of tofu and all kinds of different vegetables. There will probably be some kind of soup. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Every dish will be paired with a drink, and Eusope plans to switch up the menu every two weeks or so. “We want to make it really fun,” she says. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Originally, Eusope had planned to open a kopitiam, or Malaysian-Chinese coffee shop, called \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://sf.eater.com/2020/8/10/21361781/azalina-eusope-uncle-sok-hee-malaysian-chinese-coffee-kopitiam-tenderloin-laksa-kaya-toast\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Uncle Sok Hee\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> at the Tenderloin location. The restaurant was meant to be a tribute to her father, a Penang street vendor who spent much of his life selling noodles in front of these coffee shops. Eusope remembers accompanying him as a kid, helping her father sell lottery tickets to the kopitiam customers. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Eusope won’t rule out the possibility of a stand-alone kopitiam at some point in the future, but she says the pandemic taught her to really treasure time with her family. She’s not sure if she’ll ever have the bandwidth again to run multiple restaurants at one time. (Eusope’s two children, now ages 20 and 22, both help out with the family business whenever they can.) \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13916805\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1706px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13916805\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/bethaniehines-32-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Chef Azalina Eusope poses for a portrait wearing a blue shirt and pink pants.\" width=\"1706\" height=\"2560\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/bethaniehines-32-scaled.jpg 1706w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/bethaniehines-32-800x1200.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/bethaniehines-32-1020x1530.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/bethaniehines-32-160x240.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/bethaniehines-32-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/bethaniehines-32-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/bethaniehines-32-1365x2048.jpg 1365w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1706px) 100vw, 1706px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Azalina Eusope describes herself as a fifth-generation Mamak street food vendor. \u003ccite>(Bethanie Hines)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[aside postID='arts_13908798,checkplease_20669']Still, she says the idea behind Uncle Sok Hee will live on at the new Azalina’s, where many of the dishes will be the kinds of things that you would find served at a kopitiam in Malaysia. That will be especially true when the restaurant starts weekend brunch service, when the $50 prix-fixe will include things like kaya toast cooked on a charcoal grill, hokkien mee and Malaysian-style coffee and tea brewed tableside. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“My goal has always been the same—to honor every single aspect of my experience growing up,” Eusope says. “Food is very emotional, right? I feel it whenever someone’s eating something, even the smell of it. It somehow triggers some kind of thing in our soul.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-12904247\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"39\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39-160x16.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39-240x23.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39-375x37.jpg 375w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Azalina’s is located at 499 Ellis St. in San Francisco. The restaurant is tentatively slated to open on September 1. Reservations, available via Resy, will be required.\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Azalina Eusope fought the good fight. As probably the Bay Area’s most famous Malaysian chef, she kept her two San Francisco restaurants open for as long as she could, \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://sf.eater.com/21559441/sf-indoor-dining-shutdown-coronavirus-chef-reactions-mahila-benu-nari-eight-tables\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">burning through her personal savings to avoid layoffs\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> during the roughest stretches of the pandemic. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">It wasn’t enough: Last March, Eusope \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/food/article/Inventive-Malaysian-restaurant-Mahila-permanently-16012250.php\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">closed Mahila\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, her love letter to Mamak street food—the food of her people, Muslim Malysians who speak Tamil and have roots in India. She also shut down Azalina’s Malaysian, her more casual food stall in the Twitter building. It was a heartbreaking end of a chapter for a business that Eusope had built up over the course of a decade, one bowl of noodles and jar of fiery sambal at a time.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">But now, Eusope, who describes herself as a fifth-generation street vendor, is ready to give it another go. In a little over a month, she’ll open a new incarnation of \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.azalinas.com/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Azalina’s\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> at 499 Ellis St. in the Tenderloin. The first day of service is tentatively slated for September 1.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">For fans of Eusope’s bold-flavored food, Azalina’s 2.0 will be a reintroduction to many of the chef’s most popular dishes: smoky, wok-charred hokkien mee; coconut-filled sweet potato dumplings; and nests of steamed rice noodles known as rice hoppers. These are dishes you’d be hard-pressed to find at any other Malaysian restaurant in the Bay.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13916803\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2038px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13916803\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/Mee-Mamak-credit-Jane-Sim-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"In the foreground, a bowl of turmeric noodles topped with greens, scallions, a charred lemon, and a fried egg.\" width=\"2038\" height=\"2560\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/Mee-Mamak-credit-Jane-Sim-scaled.jpg 2038w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/Mee-Mamak-credit-Jane-Sim-800x1005.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/Mee-Mamak-credit-Jane-Sim-1020x1281.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/Mee-Mamak-credit-Jane-Sim-160x201.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/Mee-Mamak-credit-Jane-Sim-768x965.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/Mee-Mamak-credit-Jane-Sim-1223x1536.jpg 1223w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/Mee-Mamak-credit-Jane-Sim-1630x2048.jpg 1630w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/Mee-Mamak-credit-Jane-Sim-1920x2412.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2038px) 100vw, 2038px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Azalina Eusope’s mee mamak, one of her signature dishes at Mahila, will occasionally show up on the menu at the new Tenderloin location of Azalina’s. \u003ccite>(Jane Sim)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“There are 16 states in Malaysia. There are 30 million people,” Eusope says. But despite the amazing diversity of food in her home country, she says most Malaysian restaurants in the U.S. all serve the same 10 dishes. The new Azalina’s won’t be as tightly focused on Mamak dishes, specifically, but Eusope says her overarching goal will be the same: to expand the way that most Americans think about Malaysian food. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“We’re not going to make another laksa. We’re not going to make another satay,” she says. “There are thousands of Malaysian dishes that people don’t know about.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">At least to start, Eusope’s plan is to keep things simple. The new Azalina’s will be open for dinner Thursday through Sunday, with a prix-fixe tasting menu only—about five courses, with drink pairings included, for $100 a person. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Tenderloin restaurant only seats about 35 people, so the idea is to create an intimate dining experience. “Imagine you’re walking in the evening in the streets of Penang,” where, as Eusope explains, life doesn’t really start until nighttime. The dining room will be lit up with string lights, so diners feel like they’re sitting outside at one of the island’s open-air markets. And dinner will consist of the kinds of dishes you’d eat while wandering from food stall to food stall.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13916804\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1186px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13916804\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/Rendered-Floor-Plan-5-copy.jpg\" alt=\"A color sketch of one section of the new Azalina's dining room. Text reads "Perspective of East Wall."\" width=\"1186\" height=\"821\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/Rendered-Floor-Plan-5-copy.jpg 1186w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/Rendered-Floor-Plan-5-copy-800x554.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/Rendered-Floor-Plan-5-copy-1020x706.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/Rendered-Floor-Plan-5-copy-160x111.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/Rendered-Floor-Plan-5-copy-768x532.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1186px) 100vw, 1186px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A sketch of one section of the new Azalina’s dining room. \u003ccite>(Sketch by Lisa Klien; design created by Academy of Art students Patricia Hernandez, Lisa Klien, Jayden Lu and Krinal Patel with guidance from Tom Collom)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Dinner might include a plate of char kway teow, a sizzling stir-fried noodle dish. It might include Eusope’s wildly popular \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/bayareabites/137174/check-please-bay-area-presents-mahilas-mamak-fried-chicken\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Mamak-style fried chicken\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> or rice hoppers served with curry. There might be yong tau foo—fish paste stuffed inside of tofu and all kinds of different vegetables. There will probably be some kind of soup. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Every dish will be paired with a drink, and Eusope plans to switch up the menu every two weeks or so. “We want to make it really fun,” she says. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Originally, Eusope had planned to open a kopitiam, or Malaysian-Chinese coffee shop, called \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://sf.eater.com/2020/8/10/21361781/azalina-eusope-uncle-sok-hee-malaysian-chinese-coffee-kopitiam-tenderloin-laksa-kaya-toast\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Uncle Sok Hee\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> at the Tenderloin location. The restaurant was meant to be a tribute to her father, a Penang street vendor who spent much of his life selling noodles in front of these coffee shops. Eusope remembers accompanying him as a kid, helping her father sell lottery tickets to the kopitiam customers. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Eusope won’t rule out the possibility of a stand-alone kopitiam at some point in the future, but she says the pandemic taught her to really treasure time with her family. She’s not sure if she’ll ever have the bandwidth again to run multiple restaurants at one time. (Eusope’s two children, now ages 20 and 22, both help out with the family business whenever they can.) \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13916805\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1706px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13916805\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/bethaniehines-32-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Chef Azalina Eusope poses for a portrait wearing a blue shirt and pink pants.\" width=\"1706\" height=\"2560\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/bethaniehines-32-scaled.jpg 1706w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/bethaniehines-32-800x1200.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/bethaniehines-32-1020x1530.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/bethaniehines-32-160x240.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/bethaniehines-32-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/bethaniehines-32-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/bethaniehines-32-1365x2048.jpg 1365w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1706px) 100vw, 1706px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Azalina Eusope describes herself as a fifth-generation Mamak street food vendor. \u003ccite>(Bethanie Hines)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Still, she says the idea behind Uncle Sok Hee will live on at the new Azalina’s, where many of the dishes will be the kinds of things that you would find served at a kopitiam in Malaysia. That will be especially true when the restaurant starts weekend brunch service, when the $50 prix-fixe will include things like kaya toast cooked on a charcoal grill, hokkien mee and Malaysian-style coffee and tea brewed tableside. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“My goal has always been the same—to honor every single aspect of my experience growing up,” Eusope says. “Food is very emotional, right? I feel it whenever someone’s eating something, even the smell of it. It somehow triggers some kind of thing in our soul.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-12904247\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"39\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39-160x16.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39-240x23.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39-375x37.jpg 375w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Azalina’s is located at 499 Ellis St. in San Francisco. The restaurant is tentatively slated to open on September 1. Reservations, available via Resy, will be required.\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>If you love a good Choco Taco, we’ve got some bad news. The quirky ice cream treat is being discontinued.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You might still be able to get one from the remaining supplies in stores or from your local ice cream truck, but once they’re gone, don’t expect them to come back.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postid='arts_13916301']“Over the past 2 years, we have experienced an unprecedented spike in demand across our portfolio and have had to make very tough decisions to ensure availability of our full portfolio nationwide,” a representative for the Klondike brand told NPR.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“A necessary but unfortunate part of this process is that we sometimes must discontinue products, even a beloved item like Choco Taco. We know this may be very disappointing, but we hope you’ll try one of our other great products, including Klondike Cones, Shakes, Sandwiches, and of course, our signature Bar available nationwide.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Those other frozen treats might be good, but they are likely cold comfort to the people caught in the hold of the Choco Taco. After all, what is summer without the goodness that is vanilla ice cream in a waffle cone taco shell that’s dipped in chocolate and covered with peanuts?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Choco Tacos have been around \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/09/07/493010050/the-choco-taco-investigating-the-mystery-behind-a-classic-american-treat\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">since 1983\u003c/a>, when Alan Drazen created them in Philadelphia. People have loved this fan favorite for nearly 40 years and as such, they’re mourning the loss on social media.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I thought it would be here forever, and I always told myself I’ll have one later but later is here and a choco taco is not,” user\u003ca href=\"https://www.reddit.com/r/news/comments/w83waw/comment/ihnv2ho/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> FilthyGrunger wrote on Reddit. \u003c/a>“Its [sic] like losing a dog, but instead of a loving animal, it’s an ice cream filled taco topped with chocolate and nuts. Honestly, if there was anything I could say about its passing, I would say that the world didn’t just lose an ice cream taco, it lost its way.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The outcry on Twitter was also loud, with some users wondering how a beloved item like the Choco Taco could be discontinued when other subpar packaged desserts were still being produced.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://twitter.com/reallycooljohn/status/1551696911802957825\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There are also quite a few folks who aren’t ready to say goodbye to the Choco Taco and expressed some desire to save it from the ice cream graveyard.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian is offering to keep the snack alive, tweeting this to Klondike’s parent company: “Dear Unilever—I’d like to buy the rights to your Choco Taco and keep it from melting away from future generations’ childhoods.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://twitter.com/alexisohanian/status/1551651861245075456\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., also said he wanted to save the dessert after hearing the news of its demise.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Tomorrow I am introducing legislation to invoke the Defense Production Act to mandate the continued manufacture of Choco Tacos. Please call your Senator and demand they co-sponsor,” \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/ChrisMurphyCT/status/1551766436447719425\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Murphy tweeted\u003c/a> on Monday, apparently \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/ChrisMurphyCT/status/1551997803462856704\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">at least half-kidding\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://twitter.com/ChrisMurphyCT/status/1551766436447719425\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>All hope might not be lost though. The Klondike Twitter account has replied to a few accounts saying the company hopes “to find a way to bring Choco Taco back to ice cream trucks in the coming years.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For this summer though, the question isn’t what would you do for a Klondike bar, but what would you do for a Choco Taco?\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"fullattribution\">\u003cem>Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">visit NPR\u003c/a>.\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&utmdt=The+Choco+Taco+is+dead%2C+but+it+will+never+be+forgotten+&utme=8(APIKey)9(MDAxOTAwOTE4MDEyMTkxMDAzNjczZDljZA004)\">\u003c/em>\u003c/div>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>If you love a good Choco Taco, we’ve got some bad news. The quirky ice cream treat is being discontinued.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You might still be able to get one from the remaining supplies in stores or from your local ice cream truck, but once they’re gone, don’t expect them to come back.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“Over the past 2 years, we have experienced an unprecedented spike in demand across our portfolio and have had to make very tough decisions to ensure availability of our full portfolio nationwide,” a representative for the Klondike brand told NPR.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“A necessary but unfortunate part of this process is that we sometimes must discontinue products, even a beloved item like Choco Taco. We know this may be very disappointing, but we hope you’ll try one of our other great products, including Klondike Cones, Shakes, Sandwiches, and of course, our signature Bar available nationwide.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Those other frozen treats might be good, but they are likely cold comfort to the people caught in the hold of the Choco Taco. After all, what is summer without the goodness that is vanilla ice cream in a waffle cone taco shell that’s dipped in chocolate and covered with peanuts?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Choco Tacos have been around \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/09/07/493010050/the-choco-taco-investigating-the-mystery-behind-a-classic-american-treat\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">since 1983\u003c/a>, when Alan Drazen created them in Philadelphia. People have loved this fan favorite for nearly 40 years and as such, they’re mourning the loss on social media.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I thought it would be here forever, and I always told myself I’ll have one later but later is here and a choco taco is not,” user\u003ca href=\"https://www.reddit.com/r/news/comments/w83waw/comment/ihnv2ho/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> FilthyGrunger wrote on Reddit. \u003c/a>“Its [sic] like losing a dog, but instead of a loving animal, it’s an ice cream filled taco topped with chocolate and nuts. Honestly, if there was anything I could say about its passing, I would say that the world didn’t just lose an ice cream taco, it lost its way.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The outcry on Twitter was also loud, with some users wondering how a beloved item like the Choco Taco could be discontinued when other subpar packaged desserts were still being produced.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., also said he wanted to save the dessert after hearing the news of its demise.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Tomorrow I am introducing legislation to invoke the Defense Production Act to mandate the continued manufacture of Choco Tacos. Please call your Senator and demand they co-sponsor,” \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/ChrisMurphyCT/status/1551766436447719425\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Murphy tweeted\u003c/a> on Monday, apparently \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/ChrisMurphyCT/status/1551997803462856704\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">at least half-kidding\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>All hope might not be lost though. The Klondike Twitter account has replied to a few accounts saying the company hopes “to find a way to bring Choco Taco back to ice cream trucks in the coming years.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For this summer though, the question isn’t what would you do for a Klondike bar, but what would you do for a Choco Taco?\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"fullattribution\">\u003cem>Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">visit NPR\u003c/a>.\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&utmdt=The+Choco+Taco+is+dead%2C+but+it+will+never+be+forgotten+&utme=8(APIKey)9(MDAxOTAwOTE4MDEyMTkxMDAzNjczZDljZA004)\">\u003c/em>\u003c/div>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cb>\u003ci>¡Hella Hungry! is a column about Bay Area foodmakers, exploring the region’s culinary cultures through the mouth of a first-generation local.\u003c/i>\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Korean corn dogs are not for the faint of stomach. With eye-popping size and a multitude of customizable ingredients, the show-stopping dogs on a stick have earned their keep among Instagrammers and TikTokers from Seoul to San Francisco with their fun geometric shapes and extra-stretchy cheese fillings. \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Bon Appétit \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">even officially named 2021 “\u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.bonappetit.com/story/korean-corn-dogs\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">the Year of the Korean Corn Dog.\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">” \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Popularized on social media through videos of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/B0BXjLZBq2j/\">slow-motion pull of cheese\u003c/a> with each bite, these corn dogs are a hyperized version of the American corn dog, with bigger, bolder and chewier options. You might get a ramen dog coated in panko with mozzarella cheese and wasabi mayo. Or, you can try a sugar-dusted fried-potato version with a beef wiener that’s drizzled with mustard. You can also mix up your options, like adding a half-beef, half-cheese filling, with Hot Cheetos crumbs and spicy mayo as dressing. There are no limits to the culinary imagination you can fit into your stomach. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.instagram.com/p/CUVm_upPL9Q/\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">These stylized takes on the corn dog have been a staple in South Korea since 2016, but until recently they’ve been relatively elusive in the Bay. \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/myungranghotdogcupertino/?hl=en\">The Korean originator of these corn dogs, the Myungrang Hot Dog\u003c/a> chain, opened its first Bay Area location in Cupertino last summer, but \u003ca href=\"https://www.stixcorndogs.com/\">STIX\u003c/a>—a locally-owned take on the doggies—was the first to bring the craze to San Francisco proper in 2019. Between massive bites of a cornflake-and-sugar crusted corn dog, I caught up with STIX co-founder Emily Hui at her new shop in Burlingame to chat about how she brought one of social media’s biggest food trends to our region.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">This interview has been edited for length and clarity.\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">********\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>KQED: How would you describe a Korean corn dog to someone who doesn’t know what it is?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">We get a lot of customers who don’t know what it is, actually—but afterwards they love it. American corn dogs use cornmeal for batter, but Korean uses regular flour and primarily rice flour. With rice flour, it gives the dough a really light, crispy and slightly chewy texture that is similar to mochi. For the interior we use all-beef hot dogs or mozzarella cheese. We serve a combo dog as well, which is half and half. But what makes Korean corn dogs special is that after skewering the hot dogs and cheese, the corn dogs are rolled in different toppings. Depending on what the customer wants, we have panko, french fries, Hot Cheetos, cornflakes, sugar and various other toppings to add to the texture and flavor. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003ccenter>\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"981\" height=\"557\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/7hzzap33Bhs\" title=\"Best Sandwich in San Francisco\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen>\u003c/iframe>\u003c/center>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>When did the original STIX in the Sunset District open, and when did you add the Burlingame location? \u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">My husband [Michael] and I opened the Sunset location in 2019. My husband grew up in San Francisco and went to high school right up the street, at Lincoln. There are a lot of mom-and-pop shops around here. When we first visualized starting a business, we wanted to do something together, just for us. We wanted to create something that was all our own. The Sunset was the perfect location. It’s very family oriented and neighborhood friendly—it feels personal. We only do to-go orders from there, since it’s a smaller storefront. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">We opened the Burlingame location in February [2022]. Downtown Burlingame is more high-end, and there’s big chains there. You can dine in at that location and the interior is remodeled. It seems like less people know what Korean corn dogs are, but they come in surprised and leave loving our food. It makes me feel really happy when we can introduce people to them.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13916486\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13916486 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/IMG_0946-800x1299.jpg\" alt=\"menu displaying the many food and drink options available at STIX in Burlingame\" width=\"800\" height=\"1299\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/IMG_0946-800x1299.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/IMG_0946-1020x1656.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/IMG_0946-160x260.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/IMG_0946-768x1247.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/IMG_0946-946x1536.jpg 946w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/IMG_0946-1262x2048.jpg 1262w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/IMG_0946-1920x3117.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/IMG_0946-scaled.jpg 1577w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">STIX menu is a choose-your-own-adventure experience for adventurous foodies. \u003ccite>(Alan Chazaro)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>What inspired you to bring Korean corn dogs to the Bay Area?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I always wanted to open a restaurant but wasn’t sure what food to serve. I’m a foodie, so I’m on Instagram checking out the food trends and what new restaurants are out there. In 2018, the Korean corn dog was already starting to trend in the U.S. There were a few spots in LA but there wasn’t much in the Bay Area—and it was only in the South Bay. It’s funny because you think of San Francisco having a diverse foodie scene, but I was surprised that no one had opened a Korean corn dog restaurant. That’s when we decided to just do it ourselves. We had to bring it to San Francisco, and we did. It took trial and error to get the recipe right—the batter and the amount of it. But we eventually figured it out. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Do you know the origin of the Korean corn dog?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">It’s originally from South Korea’s night market scene. Street food [in Asia] is just big—lots of fun, creative foods. The first time we tried the corn dog was actually on a trip to Asia in 2019. It was all over in Taiwan, Japan, Hong Kong. We ate one in Japan. It was wow, just really delicious and I wanted more.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>You also serve boba and french fries, in addition to corn dogs. What are some of your most popular side items?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[aside postID='arts_13916044,arts_13914585,arts_13913985']We serve curly fries. The deluxe version has nacho cheese and Hot Cheetos crumbs. That’s on the menu because I just like curly fries a lot (laughs). I also love nacho cheese and Hot Cheetos. People really love it as well. For our drinks, we have varieties of lemonades like mango, strawberry, and the pink guava cooler, which is popular. It’s just a sweet and refreshing juice. We also have typical milk teas that are flavored. The house special is the banana milk. It’s blended with a fresh banana and milk; it’s very creamy and fresh. We added it to the menu because corn dogs are heavy, fried foods. So it’s nice to have a refreshing drink with it.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>What’s your personal favorite combo to order?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Potato is our best seller. It’s just a fun crust option and goes with anything. But I surprisingly like the regular. It’s panko covered. It’s crispy and not too heavy when you eat it. My husband likes the Flamin’ Hot Dog. It’s a Flamin’ Hot Cheetos corn dog. You can’t go wrong with that. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Whenever you’re not eating Korean corn dogs, what are some of your favorite places for other Asian-inspired foods in the Bay Area?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We really love ramen\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">—we go to HiroNori in San Mateo for that. There’s also a really good \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/checkplease/21299/check-please-you-gotta-try-this-reviews-swedish-pancakes-kalbijjim-lamb-beef-shawarma\">Korean braised beef dish at Daeho Kalbijjim & Beef Soup\u003c/a>. And for Japanese curry, we go to Volcano Kitchen. We try to support small, independent businesses in the area as much as we can.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13916487\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13916487 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/IMG_0983-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"neon signage displayed on the restaurant's wall that reads: "That's what cheese said!"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/IMG_0983-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/IMG_0983-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/IMG_0983-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/IMG_0983-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/IMG_0983-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/IMG_0983-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/IMG_0983-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Decorations inside the shop. \u003ccite>(Alan Chazaro)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12904247 aligncenter\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"39\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39-160x16.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39-240x23.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39-375x37.jpg 375w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003carticle class=\"routes-Site-routes-Post-components-Post-components-PostMinisite-___PostMinisite__mpost\">\n\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left\">\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/stixsf/?hl=en\">STIX\u003c/a> San Francisco (\u003cspan class=\"LrzXr\">1353 Taraval St.) \u003c/span>is open every day except Wednesday; STIX Burlingame (\u003cspan class=\"LrzXr\">355 Broadway)\u003c/span> is open every day except Tuesday. Check their page for specific hours, which vary from noon to 6:30 or 7 pm closing.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\n\u003c/article>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cb>\u003ci>¡Hella Hungry! is a column about Bay Area foodmakers, exploring the region’s culinary cultures through the mouth of a first-generation local.\u003c/i>\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Korean corn dogs are not for the faint of stomach. With eye-popping size and a multitude of customizable ingredients, the show-stopping dogs on a stick have earned their keep among Instagrammers and TikTokers from Seoul to San Francisco with their fun geometric shapes and extra-stretchy cheese fillings. \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Bon Appétit \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">even officially named 2021 “\u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.bonappetit.com/story/korean-corn-dogs\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">the Year of the Korean Corn Dog.\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">” \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Popularized on social media through videos of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/B0BXjLZBq2j/\">slow-motion pull of cheese\u003c/a> with each bite, these corn dogs are a hyperized version of the American corn dog, with bigger, bolder and chewier options. You might get a ramen dog coated in panko with mozzarella cheese and wasabi mayo. Or, you can try a sugar-dusted fried-potato version with a beef wiener that’s drizzled with mustard. You can also mix up your options, like adding a half-beef, half-cheese filling, with Hot Cheetos crumbs and spicy mayo as dressing. There are no limits to the culinary imagination you can fit into your stomach. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">These stylized takes on the corn dog have been a staple in South Korea since 2016, but until recently they’ve been relatively elusive in the Bay. \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/myungranghotdogcupertino/?hl=en\">The Korean originator of these corn dogs, the Myungrang Hot Dog\u003c/a> chain, opened its first Bay Area location in Cupertino last summer, but \u003ca href=\"https://www.stixcorndogs.com/\">STIX\u003c/a>—a locally-owned take on the doggies—was the first to bring the craze to San Francisco proper in 2019. Between massive bites of a cornflake-and-sugar crusted corn dog, I caught up with STIX co-founder Emily Hui at her new shop in Burlingame to chat about how she brought one of social media’s biggest food trends to our region.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">This interview has been edited for length and clarity.\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">********\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>KQED: How would you describe a Korean corn dog to someone who doesn’t know what it is?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">We get a lot of customers who don’t know what it is, actually—but afterwards they love it. American corn dogs use cornmeal for batter, but Korean uses regular flour and primarily rice flour. With rice flour, it gives the dough a really light, crispy and slightly chewy texture that is similar to mochi. For the interior we use all-beef hot dogs or mozzarella cheese. We serve a combo dog as well, which is half and half. But what makes Korean corn dogs special is that after skewering the hot dogs and cheese, the corn dogs are rolled in different toppings. Depending on what the customer wants, we have panko, french fries, Hot Cheetos, cornflakes, sugar and various other toppings to add to the texture and flavor. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003ccenter>\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"981\" height=\"557\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/7hzzap33Bhs\" title=\"Best Sandwich in San Francisco\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen>\u003c/iframe>\u003c/center>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>When did the original STIX in the Sunset District open, and when did you add the Burlingame location? \u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">My husband [Michael] and I opened the Sunset location in 2019. My husband grew up in San Francisco and went to high school right up the street, at Lincoln. There are a lot of mom-and-pop shops around here. When we first visualized starting a business, we wanted to do something together, just for us. We wanted to create something that was all our own. The Sunset was the perfect location. It’s very family oriented and neighborhood friendly—it feels personal. We only do to-go orders from there, since it’s a smaller storefront. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">We opened the Burlingame location in February [2022]. Downtown Burlingame is more high-end, and there’s big chains there. You can dine in at that location and the interior is remodeled. It seems like less people know what Korean corn dogs are, but they come in surprised and leave loving our food. It makes me feel really happy when we can introduce people to them.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13916486\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13916486 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/IMG_0946-800x1299.jpg\" alt=\"menu displaying the many food and drink options available at STIX in Burlingame\" width=\"800\" height=\"1299\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/IMG_0946-800x1299.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/IMG_0946-1020x1656.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/IMG_0946-160x260.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/IMG_0946-768x1247.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/IMG_0946-946x1536.jpg 946w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/IMG_0946-1262x2048.jpg 1262w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/IMG_0946-1920x3117.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/IMG_0946-scaled.jpg 1577w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">STIX menu is a choose-your-own-adventure experience for adventurous foodies. \u003ccite>(Alan Chazaro)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>What inspired you to bring Korean corn dogs to the Bay Area?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I always wanted to open a restaurant but wasn’t sure what food to serve. I’m a foodie, so I’m on Instagram checking out the food trends and what new restaurants are out there. In 2018, the Korean corn dog was already starting to trend in the U.S. There were a few spots in LA but there wasn’t much in the Bay Area—and it was only in the South Bay. It’s funny because you think of San Francisco having a diverse foodie scene, but I was surprised that no one had opened a Korean corn dog restaurant. That’s when we decided to just do it ourselves. We had to bring it to San Francisco, and we did. It took trial and error to get the recipe right—the batter and the amount of it. But we eventually figured it out. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Do you know the origin of the Korean corn dog?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">It’s originally from South Korea’s night market scene. Street food [in Asia] is just big—lots of fun, creative foods. The first time we tried the corn dog was actually on a trip to Asia in 2019. It was all over in Taiwan, Japan, Hong Kong. We ate one in Japan. It was wow, just really delicious and I wanted more.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>You also serve boba and french fries, in addition to corn dogs. What are some of your most popular side items?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>We serve curly fries. The deluxe version has nacho cheese and Hot Cheetos crumbs. That’s on the menu because I just like curly fries a lot (laughs). I also love nacho cheese and Hot Cheetos. People really love it as well. For our drinks, we have varieties of lemonades like mango, strawberry, and the pink guava cooler, which is popular. It’s just a sweet and refreshing juice. We also have typical milk teas that are flavored. The house special is the banana milk. It’s blended with a fresh banana and milk; it’s very creamy and fresh. We added it to the menu because corn dogs are heavy, fried foods. So it’s nice to have a refreshing drink with it.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>What’s your personal favorite combo to order?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Potato is our best seller. It’s just a fun crust option and goes with anything. But I surprisingly like the regular. It’s panko covered. It’s crispy and not too heavy when you eat it. My husband likes the Flamin’ Hot Dog. It’s a Flamin’ Hot Cheetos corn dog. You can’t go wrong with that. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Whenever you’re not eating Korean corn dogs, what are some of your favorite places for other Asian-inspired foods in the Bay Area?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We really love ramen\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">—we go to HiroNori in San Mateo for that. There’s also a really good \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/checkplease/21299/check-please-you-gotta-try-this-reviews-swedish-pancakes-kalbijjim-lamb-beef-shawarma\">Korean braised beef dish at Daeho Kalbijjim & Beef Soup\u003c/a>. And for Japanese curry, we go to Volcano Kitchen. We try to support small, independent businesses in the area as much as we can.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13916487\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13916487 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/IMG_0983-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"neon signage displayed on the restaurant's wall that reads: "That's what cheese said!"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/IMG_0983-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/IMG_0983-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/IMG_0983-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/IMG_0983-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/IMG_0983-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/IMG_0983-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/IMG_0983-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Decorations inside the shop. \u003ccite>(Alan Chazaro)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12904247 aligncenter\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"39\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39-160x16.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39-240x23.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39-375x37.jpg 375w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003carticle class=\"routes-Site-routes-Post-components-Post-components-PostMinisite-___PostMinisite__mpost\">\n\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left\">\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/stixsf/?hl=en\">STIX\u003c/a> San Francisco (\u003cspan class=\"LrzXr\">1353 Taraval St.) \u003c/span>is open every day except Wednesday; STIX Burlingame (\u003cspan class=\"LrzXr\">355 Broadway)\u003c/span> is open every day except Tuesday. Check their page for specific hours, which vary from noon to 6:30 or 7 pm closing.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\n\u003c/article>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "Taiwan Bento, a Pioneer of the East Bay’s Taiwanese Food Scene, Is Closing",
"headTitle": "Taiwan Bento, a Pioneer of the East Bay’s Taiwanese Food Scene, Is Closing | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">When Stacy Tang first opened \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"http://www.taiwanbento.us/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Taiwan Bento\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> in downtown Oakland in 2014, customers routinely asked whether the restaurant served Thai food or Japanese takeout. No one seemed to have even heard of Taiwanese beef noodle soup, so Tang and her husband, Willy Wang, spent an inordinate amount of time each day explaining how Taiwan’s national dish differed from ramen or pho.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Eight years later, the \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13897272/bay-area-taiwanese-food-scene-nostalgia\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">landscape of Taiwanese cuisine in the Bay Area is completely different\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, thanks in part to Tang’s scrappy little restaurant, which served many local, non-Taiwanese customers their first gua bao, their first classic Taiwanese pork chop over rice. “Right now, it’s easier to be yourself,” Tang says. “Because people know more about [Taiwanese food], you don’t need a lot of explanation.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">It’s more than a little bittersweet, then, that Tang and Wang have decided to close Taiwan Bento at the end of this month, marking the end of an era for one of the real pioneers of Taiwanese food culture in the Bay Area. The restaurant’s last day of business will be Friday, July 29.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13897347\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1981px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13897347\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2021/05/048_KQEDArts_TaiwanBento_05082021.jpg\" alt=\"Stacy Tang holds a steamed bun in the kitchen at her restaurant, Taiwan Bento.\" width=\"1981\" height=\"1321\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/05/048_KQEDArts_TaiwanBento_05082021.jpg 1981w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/05/048_KQEDArts_TaiwanBento_05082021-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/05/048_KQEDArts_TaiwanBento_05082021-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/05/048_KQEDArts_TaiwanBento_05082021-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/05/048_KQEDArts_TaiwanBento_05082021-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/05/048_KQEDArts_TaiwanBento_05082021-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/05/048_KQEDArts_TaiwanBento_05082021-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1981px) 100vw, 1981px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Stacy Tang (left) prepares some steamed bao at her Oakland restaurant, Taiwan Bento. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">According to Tang, it’s closing due to a combination of factors. Of course, the pandemic has been brutal, and Tang says Taiwan Bento is still dealing with the same COVID-related staffing shortages and financial pressures that have put so many other local restaurants through the wringer. Still, she says of the pandemic, “We actually made it through it.” \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">More immediately, Tang says she needs to take some time away from the industry in order to be with her family. Last year was especially tough: In Taiwan, her godfather passed away, and her mother underwent a major surgical procedure. But because of the daily pressures of running a restaurant, she never had a chance to plan a trip there. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“I wasn’t able to see my family and take care of my mom,” she says. “That time with family—if you miss it, you miss it.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">With the restaurant’s lease set to expire at the end of the month, Tang says she just couldn’t see herself committing to another five years. But looking back on it now, she says she’s proud of the business she built from the ground up. As a brand new immigrant who only moved to the United States in 2012, just two years before she opened the restaurant, she says the first few years were incredibly challenging because of how naive and inexperienced she was about running a business in the U.S. “Every day was overwhelming for me,” she says. At one point, when she was still tweaking the restaurant’s initial set of recipes, she says she became so stressed that she lost her sense of taste for nearly a month.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">While the South Bay has a fairly long, \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13897830/taiwanese-restaurants-silicon-valley-cupertino-tech\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">established history of Taiwanese restaurants\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, there were almost none in the Oakland and Berkeley area back in the early and mid-2010s. Still, slowly but surely, the restaurant built up a following. It was one of the first non-boba shop businesses in the area to serve Taiwanese popcorn chicken—properly garnished, of course, with plenty of fried basil. It was one of the only East Bay restaurants where you could get Taiwanese-style beef noodle soup on a consistent basis. More recently, it became the first restaurant in Oakland that would occasionally serve \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13897868/taiwanese-breakfast-bay-area\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Taiwanese breakfast\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13897876\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1761px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13897876\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2021/05/005_KQEDArts_TaiwanBento_05082021.jpg\" alt=\"Overhead view of a takeout box with sticky rice rolls, scallion egg pancake, and other Taiwanese breakfast items from Taiwan Bento.\" width=\"1761\" height=\"1174\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/05/005_KQEDArts_TaiwanBento_05082021.jpg 1761w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/05/005_KQEDArts_TaiwanBento_05082021-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/05/005_KQEDArts_TaiwanBento_05082021-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/05/005_KQEDArts_TaiwanBento_05082021-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/05/005_KQEDArts_TaiwanBento_05082021-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/05/005_KQEDArts_TaiwanBento_05082021-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1761px) 100vw, 1761px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Starting in 2021, Taiwan Bento hosted occasional Taiwanese breakfast pop-ups, where it would serve hard-to-find dishes such as fan tuan and dan bing. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">These days, Tang says, she doesn’t have to justify or explain her Taiwanese menu.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[aside postID='arts_13897272,arts_13897868,arts_13901982']“Now more and more people are coming, and they say, ‘gua bao’ or even ‘lu rou fan,’” she says, using the Mandarin names for dishes she used to have to translate using Westernized terms like “pork belly sandwich.” And after the restaurant was featured in an episode of KQED’s \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/checkplease/21212/check-please-you-gotta-try-this-reviews-beef-hot-dog-best-indian-pizza-fried-pork-chop-bento\">\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Check, Please! Bay Area\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/a> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">last year, it got an influx of older customers of all races—in their 60s, 70s and even 90s—who came to the restaurant wanting to try Taiwanese food for the first time.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“Some became regulars,” Tang says. “That’s truly amazing.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Tang and Wang say they won’t rule out the possibility of opening some new incarnation of Taiwan Bento somewhere down the line, especially if they’re able to figure out a way to do it while striking a better work-life balance. For now, however, Tang is focused on helping her staff secure new jobs, saying final farewells and closing out the restaurant’s last two weeks of service right. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">After that? She’ll be buying a one-way ticket to Taiwan.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-12904247\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"39\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39-160x16.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39-240x23.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39-375x37.jpg 375w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003ca href=\"http://www.taiwanbento.us/\">Taiwan Bento\u003c/a> is open 11:30 am–8 pm at 412 22nd St. in Oakland. The restaurant’s last day of business will be Friday, July 29.\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">When Stacy Tang first opened \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"http://www.taiwanbento.us/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Taiwan Bento\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> in downtown Oakland in 2014, customers routinely asked whether the restaurant served Thai food or Japanese takeout. No one seemed to have even heard of Taiwanese beef noodle soup, so Tang and her husband, Willy Wang, spent an inordinate amount of time each day explaining how Taiwan’s national dish differed from ramen or pho.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Eight years later, the \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13897272/bay-area-taiwanese-food-scene-nostalgia\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">landscape of Taiwanese cuisine in the Bay Area is completely different\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, thanks in part to Tang’s scrappy little restaurant, which served many local, non-Taiwanese customers their first gua bao, their first classic Taiwanese pork chop over rice. “Right now, it’s easier to be yourself,” Tang says. “Because people know more about [Taiwanese food], you don’t need a lot of explanation.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">It’s more than a little bittersweet, then, that Tang and Wang have decided to close Taiwan Bento at the end of this month, marking the end of an era for one of the real pioneers of Taiwanese food culture in the Bay Area. The restaurant’s last day of business will be Friday, July 29.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13897347\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1981px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13897347\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2021/05/048_KQEDArts_TaiwanBento_05082021.jpg\" alt=\"Stacy Tang holds a steamed bun in the kitchen at her restaurant, Taiwan Bento.\" width=\"1981\" height=\"1321\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/05/048_KQEDArts_TaiwanBento_05082021.jpg 1981w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/05/048_KQEDArts_TaiwanBento_05082021-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/05/048_KQEDArts_TaiwanBento_05082021-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/05/048_KQEDArts_TaiwanBento_05082021-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/05/048_KQEDArts_TaiwanBento_05082021-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/05/048_KQEDArts_TaiwanBento_05082021-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/05/048_KQEDArts_TaiwanBento_05082021-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1981px) 100vw, 1981px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Stacy Tang (left) prepares some steamed bao at her Oakland restaurant, Taiwan Bento. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">According to Tang, it’s closing due to a combination of factors. Of course, the pandemic has been brutal, and Tang says Taiwan Bento is still dealing with the same COVID-related staffing shortages and financial pressures that have put so many other local restaurants through the wringer. Still, she says of the pandemic, “We actually made it through it.” \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">More immediately, Tang says she needs to take some time away from the industry in order to be with her family. Last year was especially tough: In Taiwan, her godfather passed away, and her mother underwent a major surgical procedure. But because of the daily pressures of running a restaurant, she never had a chance to plan a trip there. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“I wasn’t able to see my family and take care of my mom,” she says. “That time with family—if you miss it, you miss it.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">With the restaurant’s lease set to expire at the end of the month, Tang says she just couldn’t see herself committing to another five years. But looking back on it now, she says she’s proud of the business she built from the ground up. As a brand new immigrant who only moved to the United States in 2012, just two years before she opened the restaurant, she says the first few years were incredibly challenging because of how naive and inexperienced she was about running a business in the U.S. “Every day was overwhelming for me,” she says. At one point, when she was still tweaking the restaurant’s initial set of recipes, she says she became so stressed that she lost her sense of taste for nearly a month.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">While the South Bay has a fairly long, \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13897830/taiwanese-restaurants-silicon-valley-cupertino-tech\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">established history of Taiwanese restaurants\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, there were almost none in the Oakland and Berkeley area back in the early and mid-2010s. Still, slowly but surely, the restaurant built up a following. It was one of the first non-boba shop businesses in the area to serve Taiwanese popcorn chicken—properly garnished, of course, with plenty of fried basil. It was one of the only East Bay restaurants where you could get Taiwanese-style beef noodle soup on a consistent basis. More recently, it became the first restaurant in Oakland that would occasionally serve \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13897868/taiwanese-breakfast-bay-area\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Taiwanese breakfast\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13897876\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1761px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13897876\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2021/05/005_KQEDArts_TaiwanBento_05082021.jpg\" alt=\"Overhead view of a takeout box with sticky rice rolls, scallion egg pancake, and other Taiwanese breakfast items from Taiwan Bento.\" width=\"1761\" height=\"1174\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/05/005_KQEDArts_TaiwanBento_05082021.jpg 1761w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/05/005_KQEDArts_TaiwanBento_05082021-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/05/005_KQEDArts_TaiwanBento_05082021-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/05/005_KQEDArts_TaiwanBento_05082021-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/05/005_KQEDArts_TaiwanBento_05082021-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/05/005_KQEDArts_TaiwanBento_05082021-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1761px) 100vw, 1761px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Starting in 2021, Taiwan Bento hosted occasional Taiwanese breakfast pop-ups, where it would serve hard-to-find dishes such as fan tuan and dan bing. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">These days, Tang says, she doesn’t have to justify or explain her Taiwanese menu.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“Now more and more people are coming, and they say, ‘gua bao’ or even ‘lu rou fan,’” she says, using the Mandarin names for dishes she used to have to translate using Westernized terms like “pork belly sandwich.” And after the restaurant was featured in an episode of KQED’s \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/checkplease/21212/check-please-you-gotta-try-this-reviews-beef-hot-dog-best-indian-pizza-fried-pork-chop-bento\">\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Check, Please! Bay Area\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/a> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">last year, it got an influx of older customers of all races—in their 60s, 70s and even 90s—who came to the restaurant wanting to try Taiwanese food for the first time.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“Some became regulars,” Tang says. “That’s truly amazing.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Tang and Wang say they won’t rule out the possibility of opening some new incarnation of Taiwan Bento somewhere down the line, especially if they’re able to figure out a way to do it while striking a better work-life balance. For now, however, Tang is focused on helping her staff secure new jobs, saying final farewells and closing out the restaurant’s last two weeks of service right. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">After that? She’ll be buying a one-way ticket to Taiwan.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-12904247\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"39\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39-160x16.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39-240x23.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39-375x37.jpg 375w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003ca href=\"http://www.taiwanbento.us/\">Taiwan Bento\u003c/a> is open 11:30 am–8 pm at 412 22nd St. in Oakland. The restaurant’s last day of business will be Friday, July 29.\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "sucka-free-soul-the-vegan-hood-chefs-honor-southern-heritage-with-a-frisco-twist",
"title": "Sucka Free Soul: The Vegan Hood Chefs Honor Southern Heritage With a Frisco Twist",
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"headTitle": "Sucka Free Soul: The Vegan Hood Chefs Honor Southern Heritage With a Frisco Twist | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cb>\u003ci>¡Hella Hungry! is a column about Bay Area foodmakers, exploring the region’s culinary cultures through the mouth of a first-generation local.\u003c/i>\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I’ve been on a vegan kick lately. Maybe after visiting my family in Mexico—a trip that began with tacos al pastor, continued with tacos al pastor and ended with tacos al pastor—I subconsciously reverted to a cleaner, lighter diet upon my return to California. Luckily, the Bay Area is one of the country’s leading regions for vegan options, as evidenced by events like \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13915889/berkeley-vegan-food-festival-bizerkeley-vegan\">The Bizerkeley Food Festival\u003c/a> later this summer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This week I linked up with \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/theveganhoodchefs/?hl=en\">The Vegan Hood Chefs\u003c/a>, a popular duo from San Francisco who serve bomb, Southern-inspired comfort foods while “revolutionizing hood nutrition.” They are part of a larger wave of Black vegan entrepreneurs in the Bay Area, including \u003ca href=\"https://souleyvegan.com/\">Souley Vegan\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://veganmob.biz/\">Vegan Mob\u003c/a>, who are redefining what vegan food can be for diverse communities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Plant-based po’ boys with oyster mushrooms? Giant plates of jambalaya using vegan sausage, bell peppers, onions, garlic, rice and celery? Marinated chunks of breaded jackfruit fried in Cajun spices? The Vegan Hood Chefs have got it all. And like any true Bay Area hustlers, they’re everywhere with it, posting up in the Mission, Stockton, Oakland and beyond—anywhere they can serve their flavorful heritage to hungry folks who might not yet know the pleasures of veganism.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13916056\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13916056 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/IMG_1388-800x533.jpg\" alt='two plates of vegan french fries on a table outside in front of the Vegan Hood Chefs food truck. A printed slogan on the side of the truck says \"revolutionizing hood nutrition\"' width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/IMG_1388-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/IMG_1388-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/IMG_1388-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/IMG_1388-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/IMG_1388-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/IMG_1388-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/IMG_1388-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jambalaya fries, left, and birria fries, right, served by the Vegan Hood Chefs \u003ccite>(Briana Chazaro)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>When I met them in a parking lot on 18th and Valencia, \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Ronnishia Johnson-Hasan \u003c/span>(a licensed clinical social worker, mother and family caretaker from Hunters Point) and her business partner, Rheema Calloway (chef, caretaker and community organizer from Lakeview), were blasting Bay Area anthems from a sound system and dishing up mounds of vegan goodies, including four varieties of “loaded” french fries: Jackfruit Birria (spiced jackfruit, cilantro, diced onions, and vegan cheese sauce), Surf and Turf (Konjac Root Skrimp and Lions Maine “steak” with creamy Alfredo sauce), Jambalaya (vegan parmesan garlic butter and vegan jambalaya) and Poke (coconut-marinated papaya, seaweed, wasabi mayo and hearts of palm “Krab”).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It was more than enough to excite any vegan eater—whether full-time, part-time, or first-time. I took a seat with them to hear about how it all started.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>This interview has been edited for length and clarity.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center\">*****\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>KQED: When did you each begin your individual journeys as vegans?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ronnishia: I started my transition into veganism in 2010, 2011. I was an undergrad at Texas Southern University, and we were roommates. I had hypertension blood pressure, so my boyfriend at the time educated me on a plant-based diet, my weight and overall health. I did more research and I started the process. I cut out red meat, and eventually over 10 to 12 years I became full vegan.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rheema: We were best friends. When she started her transition in college I thought she was crazy—she was eating differently and cut all her hair off. But when we graduated and came home [to San Francisco], we started to learn more about food justice. She challenged me to do a fast with her, so we did it for 30 days. I realized how much energy I had and how good I felt afterward. I was a struggling pescatarian at first, and then around 2012 I transitioned to being vegan.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>How did The Vegan Hood Chefs start?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ronnishia: It started in 2017. We started this journey by wanting to eat healthy. We lived in a food desert as Black folks. Most of our work is in our own communities, which are food deserts, where people aren’t having conversations around veganism in a culturally connected way. We wanted our families and folks we love to join the conversation about food justice. And we didn’t see people like us leading those conversations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At first, we started a food page on Instagram to raise awareness on what we were eating and cooking. We didn’t plan to start a business at all. Then, one of our friends at the time was hosting an event and their caterer backed out at the last minute, so she asked us to do it instead. At the time, we had a partner in culinary school—my cousin—and we figured we could try to do it together. My day job used a kitchen whenever we needed to cook for kids, so we used that. [That first event] we cooked for 200 people and it sold out. That spread through word of mouth and online and it took off from there. It just filled a need in the community around veganism and eating healthy as a healing practice in Black and Brown communities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>What’s an example of a dish on your menu that is popular?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rheema: The Sucka Free Poboy is special. We’re intentional about naming our items. It’s based on San Francisco [“Sucka Free City”] and how we speak here, but inspired by our grandmothers, who are both from Louisiana. We grew up eating this. Our Po’boy uses oyster mushrooms battered in the way our grandmothers would do it. It’s fried, with lettuce, tomatoes, purple cabbage, green onions and topped with our house sauce.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ronnishia: Also, the bread we use is super awesome. It’s from Acme, a local bakery. \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Our mushrooms are sourced by Far West Fungi!\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>How does your food reflect your connection to the Bay Area?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ronnishia: I’m from Hunters Point and Rheema is from Lakeview. It’s printed on our truck. We have a deep connection to our heritage and culture, but also to The City. A lot of families migrated here from the South to work in the shipyards, so there’s a deep relationship to places like Louisiana and Texas. We bring that out in our food with the names and ingredients we choose. We want you to get our experience as Black folks living in San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rheema: We’re all over the Bay, too. The beauty of the truck is that we get to honor who we are, but also meet people where they’re at. We’ve been from S.F. to Richmond to Oakland to Stockton to Sacramento to Santa Cruz to San Ramon to Sonoma County and back. It’s dope. We’re popping up everywhere. We also did that when we didn’t have the truck, but now it’s about giving more accessibility in our communities. We’ve also been partnering with Bay Area businesses like \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Natrully Herbs\u003c/span> in Richmond, a Black-owned collaborative space with smoothies and alkaline foods, which is a step above vegan.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>What challenges have you overcome with running an independent business?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ronnishia: Lack of representation. We started off in this industry without any real knowledge around how to run a food business. Fortunately, we picked that up along the way. But it’s often difficult for communities of color to have the capital to start a business, even when we’re being innovative. It makes you doubt yourself. Lacking access to mentorship and support, we had to figure out how we do it all as we go.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Also, it’s difficult to be a Black woman in a male-dominated industry. It feels like we have to work 10 times as hard to be taken seriously and have the same opportunities. The food industry is fast-paced and changing, so there’s always a need to pivot and keep your business sustainable. During the pandemic we were affected—before we had a food truck—and we had to completely revamp our model from pop-ups and home events to using social media more and engaging our audience. It’s hard to find good, reliable staff too. That’s happening all over the food industry right now.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13916057\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13916057 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/IMG_1412-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"one side of the Vegan Hood Chefs' truck shares their mission, which is to honor the heritage, sacredness and practices of cultural foods\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/IMG_1412-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/IMG_1412-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/IMG_1412-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/IMG_1412-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/IMG_1412-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/IMG_1412-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/IMG_1412-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Vegan Hood Chefs are on a mission to “honor the heritage, sacredness, and practices of cultural foods.” \u003ccite>(Briana Chazaro)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>When you’re not eating your own food, where do you go to grub on vegan dishes?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rheema: Our top favorite is Om Sabor, on Grove Street [in San Francisco]. It’s Latinx inspired and influenced. They make the best muthafuckin’ \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">krab sushi and food fusions\u003c/span>. The enchiladas there are hella good. They do vegan plates that you can share in groups. Golden Lotus, in Oakland. Comidadejen, Casa Borinqueña and \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Koquito\u003c/span>, Puerto Rican-infused places.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ronnishia: Malibu Burgers in Piedmont is good. We go to Wildseed a lot; they have a delicious mushroom pizza we love. There’s great Ethiopian food like Oasis Cafe in Fillmore. \u003ca href=\"https://www.caferomanat.com/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Café Romanat\u003c/span>\u003c/a> in Oakland. Vegan Solstice in Stockton, which hosts pop-ups. Vegan Heat, Black-owned, that’s a pop-up.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rheema: Oh, what’s our favorite ice cream place called? \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Kubè Nice Cream in Oakland\u003c/span>. They have this coconut and key lime ice cream. Oh my gosh. It’s hella good. Makes you wanna slap your momma.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>What are you cooking up next?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ronnishia: We’re working on a cookbook that should be coming out towards the end of this year. We’re working on more online content as well—we want to tap into creating more video content, to provide resources around how to shop and where to start being vegan. This work is something we really enjoy, and these are the conversations we have with people from our communities who visit our truck. We have a blog we utilize somewhat—which the Bizerkeley Vegan used to write for—but we haven’t been able to do that as much lately. Our main mission is to just keep connecting and educating our community, and to cook in as many ways as possible.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rheema: We’re in the Mission a lot. You can’t miss us.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-12904247\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"39\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39-160x16.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39-240x23.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39-375x37.jpg 375w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\">\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/theveganhoodchefs/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Vegan Hood Chefs\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> regularly rotate menus and locations. Check their social media pages for updates on where they’ll be next.\u003c/span>\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cb>\u003ci>¡Hella Hungry! is a column about Bay Area foodmakers, exploring the region’s culinary cultures through the mouth of a first-generation local.\u003c/i>\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I’ve been on a vegan kick lately. Maybe after visiting my family in Mexico—a trip that began with tacos al pastor, continued with tacos al pastor and ended with tacos al pastor—I subconsciously reverted to a cleaner, lighter diet upon my return to California. Luckily, the Bay Area is one of the country’s leading regions for vegan options, as evidenced by events like \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13915889/berkeley-vegan-food-festival-bizerkeley-vegan\">The Bizerkeley Food Festival\u003c/a> later this summer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This week I linked up with \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/theveganhoodchefs/?hl=en\">The Vegan Hood Chefs\u003c/a>, a popular duo from San Francisco who serve bomb, Southern-inspired comfort foods while “revolutionizing hood nutrition.” They are part of a larger wave of Black vegan entrepreneurs in the Bay Area, including \u003ca href=\"https://souleyvegan.com/\">Souley Vegan\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://veganmob.biz/\">Vegan Mob\u003c/a>, who are redefining what vegan food can be for diverse communities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Plant-based po’ boys with oyster mushrooms? Giant plates of jambalaya using vegan sausage, bell peppers, onions, garlic, rice and celery? Marinated chunks of breaded jackfruit fried in Cajun spices? The Vegan Hood Chefs have got it all. And like any true Bay Area hustlers, they’re everywhere with it, posting up in the Mission, Stockton, Oakland and beyond—anywhere they can serve their flavorful heritage to hungry folks who might not yet know the pleasures of veganism.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13916056\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13916056 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/IMG_1388-800x533.jpg\" alt='two plates of vegan french fries on a table outside in front of the Vegan Hood Chefs food truck. A printed slogan on the side of the truck says \"revolutionizing hood nutrition\"' width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/IMG_1388-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/IMG_1388-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/IMG_1388-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/IMG_1388-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/IMG_1388-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/IMG_1388-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/IMG_1388-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jambalaya fries, left, and birria fries, right, served by the Vegan Hood Chefs \u003ccite>(Briana Chazaro)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>When I met them in a parking lot on 18th and Valencia, \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Ronnishia Johnson-Hasan \u003c/span>(a licensed clinical social worker, mother and family caretaker from Hunters Point) and her business partner, Rheema Calloway (chef, caretaker and community organizer from Lakeview), were blasting Bay Area anthems from a sound system and dishing up mounds of vegan goodies, including four varieties of “loaded” french fries: Jackfruit Birria (spiced jackfruit, cilantro, diced onions, and vegan cheese sauce), Surf and Turf (Konjac Root Skrimp and Lions Maine “steak” with creamy Alfredo sauce), Jambalaya (vegan parmesan garlic butter and vegan jambalaya) and Poke (coconut-marinated papaya, seaweed, wasabi mayo and hearts of palm “Krab”).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It was more than enough to excite any vegan eater—whether full-time, part-time, or first-time. I took a seat with them to hear about how it all started.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>This interview has been edited for length and clarity.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center\">*****\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>KQED: When did you each begin your individual journeys as vegans?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ronnishia: I started my transition into veganism in 2010, 2011. I was an undergrad at Texas Southern University, and we were roommates. I had hypertension blood pressure, so my boyfriend at the time educated me on a plant-based diet, my weight and overall health. I did more research and I started the process. I cut out red meat, and eventually over 10 to 12 years I became full vegan.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rheema: We were best friends. When she started her transition in college I thought she was crazy—she was eating differently and cut all her hair off. But when we graduated and came home [to San Francisco], we started to learn more about food justice. She challenged me to do a fast with her, so we did it for 30 days. I realized how much energy I had and how good I felt afterward. I was a struggling pescatarian at first, and then around 2012 I transitioned to being vegan.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>How did The Vegan Hood Chefs start?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ronnishia: It started in 2017. We started this journey by wanting to eat healthy. We lived in a food desert as Black folks. Most of our work is in our own communities, which are food deserts, where people aren’t having conversations around veganism in a culturally connected way. We wanted our families and folks we love to join the conversation about food justice. And we didn’t see people like us leading those conversations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At first, we started a food page on Instagram to raise awareness on what we were eating and cooking. We didn’t plan to start a business at all. Then, one of our friends at the time was hosting an event and their caterer backed out at the last minute, so she asked us to do it instead. At the time, we had a partner in culinary school—my cousin—and we figured we could try to do it together. My day job used a kitchen whenever we needed to cook for kids, so we used that. [That first event] we cooked for 200 people and it sold out. That spread through word of mouth and online and it took off from there. It just filled a need in the community around veganism and eating healthy as a healing practice in Black and Brown communities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>What’s an example of a dish on your menu that is popular?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rheema: The Sucka Free Poboy is special. We’re intentional about naming our items. It’s based on San Francisco [“Sucka Free City”] and how we speak here, but inspired by our grandmothers, who are both from Louisiana. We grew up eating this. Our Po’boy uses oyster mushrooms battered in the way our grandmothers would do it. It’s fried, with lettuce, tomatoes, purple cabbage, green onions and topped with our house sauce.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ronnishia: Also, the bread we use is super awesome. It’s from Acme, a local bakery. \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Our mushrooms are sourced by Far West Fungi!\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>How does your food reflect your connection to the Bay Area?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ronnishia: I’m from Hunters Point and Rheema is from Lakeview. It’s printed on our truck. We have a deep connection to our heritage and culture, but also to The City. A lot of families migrated here from the South to work in the shipyards, so there’s a deep relationship to places like Louisiana and Texas. We bring that out in our food with the names and ingredients we choose. We want you to get our experience as Black folks living in San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rheema: We’re all over the Bay, too. The beauty of the truck is that we get to honor who we are, but also meet people where they’re at. We’ve been from S.F. to Richmond to Oakland to Stockton to Sacramento to Santa Cruz to San Ramon to Sonoma County and back. It’s dope. We’re popping up everywhere. We also did that when we didn’t have the truck, but now it’s about giving more accessibility in our communities. We’ve also been partnering with Bay Area businesses like \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Natrully Herbs\u003c/span> in Richmond, a Black-owned collaborative space with smoothies and alkaline foods, which is a step above vegan.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>What challenges have you overcome with running an independent business?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ronnishia: Lack of representation. We started off in this industry without any real knowledge around how to run a food business. Fortunately, we picked that up along the way. But it’s often difficult for communities of color to have the capital to start a business, even when we’re being innovative. It makes you doubt yourself. Lacking access to mentorship and support, we had to figure out how we do it all as we go.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Also, it’s difficult to be a Black woman in a male-dominated industry. It feels like we have to work 10 times as hard to be taken seriously and have the same opportunities. The food industry is fast-paced and changing, so there’s always a need to pivot and keep your business sustainable. During the pandemic we were affected—before we had a food truck—and we had to completely revamp our model from pop-ups and home events to using social media more and engaging our audience. It’s hard to find good, reliable staff too. That’s happening all over the food industry right now.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13916057\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13916057 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/IMG_1412-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"one side of the Vegan Hood Chefs' truck shares their mission, which is to honor the heritage, sacredness and practices of cultural foods\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/IMG_1412-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/IMG_1412-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/IMG_1412-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/IMG_1412-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/IMG_1412-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/IMG_1412-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/IMG_1412-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Vegan Hood Chefs are on a mission to “honor the heritage, sacredness, and practices of cultural foods.” \u003ccite>(Briana Chazaro)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>When you’re not eating your own food, where do you go to grub on vegan dishes?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rheema: Our top favorite is Om Sabor, on Grove Street [in San Francisco]. It’s Latinx inspired and influenced. They make the best muthafuckin’ \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">krab sushi and food fusions\u003c/span>. The enchiladas there are hella good. They do vegan plates that you can share in groups. Golden Lotus, in Oakland. Comidadejen, Casa Borinqueña and \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Koquito\u003c/span>, Puerto Rican-infused places.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ronnishia: Malibu Burgers in Piedmont is good. We go to Wildseed a lot; they have a delicious mushroom pizza we love. There’s great Ethiopian food like Oasis Cafe in Fillmore. \u003ca href=\"https://www.caferomanat.com/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Café Romanat\u003c/span>\u003c/a> in Oakland. Vegan Solstice in Stockton, which hosts pop-ups. Vegan Heat, Black-owned, that’s a pop-up.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rheema: Oh, what’s our favorite ice cream place called? \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Kubè Nice Cream in Oakland\u003c/span>. They have this coconut and key lime ice cream. Oh my gosh. It’s hella good. Makes you wanna slap your momma.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>What are you cooking up next?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ronnishia: We’re working on a cookbook that should be coming out towards the end of this year. We’re working on more online content as well—we want to tap into creating more video content, to provide resources around how to shop and where to start being vegan. This work is something we really enjoy, and these are the conversations we have with people from our communities who visit our truck. We have a blog we utilize somewhat—which the Bizerkeley Vegan used to write for—but we haven’t been able to do that as much lately. Our main mission is to just keep connecting and educating our community, and to cook in as many ways as possible.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rheema: We’re in the Mission a lot. You can’t miss us.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-12904247\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"39\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39-160x16.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39-240x23.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39-375x37.jpg 375w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\">\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"title": "A Kimchi Fried Rice Playlist on Spotify Teaches You How to Make the Dish",
"headTitle": "A Kimchi Fried Rice Playlist on Spotify Teaches You How to Make the Dish | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>In today’s digital age, following a recipe from a book may seem pretty archaic. So if you’re not in the mood to read the ingredients and measurements, then a playlist might be for you.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postid='arts_13914042']Noah Conk, a San Francisco-based designer, went to the effort of creating a curated playlist of his recipe for kimchi fried rice. The recipe is explained by a three-hour, 51-song playlist, with each song title describing a specific ingredient, measurement or instruction.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some of the songs included are pretty general, like the first in the playlist: “Ingredients” by YNW Melly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2uQYUgqoew\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Others are more specific, like “Unsalted Butter” by The Long Winters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-fU3Djv_ns\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And of course, some have key details to the cooking process, and veer on the ambient, like “Medium Heat” by Rain & Chocolate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAPrYobIzpI\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I basically went through the search function of searching for the word that I needed,” Conk explained. Currently, the playlist boasts more than 4,000 likes on Spotify.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some songs are addendums to the playlist, due to audience demand, like “Butter” by BTS.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMweEpGlu_U\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Conk had originally made the playlist \u003cem>without\u003c/em> the smash hit by the widely beloved K-Pop group. He soon realized his grave error: “I was like, how could I forget the ‘Butter’ song, in a kimchi fried rice recipe playlist?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Conk picked kimchi fried rice because it’s a favorite comfort food of his.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postid='arts_13915004']“Growing up,” he said, “I never really ate too much Korean food because I’m an adoptee,” he said. Reconnecting with his Korean roots in college, especially through food, allowed him to gain confidence in making his own recipe, inspired by YouTuber chef Chris Cho.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But his own preferences for the recipe also caused listeners to ask questions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They’re like, why unsalted butter?” Conk said. “It allows you to salt to taste. And the goal of butter is to bring out the subtle nuances of kimchi.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After the instructions are through, listeners are greeted by Anderson .Paak’s “Winners Circle.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tcbxVU6inM\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You made it to the end, and you’re in the winner’s circle,” Conk explained. “You’re part of this collective of people who can make kimchi fried rice from a playlist. And it’s also a subtle nod to Anderson .Paak being Korean.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Regardless of whether they’re winners or not, they’ll certainly have a delicious bowl of food to groove out with. You can try it out for yourself with the playlist here:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://open.spotify.com/embed?uri=spotify%3Aplaylist%3A2ZMYdEQsuj7AM6M2njdyL1\" width=\"100%\" height=\"380\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"yes\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"fullattribution\">\u003cem>Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">visit NPR\u003c/a>.\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&utmdt=A+kimchi+fried+rice+playlist+on+Spotify+teaches+you+how+to+make+the+dish&utme=8(APIKey)9(MDAxOTAwOTE4MDEyMTkxMDAzNjczZDljZA004)\">\u003c/em>\u003c/div>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "A San Franciscan just made a three-hour, 51-song playlist of song titles explaining how to make kimchi fried rice. And it works!",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>In today’s digital age, following a recipe from a book may seem pretty archaic. So if you’re not in the mood to read the ingredients and measurements, then a playlist might be for you.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Noah Conk, a San Francisco-based designer, went to the effort of creating a curated playlist of his recipe for kimchi fried rice. The recipe is explained by a three-hour, 51-song playlist, with each song title describing a specific ingredient, measurement or instruction.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some of the songs included are pretty general, like the first in the playlist: “Ingredients” by YNW Melly.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/b2uQYUgqoew'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/b2uQYUgqoew'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>Others are more specific, like “Unsalted Butter” by The Long Winters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/V-fU3Djv_ns'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/V-fU3Djv_ns'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>And of course, some have key details to the cooking process, and veer on the ambient, like “Medium Heat” by Rain & Chocolate.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/fAPrYobIzpI'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/fAPrYobIzpI'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>“I basically went through the search function of searching for the word that I needed,” Conk explained. Currently, the playlist boasts more than 4,000 likes on Spotify.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some songs are addendums to the playlist, due to audience demand, like “Butter” by BTS.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/WMweEpGlu_U'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/WMweEpGlu_U'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>Conk had originally made the playlist \u003cem>without\u003c/em> the smash hit by the widely beloved K-Pop group. He soon realized his grave error: “I was like, how could I forget the ‘Butter’ song, in a kimchi fried rice recipe playlist?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Conk picked kimchi fried rice because it’s a favorite comfort food of his.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“Growing up,” he said, “I never really ate too much Korean food because I’m an adoptee,” he said. Reconnecting with his Korean roots in college, especially through food, allowed him to gain confidence in making his own recipe, inspired by YouTuber chef Chris Cho.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But his own preferences for the recipe also caused listeners to ask questions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They’re like, why unsalted butter?” Conk said. “It allows you to salt to taste. And the goal of butter is to bring out the subtle nuances of kimchi.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After the instructions are through, listeners are greeted by Anderson .Paak’s “Winners Circle.”\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/3tcbxVU6inM'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/3tcbxVU6inM'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>“You made it to the end, and you’re in the winner’s circle,” Conk explained. “You’re part of this collective of people who can make kimchi fried rice from a playlist. And it’s also a subtle nod to Anderson .Paak being Korean.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Regardless of whether they’re winners or not, they’ll certainly have a delicious bowl of food to groove out with. You can try it out for yourself with the playlist here:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://open.spotify.com/embed?uri=spotify%3Aplaylist%3A2ZMYdEQsuj7AM6M2njdyL1\" width=\"100%\" height=\"380\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"yes\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"fullattribution\">\u003cem>Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">visit NPR\u003c/a>.\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&utmdt=A+kimchi+fried+rice+playlist+on+Spotify+teaches+you+how+to+make+the+dish&utme=8(APIKey)9(MDAxOTAwOTE4MDEyMTkxMDAzNjczZDljZA004)\">\u003c/em>\u003c/div>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "The Activist Behind Berkeley’s Only Vegan Food Festival",
"headTitle": "The Activist Behind Berkeley’s Only Vegan Food Festival | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">In the 1960s, as Berkeley became a hotbed of anti-war and “hippie” countercultural thinking, Oakland was cooking up something with a slightly different flavor: the Black Panther Party, most famous for its revolutionary politics, which also offered a \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.eater.com/2016/2/16/11002842/free-breakfast-schools-black-panthers\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">free breakfast program for local youth\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Erika Hazel, a Berkeley-born and Vallejo-raised vegan advocate, is inspired by these traditions when she thinks about food and health awareness in 2022. As a K-12 school therapist in Oakland, adjunct professor at the University of San Francisco and vegan food blogger, Hazel—better known as “The Bizerkeley Vegan”—has set out to ensure food and health education remain accessible for those who have systemically been excluded from the conversation.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“Demystifying veganism is key to our future,” says Hazel, noting that she wasn’t exposed to the vegan lifestyle at all growing up in Vallejo. She initially became interested in veganism for her personal health, noting a history of cancer in her family that she hoped to reduce with a plant-based diet. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“Big meat factory farming is bad for our environment. We’re a meat-dependent society and it’s not good for us, especially for folks of color. My school is predominantly Black and Latinx, and seeing what they eat, it’s adding to the bigger equation of unhealthy habits.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Hazel’s work is in line with a long legacy of food justice in the Bay Area. Aside from the Black Panther Party’s efforts, the Edible Schoolyard project brought gardening and food justice concepts to Berkeley middle-schoolers in a program that has since been replicated in New York and elsewhere. Nowadays, this lineage has continued with the recent efforts of \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://vegnews.com/2021/7/berkeley-first-city-vegan-meals\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">local orgs fighting for Berkeley to become the first city in the country to commit to vegan options\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13915892\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 683px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13915892\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/IMG_0167.jpg\" alt=\"Erika Hazel, who is the founder of the Bizerkeley Food Festival, stands in front of her festival's banner while smiling\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/IMG_0167.jpg 683w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/IMG_0167-160x240.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Erika Hazel shines at the first annual Bizerkeley Food Festival she organized in 2021 \u003ccite>(Jeffrey Litman)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">In this light, you can’t dismiss the ongoing journey of a homegrown proponent like Hazel, who shares her love for being vegan beyond her family’s dinner table. For her, the revolution doesn’t begin with what happens in Washington D.C.; it begins with what happens in our bodies, and the foods we choose to eat. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Since fully committing to veganism in 2016, The Bizerkeley Vegan has been getting to the plant of the matter by sharing her knowledge about vegan lifestyles with the public. Her biggest feat? Organizing the \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.visitberkeley.com/events/the-bizerkeley-food-festival-2021/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Bizerkeley Food Festival\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> in 2021—Berkeley’s first and only vegan food festival.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Originally slated to debut in May 2020, Hazel was forced to pause her plans until the following year, when she received sponsorship from Berkeley to launch the city’s first-ever vegan fest to a crowd of over 1,000 attendees in the parking lot of Sports Basement. The event featured local vegan vendors, family activities, and educational resources for community members of all ages. Now in its second year, Hazel looks forward to expanding its radius to include more vendors in order to benefit more folks.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">But the success she’s now seeing wasn’t cooked up overnight—and it wasn’t a solo effort, either, thanks to her family and community members who have “wrapped around (her dietary choices) instead of rejecting (them).”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“My dad used to eat Burger King and McDonalds, and now he’s super mindful of meat consumption,” Hazel tells me. “I tell him, do you want to meet your grandchildren? You have to eat right. Illnesses like diabetes often run in families because of certain eating habits. You gotta have something green on your plate. Eat your steak, but eat more plants, too.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">For the past eight years, she has been volunteering, observing and connecting with vegan restaurants, festivals, and organizations around the country to to create a vegan food festival full of “culinary wizardry.” She owes a lot, she says, to the \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.visitvallejo.com/events/upcoming-events/vallejo-healthy-food-fest-1\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Vallejo Healthy Food Festival\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, as well as to organizations like the \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"http://@foodempowermentproject\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Food Empowerment Project\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> in San Jose.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“I’ve been inspired by the hustlers out here,” she says. “\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I first met the Vegan Hood Chefs in their early days when they just had a table at Bay Area pop-ups. Now they have their own food truck, catering business, and are featured on VICE. Seeing them grow, and coming from our communities, that made me appreciate the spirit of hustling that makes our vegan scene so dope.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Watching other Black women like \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/theveganhoodchefs/?hl=en\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Vegan Hood Chefs\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> gain national recognition through their Southern-style cooking and independent grit and appreciating \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13907726/e-40-goon-with-the-spoon-bay-area-rappers-food-entrepreneurs-hustle\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">fellow Vallejo entrepreneurs like E-40\u003c/span>\u003c/a> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">for his contributions to food culture, her passion now is sharing how the Bay is a world-class destination for any vegan.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13915891\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13915891 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/IMG_0168-800x534.jpg\" alt=\"a food vendor serves a vegan dish to a customer at the Bizerkeley Food Festival\" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/IMG_0168-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/IMG_0168-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/IMG_0168-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/IMG_0168-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/IMG_0168.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Supporting local vegan businesses like Vegan Heat is a priority for Hazel \u003ccite>(Jeffrey Litman)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">At holiday events and cook outs, she tests recipes like buffalo cauliflower instead of chicken wings, or adapts Filipino dishes from her neighbors to make vegan sisig. In meat-dependent and \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://abc7news.com/food-desert-bay-area-deserts-pantry-near-me-alameda-bank/11254529/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">fast food-saturated environments that impact many low-income, East Bay communities\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, Hazel is cooking up ways to rethink how everyone can benefit from vegan practices.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“There are so many ways to be vegan and healthy,” Hazel says. “It’s not an unattainable, white hippie thing. I want to take the whiteness out of veganism, because it’s really for everyone.” \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Working with organizations like the \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"http://@foodempowermentproject\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Food Empowerment Project\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> in Petaluma and coordinating the Vallejo Healthy Food Festival from 2019 to 2021, Hazel has been joyfully marinating in the Bay Area’s diverse vegan community and sharing what she has learned with others. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">She might be a self-proclaimed “tree hugger,” but Hazel isn’t overly idealistic about her approach to changing eating habits for those living in her neighborhood. Currently, she is working on a cookbook with her mom that provides alternatives for dishes that are commonly enjoyed in her household, such as black-eyed peas. She is also collaborating with small businesses in the region, including \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.drhops.com/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Doctor Hop’s Real Hard Kombucha\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/liquifiedjuicery/?hl=en\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Liquified Juicery\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.eclipsefoods.com/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Eclipse Ice Cream\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, and \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/nixtafoods/?hl=en\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Nixta Pupusas\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> to “put on for the underdogs.” \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">For anyone skeptical of veganism’s practicality, The Bizerkeley Vegan has a simple reminder: “Anything you can eat, I can eat vegan.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-12904247\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"39\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39-160x16.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39-240x23.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39-375x37.jpg 375w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Catch Erika serving more news about Bay Area vegan culture on \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.thebizerkeleyvegan.com/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">her website\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, or watch as she \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CYYbER1JBs\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">recommends her favorite vegan pizza joint in San Francisco on an episode of KQED’s “Check, Please!”\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">.\u003c/span>\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.visitberkeley.com/events/the-bizerkeley-food-festival-2022/\">\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The 2022 Bizerkeley Food Festival\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, originally scheduled for July, has been rescheduled until Sunday, Sep. 4. Tickets $15-20, children under age 12 free. 11am–5pm. Sports Basement, 2727 Milvia Street, Berkeley.\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "Erika Hazel, better known as the “The Bizerkeley Vegan,” is on a mission to demystify veganism—and make healthy food accessible to all. ",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">In the 1960s, as Berkeley became a hotbed of anti-war and “hippie” countercultural thinking, Oakland was cooking up something with a slightly different flavor: the Black Panther Party, most famous for its revolutionary politics, which also offered a \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.eater.com/2016/2/16/11002842/free-breakfast-schools-black-panthers\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">free breakfast program for local youth\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Erika Hazel, a Berkeley-born and Vallejo-raised vegan advocate, is inspired by these traditions when she thinks about food and health awareness in 2022. As a K-12 school therapist in Oakland, adjunct professor at the University of San Francisco and vegan food blogger, Hazel—better known as “The Bizerkeley Vegan”—has set out to ensure food and health education remain accessible for those who have systemically been excluded from the conversation.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“Demystifying veganism is key to our future,” says Hazel, noting that she wasn’t exposed to the vegan lifestyle at all growing up in Vallejo. She initially became interested in veganism for her personal health, noting a history of cancer in her family that she hoped to reduce with a plant-based diet. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“Big meat factory farming is bad for our environment. We’re a meat-dependent society and it’s not good for us, especially for folks of color. My school is predominantly Black and Latinx, and seeing what they eat, it’s adding to the bigger equation of unhealthy habits.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Hazel’s work is in line with a long legacy of food justice in the Bay Area. Aside from the Black Panther Party’s efforts, the Edible Schoolyard project brought gardening and food justice concepts to Berkeley middle-schoolers in a program that has since been replicated in New York and elsewhere. Nowadays, this lineage has continued with the recent efforts of \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://vegnews.com/2021/7/berkeley-first-city-vegan-meals\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">local orgs fighting for Berkeley to become the first city in the country to commit to vegan options\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13915892\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 683px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13915892\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/IMG_0167.jpg\" alt=\"Erika Hazel, who is the founder of the Bizerkeley Food Festival, stands in front of her festival's banner while smiling\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/IMG_0167.jpg 683w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/IMG_0167-160x240.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Erika Hazel shines at the first annual Bizerkeley Food Festival she organized in 2021 \u003ccite>(Jeffrey Litman)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">In this light, you can’t dismiss the ongoing journey of a homegrown proponent like Hazel, who shares her love for being vegan beyond her family’s dinner table. For her, the revolution doesn’t begin with what happens in Washington D.C.; it begins with what happens in our bodies, and the foods we choose to eat. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Since fully committing to veganism in 2016, The Bizerkeley Vegan has been getting to the plant of the matter by sharing her knowledge about vegan lifestyles with the public. Her biggest feat? Organizing the \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.visitberkeley.com/events/the-bizerkeley-food-festival-2021/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Bizerkeley Food Festival\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> in 2021—Berkeley’s first and only vegan food festival.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Originally slated to debut in May 2020, Hazel was forced to pause her plans until the following year, when she received sponsorship from Berkeley to launch the city’s first-ever vegan fest to a crowd of over 1,000 attendees in the parking lot of Sports Basement. The event featured local vegan vendors, family activities, and educational resources for community members of all ages. Now in its second year, Hazel looks forward to expanding its radius to include more vendors in order to benefit more folks.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">But the success she’s now seeing wasn’t cooked up overnight—and it wasn’t a solo effort, either, thanks to her family and community members who have “wrapped around (her dietary choices) instead of rejecting (them).”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“My dad used to eat Burger King and McDonalds, and now he’s super mindful of meat consumption,” Hazel tells me. “I tell him, do you want to meet your grandchildren? You have to eat right. Illnesses like diabetes often run in families because of certain eating habits. You gotta have something green on your plate. Eat your steak, but eat more plants, too.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">For the past eight years, she has been volunteering, observing and connecting with vegan restaurants, festivals, and organizations around the country to to create a vegan food festival full of “culinary wizardry.” She owes a lot, she says, to the \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.visitvallejo.com/events/upcoming-events/vallejo-healthy-food-fest-1\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Vallejo Healthy Food Festival\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, as well as to organizations like the \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"http://@foodempowermentproject\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Food Empowerment Project\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> in San Jose.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“I’ve been inspired by the hustlers out here,” she says. “\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I first met the Vegan Hood Chefs in their early days when they just had a table at Bay Area pop-ups. Now they have their own food truck, catering business, and are featured on VICE. Seeing them grow, and coming from our communities, that made me appreciate the spirit of hustling that makes our vegan scene so dope.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Watching other Black women like \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/theveganhoodchefs/?hl=en\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Vegan Hood Chefs\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> gain national recognition through their Southern-style cooking and independent grit and appreciating \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13907726/e-40-goon-with-the-spoon-bay-area-rappers-food-entrepreneurs-hustle\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">fellow Vallejo entrepreneurs like E-40\u003c/span>\u003c/a> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">for his contributions to food culture, her passion now is sharing how the Bay is a world-class destination for any vegan.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13915891\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13915891 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/IMG_0168-800x534.jpg\" alt=\"a food vendor serves a vegan dish to a customer at the Bizerkeley Food Festival\" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/IMG_0168-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/IMG_0168-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/IMG_0168-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/IMG_0168-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/IMG_0168.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Supporting local vegan businesses like Vegan Heat is a priority for Hazel \u003ccite>(Jeffrey Litman)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">At holiday events and cook outs, she tests recipes like buffalo cauliflower instead of chicken wings, or adapts Filipino dishes from her neighbors to make vegan sisig. In meat-dependent and \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://abc7news.com/food-desert-bay-area-deserts-pantry-near-me-alameda-bank/11254529/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">fast food-saturated environments that impact many low-income, East Bay communities\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, Hazel is cooking up ways to rethink how everyone can benefit from vegan practices.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“There are so many ways to be vegan and healthy,” Hazel says. “It’s not an unattainable, white hippie thing. I want to take the whiteness out of veganism, because it’s really for everyone.” \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Working with organizations like the \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"http://@foodempowermentproject\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Food Empowerment Project\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> in Petaluma and coordinating the Vallejo Healthy Food Festival from 2019 to 2021, Hazel has been joyfully marinating in the Bay Area’s diverse vegan community and sharing what she has learned with others. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">She might be a self-proclaimed “tree hugger,” but Hazel isn’t overly idealistic about her approach to changing eating habits for those living in her neighborhood. Currently, she is working on a cookbook with her mom that provides alternatives for dishes that are commonly enjoyed in her household, such as black-eyed peas. She is also collaborating with small businesses in the region, including \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.drhops.com/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Doctor Hop’s Real Hard Kombucha\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/liquifiedjuicery/?hl=en\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Liquified Juicery\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.eclipsefoods.com/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Eclipse Ice Cream\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, and \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/nixtafoods/?hl=en\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Nixta Pupusas\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> to “put on for the underdogs.” \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">For anyone skeptical of veganism’s practicality, The Bizerkeley Vegan has a simple reminder: “Anything you can eat, I can eat vegan.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-12904247\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"39\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39-160x16.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39-240x23.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39-375x37.jpg 375w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Catch Erika serving more news about Bay Area vegan culture on \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.thebizerkeleyvegan.com/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">her website\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, or watch as she \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CYYbER1JBs\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">recommends her favorite vegan pizza joint in San Francisco on an episode of KQED’s “Check, Please!”\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">.\u003c/span>\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.visitberkeley.com/events/the-bizerkeley-food-festival-2022/\">\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The 2022 Bizerkeley Food Festival\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/a>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, originally scheduled for July, has been rescheduled until Sunday, Sep. 4. Tickets $15-20, children under age 12 free. 11am–5pm. Sports Basement, 2727 Milvia Street, Berkeley.\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "Searching for Barbacoa: Underground Lessons From the Richmond Flea Market",
"headTitle": "Searching for Barbacoa: Underground Lessons From the Richmond Flea Market | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ci data-stringify-type=\"italic\">KQED’s \u003c/i>\u003c/em>BBQ in the Bay\u003cem>\u003ci data-stringify-type=\"italic\"> is a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/bbq\">series of stories\u003c/a> exploring the Bay Area’s multicultural barbecue scene. New installments will post every day from June 28–July 1. \u003c/i>\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[dropcap]I[/dropcap]f you cruise to the ends of North Richmond—past the auto body garages, tire junkyards and glass repair shops—you’ll pass a threshold where the residential neighborhood suddenly shifts. In its place, a post-apocalyptic sprawl of industrial patches cram themselves between criss-crossing train tracks and the San Pablo Bay. RV encampments huddle beneath overpasses and the horizon is punctuated by a Chevron refinery spewing smoke into the atmosphere.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">To most outsiders, it isn’t a destination point; as a local resident, I’ll admit there isn’t much reason to visit unless you’ve had your window bipped and need a cheap fix. But this outermost section of Contra Costa County is home to one of the largest immigrant Latinx populations in the Bay Area, where an amalgamation of mechanics, construction laborers, business owners, food vendors, elders, students and community workers represent generations of scrappy hustle and grit.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">On weekends, it’s where the Richmond Flea Market, or La Pulga, buzzes with merchants and wildly assorted products—second-hand power saws, bootleg Warriors merch, parakeets, knock-off Nikes and vintage cassette players—all sold at bargain prices. At this open-air hub for community gatherings and under-the-table transactions, you can snag a bicycle or stereo system, or both, in the parking lot, before you even enter the official grounds. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And yet there’s more hidden behind all that concrete, steel and backdoor miscellany than meets the eye. This makeshift pueblo’s most enticing draw, which attracts customers from all over Northern California, isn’t what you might expect. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">This flea market’s secret sauce? Barbacoa.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">In its simplest form, barbacoa is a style of indigenous barbecue derived from pre-Hispanic methods of slow-roasting lamb, goat, cow head, chicken or other proteins inside an earthy pit. Modern methods still retain the essence of the past: An oven is prepared by digging a hole, lining it with bricks and burning wood to heat the “horno” (furnace). The meat is then wrapped in leaves of maguey—a sturdy Mexican cactus—or banana leaves, and steamed with water. The entire setup is designed to funnel run-off juices from the meat that are later served as a delicious consomé. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13915660\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13915660\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56954_007_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut.jpg\" alt=\"A plate of barbacoa on the bone, with a bowl of consomé on the side.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56954_007_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56954_007_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56954_007_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56954_007_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56954_007_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56954_007_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Barbacoa with a side of consomé. The pit-roasting process is designed to funnel the juices of the meat in order to make this flavorful broth. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Once the oven is covered with steel and dirt, the cooking occurs beneath the soil, slow-burning through the night until a pitmaster skillfully removes it all to be served fresh with \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">tortillas. Regional interpretations vary across states like Chihuahua, Guanajuato, Hidalgo, Oaxaca and Queretaro, and depending on who and where you get your barbacoa from, the accompanying sides might include adobo, garlic, stomach, tripe, onion, chile, salsa or nopales. The commonality is the slow-cook method—and the end result of a juicy, tender, pull-apart meat. Because of its laborious, old world demands, the truest versions of it aren’t easy to find north of the border.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Bill Esparza is a Mexican American food writer who has dedicated his massive appetite to \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://la.eater.com/22421212/california-barbacoa-mexican-tacos-los-angeles-bay-area-central-coast\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">the pursuit of barbacoa across California. \u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Over the phone, he tells me his innermost reflections on the elusive, hard-to-find dish: \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“[Barbacoa is] an ongoing thing. In a way, no one really understands the diversity of it. \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Sometimes in the transnational exchange, people haven’t gone back or even been [to the original regions]. \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Some people have interpretations but have never been back themselves. There’s a whole process of how they prepare it, too, that gets changed because of legal codes and the challenges our communities have [here in California]. We still don’t really understand regional barbacoa.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">In other words, barbacoa is whatever it needs to be for the people and context that produce it.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13915661\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13915661\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56955_011_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut.jpg\" alt=\"Plates of blue corn tortilla tacos stacked on top of each other next to styrofoam containers of consomé.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56955_011_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56955_011_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56955_011_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56955_011_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56955_011_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56955_011_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Barbacoa tacos on handmade blue corn tortillas paired with big cups of consomé—a classic combination. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">As a Mexican American myself whose parents aren’t from a barbacoa region, I’ve never been able to fully grasp what constitutes barbacoa. Sure, I’ve eaten it at roadside stands in pueblos during family trips around Mexico. But it’s as multitudinous as the people who prepare it. And the more I studied up on the dish, the clearer it became that the most essential aspect of barbacoa is to actually cook the meat underground as part of a traditional process—and that’s not something you’ll casually find in the Bay.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[pullquote size=\"large\" align=\"right\" citation=\"Bill Esparza\"]“[Barbacoa is] an ongoing thing. In a way, no one really understands the diversity of it.”[/pullquote]In the United States, however, the amount of labor, patience, equipment and expertise required to prepare barbacoa in this way can be difficult to come by—especially here in the Bay Area, a region more known for internet algorithms and self-driving cars than working-class, backyard throwdowns. Finding the right person with the ability and willingness to do it requires a certain dedication and insider knowledge.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">After days on the hunt, I finally came close.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Family Tradition\u003c/span>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Euphoria doesn’t have a flavor. But if it did, it would taste like slow-cooked barbacoa de borrego, stuffed into the earth’s hot belly and wrapped in maguey stalks to be steamed overnight and devoured at sunrise with an accompaniment of handmade tortillas, pancita and consomé—served by the hands of a pitmaster who oversees each sweat-producing step of the process. I imagine it would tingle with smoke and succulence and a slickened age-old philosophy of indigenous utilitarianism repurposed into the 21st century.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I wouldn’t know about that in California, though. Not exactly.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">In the span of two weeks, I went from restaurant to restaurant, corner to corner, along Richmond’s “El Viente Tres”—23rd Avenue—in search of this specialized, pit-birthed barbacoa. But more often than not, the meal I ate was prepared in a conventional oven or kitchen steamer. It’s easier, quicker and more cost-efficient to ditch the traditional rigors for these modernized methods. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13915668\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13915668\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56976_031_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut.jpg\" alt=\"A signboard for El Chaparro, a barbacoa stand in the flea market.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56976_031_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56976_031_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56976_031_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56976_031_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56976_031_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56976_031_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A sign advertising the barbacoa at El Chaparro, one of several barbacoa stands at the flea market. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Along this journey, I met Pablo “El Chaparro” Perez, owner of \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://el-chaparro-barbacoa-original.negocio.site/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Restaurant El Chaparro\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> on 23rd, which serves “barbacoa estilo Hidalgo” each day of the week. Saturdays and Sundays, he also posts up at two of the most frequented food stands inside La Pulga. In the words of a patron at one of his flea market locations, “Chaparro’s barbacoa is my favorite.” \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Although El Chaparro’s Hidalgo-style tacos de barbacoa are flavor-soaked—literally dripping with fatty oils and generous squeezes of lime—they aren’t cooked in the earth, as I’d hoped. As delicious as his kitchen-prepared barbacoa was, it was also yet another reminder of how much of a dying art true backyard barbacoa is.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">After searching, I found at least one person at the flea market who’s practicing the old style of barbacoa—a construction worker from Hidalgo named Omar Mejia.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“To make [barbacoa] in a pot is very different,” says Mejia, who runs a barbacoa joint in the same aisle as El Chaparro.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/barbacoa_mejia/?hl=en\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Barbacoa Mejia\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> is a weekend-exclusive eatery at the Richmond Flea Market—with limited pop-up services privately available. Mejia proudly operates on nearly 70 years of family tradition that can be traced back to his grandfather, father, brothers and cousins in Tulancingo, Hidalgo, where they continue to serve locals their original recipes. In Mejia tradition, barbacoa is an art form, and the paintbrush is a slow-scorching flame.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13915663\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13915663\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56961_015_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut.jpg\" alt=\"Alondra Montaño and Omar Mejia pose for a portrait in front of their barbacoa stand.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56961_015_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56961_015_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56961_015_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56961_015_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56961_015_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56961_015_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Alondra Montaño and Omar Mejia run the Barbacoa Mejia stand at the Richmond flea market every weekend. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">After talking to Mejia, I finally understood why many people consider barbacoa to be the true root of barbecue as we know it in the United States today. In fact, the word “barbecue” itself originates from native Taínos (now Puerto Rico) word, though “barbacoa” initially did not refer to roasting meats over a fire. Instead, the \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.bbc.com/mundo/noticias-46887091#:~:text=En%20ta%C3%ADno%2C%20%22barbacoa%22%20se,ser%20alcanzada%20por%20los%20animales.\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">barbacoa itself was a contraption developed to suspend meat above ground\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, out of reach from other carnivores. Eventually, with the arrival of the Spanish and the colonization of more groups, the vocabulary was applied to cooking methods used by other indigenous people, such as the Aztecs, and evolved into its contemporary state. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Since then, barbacoa has transformed across time and locations as a lifeblood for many. Over centuries, it has slow-wandered over boundaries on the backs of immigrants who’ve traversed la frontera to pursue higher-paying careers in an ever-expanding global economy—while still yearning for the nostalgia of their past. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The way Mejia practices it, you can see the direct lineage of barbecue’s everlasting tradition of “pitmasters”: Long before there were \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13915489/gstacks-smokers-barbecue-welder-american-made\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">elaborate smokers to prepare smackin’ ribs\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, there was barbacoa simmering inside literal pits.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13915659\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13915659\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56948_003_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut.jpg\" alt=\"A plate of barbacoa, white on one side, red on the other, on a rainbow striped tablecloth.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56948_003_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56948_003_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56948_003_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56948_003_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56948_003_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56948_003_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Barbacoa Mejia’s red and white barbacoa can both be purchased by the pound. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“[Eating barbacoa steamed in a pot] is like eating a steak from a pan rather than an outdoor grill with coals. You lose that smokiness,” he says about substitute versions.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">In a sleepy American Canyon suburb, Mejia has converted a sliver of his backyard into a living memory of—and tribute to—his faraway home in Tulancingo.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">There, he serves his family’s pancita blanca (cleaned-out tripe with onion, garlic and chile piquin) plus consomé (a bone-in lamb broth with rice, garbanzo and spices) to go with the showstopping pit-roasted lamb (and on occasion or by request \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://la.eater.com/22536605/ximbo-chicken-barbacoa-hidalgo-style-east-bay-sf\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">an even rarer version of barbacoa known as ximbó\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, which uses whole chickens). \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[pullquote size=\"large\" align=\"right\"]“Long before there were elaborate smokers to prepare smackin’ ribs, there was barbacoa simmering inside literal pits.”[/pullquote]Mejia prepares everything himself, or with the extra hands of his family—a college-aged son and daughter—just as he was taught as a young adult by his elders. It’s a lineage he hopes to carry forward, despite being 2,243 miles from Hidalgo.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">He starts by preparing the pit one night in advance, stoking the flames for up to six hours before layering meat, maguey and a cluster\u003c/span> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">of seasoned ingredients that are carefully positioned to drip into a flavorful consomé. It’s a labor of love—and one that can sometimes yield poor results if mishandled.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“If you don’t know what you’re doing, you can undercook the meat,” he tells me. “It doesn’t matter if you leave it there for three or more consecutive days and nights. If you aren’t heating it properly, it will remain raw in the middle.” \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13915666\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13915666\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56972_027_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56972_027_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56972_027_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56972_027_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56972_027_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56972_027_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56972_027_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">At Barbacoa Mejia, señoras make blue corn tortillas by hand a few feet from families celebrating over all varieties of plates. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">With over 15 years of experience preparing pit-style barbacoa in the United States (and a lifetime of exposure as a family apprentice in Mexico), Mejia doesn’t worry about undercooking his lamb anymore. But it’s still a demanding, days-long task, especially for a man who works at construction sites in the morning.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">On a typical day, he gets up before 7 am to check on his cooking. Once it looks and smells finished to his liking, he pulls it out to be served or packaged for immediate delivery. Every order starts from scratch, requiring at least a week’s advance notice to gather everything needed. Though slow to prepare, the finished product moves fast from hand to mouth to gut.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“There’s a freshness you can taste in the flavor,” says Mejia. “Nothing is frozen. It’s all handled by us, directly from our ranch. We do everything ourselves. It’s a family labor.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">This is where I’ll admit my biggest failure, dear reader: I was never able to see or experience the full process with Mejia. Our schedules never synced, and by the time he was ready to host me, I was boarding a plane to Mexico to visit my own family below the border. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Missing out on this Mejia family tradition makes me want to dig my own pit and crawl inside of it. And when I emerge, I hope I’ll appreciate what barbacoa is truly all about.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13915667\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13915667\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56973_028_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut.jpg\" alt=\"People walk past a flea market taco stand.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56973_028_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56973_028_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56973_028_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56973_028_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56973_028_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56973_028_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A view of Barbacoa Mejia’s setup in the Richmond flea market, which buzzes with merchants and wildly assorted products each weekend. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Paradise Awaits\u003c/span>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Thankfully, the flea market was my saving grace, a sanctuary where I could get blessed by the holy taste of barbacoa. As Esparza wrote in his account of his epic quest across California, “Richmond’s La Pulga is a barbacoa lover’s dream.” Though none of it is prepared by pit-roast, in part due to coding regulations, there are comparable variations. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[aside postID='arts_13915581,arts_13915387,arts_13915312' label='More BBQ']As part of his weekend menu, Mejia prepares the meats in a custom-made brick and clay oven that mimics the earth-buried flavor without the time-consuming labor of digging an actual hole in the earth. It’s a method that saves him time during his busiest days, while still allowing him to produce the quantity (and quality) of dishes needed for his high-demand business.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I ate a few barbacoa tacos at his DIY bistro. It’s a worthwhile experience in itself: You’ll see señoras making blue corn tortillas by hand a few feet from where you dine while families celebrate over all varieties of plates. Other patrons simply line up to order pounds of barbacoa for the road. And you certainly can’t miss the deliciously aromatic consomé.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Besides Mejia and El Chaparro, there are more barbacoa stands like \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/tacosytortas.carlos\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Tacos Y Tortas Carlos\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. The popularity of each vendor is a testament to this veritable barbacoa belt that has taken root at the Richmond-based market.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13915662\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13915662\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56957_012_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut.jpg\" alt=\"A diner in an Oakland A's jersey sits in front of a spread of blue corn tortilla tacos and all of their accompaniments, including a plate of onions, lime and cilantro.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56957_012_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56957_012_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56957_012_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56957_012_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56957_012_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56957_012_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A diner sits down to a plate of tacos at Barbacoa Mejia. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“I got the legit meat sweats after that barbacoa trip,” Esparza, the Los Angeles-based food journalist, says of his own visit to the flea market. “I was shivering, sweating. That was from all the meat we ate.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">If a barbacoa expert who uses his literal gut to survey the many profiles of barbacoa is calling the Richmond Flea Market one of the most formidable barbacoa epicenters in all of America, I believe him. More importantly, his words are reflected by the many locals who return each week, in many cases buying pounds of barbacoa to take home with them. For these folks, it’s the closest connection they have to the culinary traditions, flavors and memories of a faraway home. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">If that’s not the highest form of barbecue’s sustenance, what is?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-12904247\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"39\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39-160x16.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39-240x23.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39-375x37.jpg 375w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Alan Chazaro is a food reporter at KQED. He’s the author of three poetry collections and currently adjuncts at the University of San Francisco. He’s a fan of bichons frises, the Golden State Warriors and BB-8 in Star Wars.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "As it turns out, traditional pit-roasted barbacoa that's actually cooked inside the earth is not that easy to find.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ci data-stringify-type=\"italic\">KQED’s \u003c/i>\u003c/em>BBQ in the Bay\u003cem>\u003ci data-stringify-type=\"italic\"> is a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/bbq\">series of stories\u003c/a> exploring the Bay Area’s multicultural barbecue scene. New installments will post every day from June 28–July 1. \u003c/i>\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class=\"utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__dropcapShortcode__dropcap\">I\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>f you cruise to the ends of North Richmond—past the auto body garages, tire junkyards and glass repair shops—you’ll pass a threshold where the residential neighborhood suddenly shifts. In its place, a post-apocalyptic sprawl of industrial patches cram themselves between criss-crossing train tracks and the San Pablo Bay. RV encampments huddle beneath overpasses and the horizon is punctuated by a Chevron refinery spewing smoke into the atmosphere.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">To most outsiders, it isn’t a destination point; as a local resident, I’ll admit there isn’t much reason to visit unless you’ve had your window bipped and need a cheap fix. But this outermost section of Contra Costa County is home to one of the largest immigrant Latinx populations in the Bay Area, where an amalgamation of mechanics, construction laborers, business owners, food vendors, elders, students and community workers represent generations of scrappy hustle and grit.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">On weekends, it’s where the Richmond Flea Market, or La Pulga, buzzes with merchants and wildly assorted products—second-hand power saws, bootleg Warriors merch, parakeets, knock-off Nikes and vintage cassette players—all sold at bargain prices. At this open-air hub for community gatherings and under-the-table transactions, you can snag a bicycle or stereo system, or both, in the parking lot, before you even enter the official grounds. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And yet there’s more hidden behind all that concrete, steel and backdoor miscellany than meets the eye. This makeshift pueblo’s most enticing draw, which attracts customers from all over Northern California, isn’t what you might expect. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">This flea market’s secret sauce? Barbacoa.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">In its simplest form, barbacoa is a style of indigenous barbecue derived from pre-Hispanic methods of slow-roasting lamb, goat, cow head, chicken or other proteins inside an earthy pit. Modern methods still retain the essence of the past: An oven is prepared by digging a hole, lining it with bricks and burning wood to heat the “horno” (furnace). The meat is then wrapped in leaves of maguey—a sturdy Mexican cactus—or banana leaves, and steamed with water. The entire setup is designed to funnel run-off juices from the meat that are later served as a delicious consomé. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13915660\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13915660\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56954_007_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut.jpg\" alt=\"A plate of barbacoa on the bone, with a bowl of consomé on the side.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56954_007_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56954_007_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56954_007_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56954_007_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56954_007_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56954_007_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Barbacoa with a side of consomé. The pit-roasting process is designed to funnel the juices of the meat in order to make this flavorful broth. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Once the oven is covered with steel and dirt, the cooking occurs beneath the soil, slow-burning through the night until a pitmaster skillfully removes it all to be served fresh with \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">tortillas. Regional interpretations vary across states like Chihuahua, Guanajuato, Hidalgo, Oaxaca and Queretaro, and depending on who and where you get your barbacoa from, the accompanying sides might include adobo, garlic, stomach, tripe, onion, chile, salsa or nopales. The commonality is the slow-cook method—and the end result of a juicy, tender, pull-apart meat. Because of its laborious, old world demands, the truest versions of it aren’t easy to find north of the border.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Bill Esparza is a Mexican American food writer who has dedicated his massive appetite to \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://la.eater.com/22421212/california-barbacoa-mexican-tacos-los-angeles-bay-area-central-coast\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">the pursuit of barbacoa across California. \u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Over the phone, he tells me his innermost reflections on the elusive, hard-to-find dish: \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“[Barbacoa is] an ongoing thing. In a way, no one really understands the diversity of it. \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Sometimes in the transnational exchange, people haven’t gone back or even been [to the original regions]. \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Some people have interpretations but have never been back themselves. There’s a whole process of how they prepare it, too, that gets changed because of legal codes and the challenges our communities have [here in California]. We still don’t really understand regional barbacoa.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">In other words, barbacoa is whatever it needs to be for the people and context that produce it.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13915661\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13915661\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56955_011_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut.jpg\" alt=\"Plates of blue corn tortilla tacos stacked on top of each other next to styrofoam containers of consomé.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56955_011_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56955_011_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56955_011_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56955_011_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56955_011_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56955_011_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Barbacoa tacos on handmade blue corn tortillas paired with big cups of consomé—a classic combination. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">As a Mexican American myself whose parents aren’t from a barbacoa region, I’ve never been able to fully grasp what constitutes barbacoa. Sure, I’ve eaten it at roadside stands in pueblos during family trips around Mexico. But it’s as multitudinous as the people who prepare it. And the more I studied up on the dish, the clearer it became that the most essential aspect of barbacoa is to actually cook the meat underground as part of a traditional process—and that’s not something you’ll casually find in the Bay.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>In the United States, however, the amount of labor, patience, equipment and expertise required to prepare barbacoa in this way can be difficult to come by—especially here in the Bay Area, a region more known for internet algorithms and self-driving cars than working-class, backyard throwdowns. Finding the right person with the ability and willingness to do it requires a certain dedication and insider knowledge.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">After days on the hunt, I finally came close.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Family Tradition\u003c/span>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Euphoria doesn’t have a flavor. But if it did, it would taste like slow-cooked barbacoa de borrego, stuffed into the earth’s hot belly and wrapped in maguey stalks to be steamed overnight and devoured at sunrise with an accompaniment of handmade tortillas, pancita and consomé—served by the hands of a pitmaster who oversees each sweat-producing step of the process. I imagine it would tingle with smoke and succulence and a slickened age-old philosophy of indigenous utilitarianism repurposed into the 21st century.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I wouldn’t know about that in California, though. Not exactly.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">In the span of two weeks, I went from restaurant to restaurant, corner to corner, along Richmond’s “El Viente Tres”—23rd Avenue—in search of this specialized, pit-birthed barbacoa. But more often than not, the meal I ate was prepared in a conventional oven or kitchen steamer. It’s easier, quicker and more cost-efficient to ditch the traditional rigors for these modernized methods. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13915668\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13915668\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56976_031_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut.jpg\" alt=\"A signboard for El Chaparro, a barbacoa stand in the flea market.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56976_031_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56976_031_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56976_031_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56976_031_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56976_031_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56976_031_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A sign advertising the barbacoa at El Chaparro, one of several barbacoa stands at the flea market. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Along this journey, I met Pablo “El Chaparro” Perez, owner of \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://el-chaparro-barbacoa-original.negocio.site/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Restaurant El Chaparro\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> on 23rd, which serves “barbacoa estilo Hidalgo” each day of the week. Saturdays and Sundays, he also posts up at two of the most frequented food stands inside La Pulga. In the words of a patron at one of his flea market locations, “Chaparro’s barbacoa is my favorite.” \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Although El Chaparro’s Hidalgo-style tacos de barbacoa are flavor-soaked—literally dripping with fatty oils and generous squeezes of lime—they aren’t cooked in the earth, as I’d hoped. As delicious as his kitchen-prepared barbacoa was, it was also yet another reminder of how much of a dying art true backyard barbacoa is.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">After searching, I found at least one person at the flea market who’s practicing the old style of barbacoa—a construction worker from Hidalgo named Omar Mejia.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“To make [barbacoa] in a pot is very different,” says Mejia, who runs a barbacoa joint in the same aisle as El Chaparro.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/barbacoa_mejia/?hl=en\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Barbacoa Mejia\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> is a weekend-exclusive eatery at the Richmond Flea Market—with limited pop-up services privately available. Mejia proudly operates on nearly 70 years of family tradition that can be traced back to his grandfather, father, brothers and cousins in Tulancingo, Hidalgo, where they continue to serve locals their original recipes. In Mejia tradition, barbacoa is an art form, and the paintbrush is a slow-scorching flame.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13915663\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13915663\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56961_015_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut.jpg\" alt=\"Alondra Montaño and Omar Mejia pose for a portrait in front of their barbacoa stand.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56961_015_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56961_015_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56961_015_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56961_015_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56961_015_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56961_015_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Alondra Montaño and Omar Mejia run the Barbacoa Mejia stand at the Richmond flea market every weekend. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">After talking to Mejia, I finally understood why many people consider barbacoa to be the true root of barbecue as we know it in the United States today. In fact, the word “barbecue” itself originates from native Taínos (now Puerto Rico) word, though “barbacoa” initially did not refer to roasting meats over a fire. Instead, the \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.bbc.com/mundo/noticias-46887091#:~:text=En%20ta%C3%ADno%2C%20%22barbacoa%22%20se,ser%20alcanzada%20por%20los%20animales.\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">barbacoa itself was a contraption developed to suspend meat above ground\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, out of reach from other carnivores. Eventually, with the arrival of the Spanish and the colonization of more groups, the vocabulary was applied to cooking methods used by other indigenous people, such as the Aztecs, and evolved into its contemporary state. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Since then, barbacoa has transformed across time and locations as a lifeblood for many. Over centuries, it has slow-wandered over boundaries on the backs of immigrants who’ve traversed la frontera to pursue higher-paying careers in an ever-expanding global economy—while still yearning for the nostalgia of their past. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The way Mejia practices it, you can see the direct lineage of barbecue’s everlasting tradition of “pitmasters”: Long before there were \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13915489/gstacks-smokers-barbecue-welder-american-made\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">elaborate smokers to prepare smackin’ ribs\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, there was barbacoa simmering inside literal pits.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13915659\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13915659\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56948_003_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut.jpg\" alt=\"A plate of barbacoa, white on one side, red on the other, on a rainbow striped tablecloth.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56948_003_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56948_003_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56948_003_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56948_003_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56948_003_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56948_003_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Barbacoa Mejia’s red and white barbacoa can both be purchased by the pound. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“[Eating barbacoa steamed in a pot] is like eating a steak from a pan rather than an outdoor grill with coals. You lose that smokiness,” he says about substitute versions.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">In a sleepy American Canyon suburb, Mejia has converted a sliver of his backyard into a living memory of—and tribute to—his faraway home in Tulancingo.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">There, he serves his family’s pancita blanca (cleaned-out tripe with onion, garlic and chile piquin) plus consomé (a bone-in lamb broth with rice, garbanzo and spices) to go with the showstopping pit-roasted lamb (and on occasion or by request \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://la.eater.com/22536605/ximbo-chicken-barbacoa-hidalgo-style-east-bay-sf\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">an even rarer version of barbacoa known as ximbó\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, which uses whole chickens). \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Mejia prepares everything himself, or with the extra hands of his family—a college-aged son and daughter—just as he was taught as a young adult by his elders. It’s a lineage he hopes to carry forward, despite being 2,243 miles from Hidalgo.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">He starts by preparing the pit one night in advance, stoking the flames for up to six hours before layering meat, maguey and a cluster\u003c/span> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">of seasoned ingredients that are carefully positioned to drip into a flavorful consomé. It’s a labor of love—and one that can sometimes yield poor results if mishandled.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“If you don’t know what you’re doing, you can undercook the meat,” he tells me. “It doesn’t matter if you leave it there for three or more consecutive days and nights. If you aren’t heating it properly, it will remain raw in the middle.” \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13915666\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13915666\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56972_027_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56972_027_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56972_027_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56972_027_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56972_027_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56972_027_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56972_027_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">At Barbacoa Mejia, señoras make blue corn tortillas by hand a few feet from families celebrating over all varieties of plates. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">With over 15 years of experience preparing pit-style barbacoa in the United States (and a lifetime of exposure as a family apprentice in Mexico), Mejia doesn’t worry about undercooking his lamb anymore. But it’s still a demanding, days-long task, especially for a man who works at construction sites in the morning.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">On a typical day, he gets up before 7 am to check on his cooking. Once it looks and smells finished to his liking, he pulls it out to be served or packaged for immediate delivery. Every order starts from scratch, requiring at least a week’s advance notice to gather everything needed. Though slow to prepare, the finished product moves fast from hand to mouth to gut.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“There’s a freshness you can taste in the flavor,” says Mejia. “Nothing is frozen. It’s all handled by us, directly from our ranch. We do everything ourselves. It’s a family labor.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">This is where I’ll admit my biggest failure, dear reader: I was never able to see or experience the full process with Mejia. Our schedules never synced, and by the time he was ready to host me, I was boarding a plane to Mexico to visit my own family below the border. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Missing out on this Mejia family tradition makes me want to dig my own pit and crawl inside of it. And when I emerge, I hope I’ll appreciate what barbacoa is truly all about.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13915667\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13915667\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56973_028_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut.jpg\" alt=\"People walk past a flea market taco stand.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56973_028_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56973_028_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56973_028_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56973_028_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56973_028_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56973_028_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A view of Barbacoa Mejia’s setup in the Richmond flea market, which buzzes with merchants and wildly assorted products each weekend. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Paradise Awaits\u003c/span>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Thankfully, the flea market was my saving grace, a sanctuary where I could get blessed by the holy taste of barbacoa. As Esparza wrote in his account of his epic quest across California, “Richmond’s La Pulga is a barbacoa lover’s dream.” Though none of it is prepared by pit-roast, in part due to coding regulations, there are comparable variations. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>As part of his weekend menu, Mejia prepares the meats in a custom-made brick and clay oven that mimics the earth-buried flavor without the time-consuming labor of digging an actual hole in the earth. It’s a method that saves him time during his busiest days, while still allowing him to produce the quantity (and quality) of dishes needed for his high-demand business.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I ate a few barbacoa tacos at his DIY bistro. It’s a worthwhile experience in itself: You’ll see señoras making blue corn tortillas by hand a few feet from where you dine while families celebrate over all varieties of plates. Other patrons simply line up to order pounds of barbacoa for the road. And you certainly can’t miss the deliciously aromatic consomé.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Besides Mejia and El Chaparro, there are more barbacoa stands like \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/tacosytortas.carlos\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Tacos Y Tortas Carlos\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. The popularity of each vendor is a testament to this veritable barbacoa belt that has taken root at the Richmond-based market.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13915662\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13915662\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56957_012_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut.jpg\" alt=\"A diner in an Oakland A's jersey sits in front of a spread of blue corn tortilla tacos and all of their accompaniments, including a plate of onions, lime and cilantro.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56957_012_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56957_012_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56957_012_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56957_012_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56957_012_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/RS56957_012_KQEDArts_RichmondBarbacoa_06262022-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A diner sits down to a plate of tacos at Barbacoa Mejia. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“I got the legit meat sweats after that barbacoa trip,” Esparza, the Los Angeles-based food journalist, says of his own visit to the flea market. “I was shivering, sweating. That was from all the meat we ate.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">If a barbacoa expert who uses his literal gut to survey the many profiles of barbacoa is calling the Richmond Flea Market one of the most formidable barbacoa epicenters in all of America, I believe him. More importantly, his words are reflected by the many locals who return each week, in many cases buying pounds of barbacoa to take home with them. For these folks, it’s the closest connection they have to the culinary traditions, flavors and memories of a faraway home. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">If that’s not the highest form of barbecue’s sustenance, what is?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-12904247\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"39\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39-160x16.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39-240x23.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39-375x37.jpg 375w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Alan Chazaro is a food reporter at KQED. He’s the author of three poetry collections and currently adjuncts at the University of San Francisco. He’s a fan of bichons frises, the Golden State Warriors and BB-8 in Star Wars.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "For Filipino Americans, Lechon Is at the Heart of Every Party",
"headTitle": "For Filipino Americans, Lechon Is at the Heart of Every Party | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ci data-stringify-type=\"italic\">KQED’s \u003c/i>\u003c/em>BBQ in the Bay\u003cem>\u003ci data-stringify-type=\"italic\"> is a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/bbq\">series of stories\u003c/a> exploring the Bay Area’s multicultural barbecue scene. New installments will post every day from June 28–July 1. \u003c/i>\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[dropcap]T[/dropcap]here’s a fiesta happening at the Winslow Center in Concord to celebrate a young bio science major’s graduation from UC Irvine. Upstairs, in the decorated banquet hall, Marilu Pho welcomes guests to her daughter Taylor’s graduation party while Polynesian dancers hurriedly get dressed before their performance begins. “Sorry, the boba people aren’t here yet,” Pho apologizes, detailing all the food she ordered. In addition to the boba station, there’s also a taco bar and a company on hand to make Filipino-style paella. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">But the star of the spread—and of any Filipino party—is the crackly, golden-skinned roast pig known as lechon. Spanish colonizers in the 1600s chose that name to describe the suckling pigs they saw native Filipinos slowly roasting whole over coals. But people in the Philippines have been serving some version of lechon to mark special occasions since well before that, starting when their Austronesian ancestors settled in the islands and brought domesticated pigs and other animals. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">For their daughter’s graduation party, the Pho family has ordered their lechon from Concord’s Oriental Food Market, a Filipino grocer and catering company, whose owners cooked the 60-pound pig in an industrial-sized roaster just a few hours before the party. It makes for a beautiful centerpiece: perfectly golden-brown skin on all sides, steaming in places where the meat is falling away from the bone, from its snout and perma-grin to the end of its piggy tail.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">With large gatherings suspended for more than two years because of COVID-19, this particular pig seems even more celebratory than usual. I ask Marilu, “Why the lechon?” After all, the rest of the party’s multicultural spread is as modern as it is diverse. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">She says simply, “Because it’s tradition, you know?”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">For Filipino Americans like me, lechon isn’t only a tradition passed down by our parents and grandparents; it’s also a point of pride. I come from a region in the Philippines called Pampanga, which the late chef Anthony Bourdain praised for having the best food in the entire country. “Pampanga first, Philippines second?” he asked his host the first time his show \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">No Reservations\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> filmed an episode in Manila. In other words, we Kampampangans know our food. But for Filipinos, our love of lechon transcends even regional loyalties. Like it did with our ancestors, this allegiance traveled with us to America to remind us of home, no matter how far we actually were from our loved ones. There is no fiesta worth having without our lechon—it’s our national dish, alongside adobo and lumpia.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13915594\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13915594\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-24-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"The head of roast pig, still attached, next to a tray that holds the pig's crispy skin.\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-24-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-24-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-24-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-24-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-24-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-24-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-24-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-24-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The lechon is ready to be served. \u003ccite>(Kristen Murakoshi)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">In that same episode of \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">No Reservations\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, Bourdain travels to Cebu—the birthplace of lechon—and declares it “the best pig ever,” thus cementing his legacy as the Philippines’ favorite American chef. It meant something for him to say that: Bourdain had traveled the world 10 times over; he’d eaten the most delicious things in the most iconic food cities. But he’d decided that lechon was the best. And of course, he was right.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Taste of Childhood\u003c/span>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Back to the party: It’s Ed Pho’s first time breaking down the lechon, but he’s done his research. Everyone stands around to watch him pull one whole side of the crunchy skin away from the succulent meat, which is still hot from being taken off the spit less than an hour before. For early-arriving guests, it’s a rare opportunity to see this process; usually, the pig seems to just arrive already divided and ready to eat. While he works at the pig with a pair of big kitchen shears, Ed regales us with his knowledge of lechon. His ethnic background is Vietnamese, but he married into Marilu’s big Filipino family. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“In Cebu, they stuff it with lots of herbs and lemongrass,” he says, “but this one is done Manila-style.” The Manila style relies less on stuffing the pig with tamarind and lemongrass and more on classic preparation: garlic salt, bay leaves, fresh-cracked pepper. But it’s all about the lechon sauce. As he nears the bottom of the pig, he pulls off a tender morsel for me to taste. “This is the best part,” he says excitedly, gesturing toward the plates for me to do the honors of the first official bite. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13915593\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13915593\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-22-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Man cuts a piece of meat from a whole roast pig while a woman wearing a face mask watches.\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-22-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-22-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-22-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-22-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-22-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-22-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-22-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-22-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ed Pho, right, serves lechon to the author. Pho ordered the lechon from Oriental Food Market for his daughter’s college graduation celebration. \u003ccite>(Kristen Murakoshi)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I take the piece in reverence and spoon over some homemade lechon sauce—a sweet, liver-based gravy that Oriental Food Market chef Alex Gaerlan had sent along with the pig. I sandwich the meat between two pieces of crackling and take a loud, obnoxiously crispy bite.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">It tastes like childhood to me. When I was a kid, a whole lechon was reserved only for weddings and golden anniversaries. I remember being eye-level to many of these lechons at family parties, macabrely willing myself into a staring contest while I wondered whose family dog would get to enjoy an ear, maybe even a leftover hind quarter. And as a Philippine-born, American-raised citizen, as I got older, I started to realize that the tradition of serving lechon at family parties seemed to be happening less and less often. Maybe it’s the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13914750/inay-dalisay-world-famous-lechon-vegan-filipino-play-bindlestiff\">health-consciousness of Filipino Americans\u003c/a> who are adopting more plant-based diets, or the fact that we no longer live barangay-style, in clans of large extended families. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[pullquote size=\"large\" align=\"right\"]“We are Filipinos. We roast and eat pig. This Is What We Do.”[/pullquote]The last lechon I remember eating was one I chose myself in the backyard of my grandparents’ home in Concepcion, Tarlac, when I was 15 years old. I chose the fattest of two pigs in the sty and sprayed it off with the hose. The next morning, I was awakened by the squealing pig being taken to the slaughter. When it returned a few hours later in the bottom of my cousin’s tricycle, it was already flayed and ready to be roasted. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">When that lechon was presented at the fiesta for my Lolo and Lola’s 50th anniversary, the guilt of swine assassination made way to furtive acceptance: We are Filipinos. We roast and eat pig. This Is What We Do.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Sari-Sari Store\u003c/span>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Where, then, do Bay Area Filipino Americans go when they need a whole pig for a party? In the Concord area, the answer is clear: Oriental Food Market. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">A few hours before the Pho family’s graduation fiesta, co-owner Sherrie Gaerlan welcomes patrons to the shop while keeping an eye on her husband Alex as he roasts the lechon in the back. The front of the store is Sherrie’s domain. It’s where she sells small tubs of garlic peanuts, rents out Filipino DVDs and even helps customers purchase the “cheapest air fares to Philippines,” according to the yellow sign emblazoned over the front window. There are two clocks on the wall showing the time difference between the Philippines and California and a stack of business cards with both her and her husband’s names on the front. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13915595\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13915595\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-27-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Woman stands behind the counter of a small Filipino grocery store.\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-27-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-27-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-27-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-27-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-27-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-27-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-27-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-27-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">From behind the front counter of Concord’s Oriental Food Market, co-owner Sherrie Gaerlan rents out Filipino DVDs, arranges air travel and occasionally even plays matchmaker for customers. \u003ccite>(Kristen Murakoshi)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“It was my idea to buy this business,” Gaerlan says, recalling her decision to take over the grocery store that had served Concord’s Fil-Am community since 1983. She remembers eying the gem of a location on her way to work as a subrogation specialist at the car insurance company AAA down the street. Eventually, Alex also left his job as a contractor for FedEx and began cooking in the back to help out. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">According to Sherrie, the persistence required for her position as a subrogation specialist—to go after at-fault drivers’ insurance companies to recoup costs for accident victims—gave her the resolve to eventually take over Oriental Food Market. “If I put this same amount of work in my own business,” she remembers thinking back then, “I may be able to go somewhere, so that’s what encouraged me to look for a business to run.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“When we took the business over, Oriental Food Market, they kept the name. I was never really a fan of that name,” the Gaerlans’ eldest child, Graham, says, laughing. “It’s been around, it was a staple in the community for a long time. It was really all over the place. But they figured it out.” \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">When the family immigrated from the Philippines in 1991, Graham remembers being home after school with his younger sister and waiting all day for his parents to come home. Still, he grappled with why his mom would purchase such a fixer-upper of a business during his senior year of high school. “I didn’t really understand the passion for starting a business that had so many different avenues. You’re talking about a sari-sari store,” he says, using the Tagalog term for a neighborhood convenience store. “It can also be catering and cooked food.” \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13915592\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13915592\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-19-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Exterior facade of Oriental Food Market, with signs in the window advertising lumpia and cheap airfare to the Philippines.\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-19-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-19-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-19-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-19-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-19-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-19-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-19-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-19-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Oriental Food Market has been a touchpoint for Filipino Americans in the Concord area since 1983. \u003ccite>(Kristen Murakoshi)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Judging from the wide array of services Sherrie offers at the front of the store, OFM still provides a touchpoint for many Filipinos longing for home. Graham, who credits his own work ethic to watching his parents grind, likens their boldness and “entrepreneur spirit” to the sacrificial decisions many immigrants make leaving their motherland. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“When we were in the Philippines, my mom would often tell me that when she was pregnant with me, she would go around and sell pre-packed sandwiches at the bank she worked at. This is her, 21 years old, hustling. My mom has always been that way.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Competing With Giants\u003c/span>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">In the end, the roast pigs are what saved the business.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Alex lifts the finished lechon out of the industrial roaster he bought over a decade ago. He rests the pig inside of three coconut milk boxes lined with banana leaves. This particular specimen is 10 pounds heavier than most of the pigs he roasts, and he likes it that way. When Alex taught himself how to cook Filipino food and, later, lechon, he looked for a high-quality supplier that took care of the animals from feed to slaughter. He found it in Oakland-based company \u003ca href=\"http://pacagri.com/\">PacAgri Foods\u003c/a>. He wanted to rid the Filipino catering world of skinny tableside lechons. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13915588\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13915588\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-7-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"A whole roast pig, its skin golden-brown, still mounted on a spit-roaster.\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-7-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-7-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-7-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-7-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-7-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-7-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-7-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-7-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A few hours before the start of the Pho family’s party, the lechon had just finished roasting at Oriental Food Market. \u003ccite>(Kristen Murakoshi)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">It was this passion for quality that allowed OFM to survive in the catering world, where Alex took the basics he learned growing up in the Philippines and applied it to their new venture. “My mom is from Pampanga but she grew up in Manila already. Usually Kapampangans, they love to cook, right? You know, my mom doesn’t know how to cook.” \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Still, Alex’s self-taught repertoire was good enough to compete with the “giants” who moved into Concord in 2009: Seafood City and Ranch 99. These large-chain Asian mega-supermarkets swallowed up nearly every Filipino and small Asian grocer in the area. Back then, Sherrie \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2009/09/11/small-asian-groceries-face-new-competition-in-chains/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">hadn’t yet figured out what might save her business\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, with the “giants” not just competing with their vast inventory and cheaper prices, but also poaching customers who wanted the other services that OFM provided, like passport renewal and sending remittances home. Sherrie and Alex didn’t know it then, but the lechon catering services that they introduced around that time were what would keep their little store going for another decade plus.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">It’s that same adaptability and ingenuity that has sustained the market through a tragic two years of COVID-related business closures in the restaurant industry. “The catering stopped, because no one wants to do any other parties because of COVID,” Sherrie explains. “But what made us survive was all these apps: DoorDash, UberEats and Postmates. We never closed.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13915591\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13915591\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-16-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Man cuts a piece of pork belly lechon from behind the counter of the grocer's steam table display.\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-16-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-16-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-16-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-16-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-16-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-16-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-16-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-16-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lechon is also one of the turo turo steam table offerings at Oriental Food Market. \u003ccite>(Kristen Murakoshi)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Even as many of their neighbors were forced to close their doors, she recalls, the steady stream of online orders kept Oriental Food Market afloat: “So I told my husband, ‘See how the Good Lord helped us? When one door closes, three doors open.’ I’m almost crying now, to remember those times, ‘cause it’s not easy, you know?” \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[aside postID='arts_13915312,arts_13915387,arts_13915489' label='More BBQ']For now, even as the Filipino parties have started up again, Alex can only handle two orders of lechon a weekend. He’s having trouble finding help, like every restaurant has after the pandemic. But his lechon business is still known for being the best in the area. For now, it’s also one of the only fully operational sites that’s still roasting whole pigs. While Sherrie used to do all of the cooking at home, now she won’t even step into the back kitchen—Alex’s domain—because knowing their roles well is what helped this mom-and-pop survive two decades.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“Even when he cooks sinigang\u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">he puts good gulay,” Sherrie says of her husband’s kitchen skills. “It’s not like nalanta, or already old. He doesn’t want to compromise on the ingredients because he said, ‘I can be a good cook, but it may not turn out good if I put not-so-good ingredients.’” \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13915586\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13915586\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-3-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Husband and wife stand behind the front counter of their small Filipino grocer and takeout shop.\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-3-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-3-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-3-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-3-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-3-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-3-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-3-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-3-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Owners Alex and Sherrie Gaerlan stand at the front counter of Oriental Food Market. \u003ccite>(Kristen Murakoshi)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">You can still find Sherrie in her domain—the front of the shop—as she focuses on her clientele that she’s remained close with. She knows that with Seafood City and Ranch 99, the employees just work there. They don’t really care about each and every customer that walks in the door. “I used to be a matchmaker here, I used to be ‘Sister Sherrie’ ’cause people would come and just pour their hearts out. Where can you get that? That a person would trust their innermost problems, and then tell you and then get their worries [out], and you provide them your advice. But that’s just me,” she laughs. “That’s how I do business, the personal touch. There’s a story behind each bite.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">All the Gusto\u003c/span>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Back at the graduation party, the lechon tasting gives way to more offerings of food and drink—more ways for the host to show they care about their guests like a true Filipino. Though the food is a bridge back home for many of us balikbayans, it’s the sincere hospitality and warmth for everyone at the party that makes us family, even if we are not. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“Have you eaten yet?” the elders ask, and you must always pretend you have not. No matter how full you are, how stuffed to the brim with party food you become, you must not turn down a piece of the prized lechon because you never know when a party like this will come again—if we are even allowed to gather like this again. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">So you take a plate, you take a bite, and you savor it the way it’s meant to be appreciated—with panache and all the gusto of your ancestors’ spirit. Just don’t forget the sauce.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13915597\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13915597\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-26-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"A Filipino lechon with the meat and skin removed; the head is still attached and intact.\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-26-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-26-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-26-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-26-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-26-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-26-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-26-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-26-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The lechon is all carved and ready to eat. \u003ccite>(Kristen Murakoshi)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-12904247\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"39\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39-160x16.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39-240x23.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39-375x37.jpg 375w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.rockyrivera.com/\">Rocky Rivera\u003c/a> is a journalist, emcee, author and activist from San Francisco. She has four musical projects out, three of those with her label Beatrock Music. She released her first book last year, entitled \u003c/em>Snakeskin: Essays by Rocky Rivera\u003cem>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "For Concord's Oriental Food Market, the whole roast pigs are a matter of tradition. They also may have saved the business.",
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"title": "For Filipino Americans, Lechon Is at the Heart of Every Party | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ci data-stringify-type=\"italic\">KQED’s \u003c/i>\u003c/em>BBQ in the Bay\u003cem>\u003ci data-stringify-type=\"italic\"> is a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/bbq\">series of stories\u003c/a> exploring the Bay Area’s multicultural barbecue scene. New installments will post every day from June 28–July 1. \u003c/i>\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class=\"utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__dropcapShortcode__dropcap\">T\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>here’s a fiesta happening at the Winslow Center in Concord to celebrate a young bio science major’s graduation from UC Irvine. Upstairs, in the decorated banquet hall, Marilu Pho welcomes guests to her daughter Taylor’s graduation party while Polynesian dancers hurriedly get dressed before their performance begins. “Sorry, the boba people aren’t here yet,” Pho apologizes, detailing all the food she ordered. In addition to the boba station, there’s also a taco bar and a company on hand to make Filipino-style paella. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">But the star of the spread—and of any Filipino party—is the crackly, golden-skinned roast pig known as lechon. Spanish colonizers in the 1600s chose that name to describe the suckling pigs they saw native Filipinos slowly roasting whole over coals. But people in the Philippines have been serving some version of lechon to mark special occasions since well before that, starting when their Austronesian ancestors settled in the islands and brought domesticated pigs and other animals. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">For their daughter’s graduation party, the Pho family has ordered their lechon from Concord’s Oriental Food Market, a Filipino grocer and catering company, whose owners cooked the 60-pound pig in an industrial-sized roaster just a few hours before the party. It makes for a beautiful centerpiece: perfectly golden-brown skin on all sides, steaming in places where the meat is falling away from the bone, from its snout and perma-grin to the end of its piggy tail.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">With large gatherings suspended for more than two years because of COVID-19, this particular pig seems even more celebratory than usual. I ask Marilu, “Why the lechon?” After all, the rest of the party’s multicultural spread is as modern as it is diverse. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">She says simply, “Because it’s tradition, you know?”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">For Filipino Americans like me, lechon isn’t only a tradition passed down by our parents and grandparents; it’s also a point of pride. I come from a region in the Philippines called Pampanga, which the late chef Anthony Bourdain praised for having the best food in the entire country. “Pampanga first, Philippines second?” he asked his host the first time his show \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">No Reservations\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> filmed an episode in Manila. In other words, we Kampampangans know our food. But for Filipinos, our love of lechon transcends even regional loyalties. Like it did with our ancestors, this allegiance traveled with us to America to remind us of home, no matter how far we actually were from our loved ones. There is no fiesta worth having without our lechon—it’s our national dish, alongside adobo and lumpia.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13915594\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13915594\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-24-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"The head of roast pig, still attached, next to a tray that holds the pig's crispy skin.\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-24-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-24-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-24-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-24-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-24-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-24-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-24-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-24-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The lechon is ready to be served. \u003ccite>(Kristen Murakoshi)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">In that same episode of \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">No Reservations\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, Bourdain travels to Cebu—the birthplace of lechon—and declares it “the best pig ever,” thus cementing his legacy as the Philippines’ favorite American chef. It meant something for him to say that: Bourdain had traveled the world 10 times over; he’d eaten the most delicious things in the most iconic food cities. But he’d decided that lechon was the best. And of course, he was right.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Taste of Childhood\u003c/span>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Back to the party: It’s Ed Pho’s first time breaking down the lechon, but he’s done his research. Everyone stands around to watch him pull one whole side of the crunchy skin away from the succulent meat, which is still hot from being taken off the spit less than an hour before. For early-arriving guests, it’s a rare opportunity to see this process; usually, the pig seems to just arrive already divided and ready to eat. While he works at the pig with a pair of big kitchen shears, Ed regales us with his knowledge of lechon. His ethnic background is Vietnamese, but he married into Marilu’s big Filipino family. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“In Cebu, they stuff it with lots of herbs and lemongrass,” he says, “but this one is done Manila-style.” The Manila style relies less on stuffing the pig with tamarind and lemongrass and more on classic preparation: garlic salt, bay leaves, fresh-cracked pepper. But it’s all about the lechon sauce. As he nears the bottom of the pig, he pulls off a tender morsel for me to taste. “This is the best part,” he says excitedly, gesturing toward the plates for me to do the honors of the first official bite. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13915593\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13915593\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-22-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Man cuts a piece of meat from a whole roast pig while a woman wearing a face mask watches.\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-22-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-22-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-22-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-22-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-22-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-22-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-22-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-22-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ed Pho, right, serves lechon to the author. Pho ordered the lechon from Oriental Food Market for his daughter’s college graduation celebration. \u003ccite>(Kristen Murakoshi)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I take the piece in reverence and spoon over some homemade lechon sauce—a sweet, liver-based gravy that Oriental Food Market chef Alex Gaerlan had sent along with the pig. I sandwich the meat between two pieces of crackling and take a loud, obnoxiously crispy bite.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">It tastes like childhood to me. When I was a kid, a whole lechon was reserved only for weddings and golden anniversaries. I remember being eye-level to many of these lechons at family parties, macabrely willing myself into a staring contest while I wondered whose family dog would get to enjoy an ear, maybe even a leftover hind quarter. And as a Philippine-born, American-raised citizen, as I got older, I started to realize that the tradition of serving lechon at family parties seemed to be happening less and less often. Maybe it’s the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13914750/inay-dalisay-world-famous-lechon-vegan-filipino-play-bindlestiff\">health-consciousness of Filipino Americans\u003c/a> who are adopting more plant-based diets, or the fact that we no longer live barangay-style, in clans of large extended families. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "“We are Filipinos. We roast and eat pig. This Is What We Do.”",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>The last lechon I remember eating was one I chose myself in the backyard of my grandparents’ home in Concepcion, Tarlac, when I was 15 years old. I chose the fattest of two pigs in the sty and sprayed it off with the hose. The next morning, I was awakened by the squealing pig being taken to the slaughter. When it returned a few hours later in the bottom of my cousin’s tricycle, it was already flayed and ready to be roasted. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">When that lechon was presented at the fiesta for my Lolo and Lola’s 50th anniversary, the guilt of swine assassination made way to furtive acceptance: We are Filipinos. We roast and eat pig. This Is What We Do.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Sari-Sari Store\u003c/span>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Where, then, do Bay Area Filipino Americans go when they need a whole pig for a party? In the Concord area, the answer is clear: Oriental Food Market. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">A few hours before the Pho family’s graduation fiesta, co-owner Sherrie Gaerlan welcomes patrons to the shop while keeping an eye on her husband Alex as he roasts the lechon in the back. The front of the store is Sherrie’s domain. It’s where she sells small tubs of garlic peanuts, rents out Filipino DVDs and even helps customers purchase the “cheapest air fares to Philippines,” according to the yellow sign emblazoned over the front window. There are two clocks on the wall showing the time difference between the Philippines and California and a stack of business cards with both her and her husband’s names on the front. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13915595\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13915595\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-27-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Woman stands behind the counter of a small Filipino grocery store.\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-27-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-27-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-27-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-27-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-27-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-27-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-27-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-27-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">From behind the front counter of Concord’s Oriental Food Market, co-owner Sherrie Gaerlan rents out Filipino DVDs, arranges air travel and occasionally even plays matchmaker for customers. \u003ccite>(Kristen Murakoshi)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“It was my idea to buy this business,” Gaerlan says, recalling her decision to take over the grocery store that had served Concord’s Fil-Am community since 1983. She remembers eying the gem of a location on her way to work as a subrogation specialist at the car insurance company AAA down the street. Eventually, Alex also left his job as a contractor for FedEx and began cooking in the back to help out. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">According to Sherrie, the persistence required for her position as a subrogation specialist—to go after at-fault drivers’ insurance companies to recoup costs for accident victims—gave her the resolve to eventually take over Oriental Food Market. “If I put this same amount of work in my own business,” she remembers thinking back then, “I may be able to go somewhere, so that’s what encouraged me to look for a business to run.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“When we took the business over, Oriental Food Market, they kept the name. I was never really a fan of that name,” the Gaerlans’ eldest child, Graham, says, laughing. “It’s been around, it was a staple in the community for a long time. It was really all over the place. But they figured it out.” \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">When the family immigrated from the Philippines in 1991, Graham remembers being home after school with his younger sister and waiting all day for his parents to come home. Still, he grappled with why his mom would purchase such a fixer-upper of a business during his senior year of high school. “I didn’t really understand the passion for starting a business that had so many different avenues. You’re talking about a sari-sari store,” he says, using the Tagalog term for a neighborhood convenience store. “It can also be catering and cooked food.” \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13915592\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13915592\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-19-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Exterior facade of Oriental Food Market, with signs in the window advertising lumpia and cheap airfare to the Philippines.\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-19-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-19-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-19-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-19-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-19-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-19-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-19-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-19-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Oriental Food Market has been a touchpoint for Filipino Americans in the Concord area since 1983. \u003ccite>(Kristen Murakoshi)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Judging from the wide array of services Sherrie offers at the front of the store, OFM still provides a touchpoint for many Filipinos longing for home. Graham, who credits his own work ethic to watching his parents grind, likens their boldness and “entrepreneur spirit” to the sacrificial decisions many immigrants make leaving their motherland. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“When we were in the Philippines, my mom would often tell me that when she was pregnant with me, she would go around and sell pre-packed sandwiches at the bank she worked at. This is her, 21 years old, hustling. My mom has always been that way.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Competing With Giants\u003c/span>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">In the end, the roast pigs are what saved the business.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Alex lifts the finished lechon out of the industrial roaster he bought over a decade ago. He rests the pig inside of three coconut milk boxes lined with banana leaves. This particular specimen is 10 pounds heavier than most of the pigs he roasts, and he likes it that way. When Alex taught himself how to cook Filipino food and, later, lechon, he looked for a high-quality supplier that took care of the animals from feed to slaughter. He found it in Oakland-based company \u003ca href=\"http://pacagri.com/\">PacAgri Foods\u003c/a>. He wanted to rid the Filipino catering world of skinny tableside lechons. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13915588\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13915588\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-7-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"A whole roast pig, its skin golden-brown, still mounted on a spit-roaster.\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-7-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-7-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-7-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-7-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-7-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-7-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-7-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-7-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A few hours before the start of the Pho family’s party, the lechon had just finished roasting at Oriental Food Market. \u003ccite>(Kristen Murakoshi)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">It was this passion for quality that allowed OFM to survive in the catering world, where Alex took the basics he learned growing up in the Philippines and applied it to their new venture. “My mom is from Pampanga but she grew up in Manila already. Usually Kapampangans, they love to cook, right? You know, my mom doesn’t know how to cook.” \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Still, Alex’s self-taught repertoire was good enough to compete with the “giants” who moved into Concord in 2009: Seafood City and Ranch 99. These large-chain Asian mega-supermarkets swallowed up nearly every Filipino and small Asian grocer in the area. Back then, Sherrie \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2009/09/11/small-asian-groceries-face-new-competition-in-chains/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">hadn’t yet figured out what might save her business\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, with the “giants” not just competing with their vast inventory and cheaper prices, but also poaching customers who wanted the other services that OFM provided, like passport renewal and sending remittances home. Sherrie and Alex didn’t know it then, but the lechon catering services that they introduced around that time were what would keep their little store going for another decade plus.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">It’s that same adaptability and ingenuity that has sustained the market through a tragic two years of COVID-related business closures in the restaurant industry. “The catering stopped, because no one wants to do any other parties because of COVID,” Sherrie explains. “But what made us survive was all these apps: DoorDash, UberEats and Postmates. We never closed.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13915591\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13915591\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-16-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Man cuts a piece of pork belly lechon from behind the counter of the grocer's steam table display.\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-16-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-16-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-16-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-16-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-16-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-16-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-16-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-16-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lechon is also one of the turo turo steam table offerings at Oriental Food Market. \u003ccite>(Kristen Murakoshi)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Even as many of their neighbors were forced to close their doors, she recalls, the steady stream of online orders kept Oriental Food Market afloat: “So I told my husband, ‘See how the Good Lord helped us? When one door closes, three doors open.’ I’m almost crying now, to remember those times, ‘cause it’s not easy, you know?” \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>For now, even as the Filipino parties have started up again, Alex can only handle two orders of lechon a weekend. He’s having trouble finding help, like every restaurant has after the pandemic. But his lechon business is still known for being the best in the area. For now, it’s also one of the only fully operational sites that’s still roasting whole pigs. While Sherrie used to do all of the cooking at home, now she won’t even step into the back kitchen—Alex’s domain—because knowing their roles well is what helped this mom-and-pop survive two decades.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“Even when he cooks sinigang\u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">he puts good gulay,” Sherrie says of her husband’s kitchen skills. “It’s not like nalanta, or already old. He doesn’t want to compromise on the ingredients because he said, ‘I can be a good cook, but it may not turn out good if I put not-so-good ingredients.’” \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13915586\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13915586\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-3-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Husband and wife stand behind the front counter of their small Filipino grocer and takeout shop.\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-3-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-3-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-3-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-3-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-3-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-3-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-3-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-3-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Owners Alex and Sherrie Gaerlan stand at the front counter of Oriental Food Market. \u003ccite>(Kristen Murakoshi)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">You can still find Sherrie in her domain—the front of the shop—as she focuses on her clientele that she’s remained close with. She knows that with Seafood City and Ranch 99, the employees just work there. They don’t really care about each and every customer that walks in the door. “I used to be a matchmaker here, I used to be ‘Sister Sherrie’ ’cause people would come and just pour their hearts out. Where can you get that? That a person would trust their innermost problems, and then tell you and then get their worries [out], and you provide them your advice. But that’s just me,” she laughs. “That’s how I do business, the personal touch. There’s a story behind each bite.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">All the Gusto\u003c/span>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Back at the graduation party, the lechon tasting gives way to more offerings of food and drink—more ways for the host to show they care about their guests like a true Filipino. Though the food is a bridge back home for many of us balikbayans, it’s the sincere hospitality and warmth for everyone at the party that makes us family, even if we are not. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“Have you eaten yet?” the elders ask, and you must always pretend you have not. No matter how full you are, how stuffed to the brim with party food you become, you must not turn down a piece of the prized lechon because you never know when a party like this will come again—if we are even allowed to gather like this again. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">So you take a plate, you take a bite, and you savor it the way it’s meant to be appreciated—with panache and all the gusto of your ancestors’ spirit. Just don’t forget the sauce.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13915597\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13915597\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-26-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"A Filipino lechon with the meat and skin removed; the head is still attached and intact.\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-26-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-26-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-26-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-26-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-26-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-26-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-26-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/KQED-Lechon-06182022-Murakoshi-26-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The lechon is all carved and ready to eat. \u003ccite>(Kristen Murakoshi)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-12904247\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"39\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39-160x16.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39-240x23.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39-375x37.jpg 375w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://www.rockyrivera.com/\">Rocky Rivera\u003c/a> is a journalist, emcee, author and activist from San Francisco. She has four musical projects out, three of those with her label Beatrock Music. She released her first book last year, entitled \u003c/em>Snakeskin: Essays by Rocky Rivera\u003cem>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "American Alchemy: The Bay Area Welder Who's Building Smokers and Changing Lives",
"headTitle": "American Alchemy: The Bay Area Welder Who’s Building Smokers and Changing Lives | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ci data-stringify-type=\"italic\">KQED’s \u003c/i>\u003c/em>BBQ in the Bay\u003cem>\u003ci data-stringify-type=\"italic\"> is a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/bbq\">series of stories\u003c/a> exploring the Bay Area’s multicultural barbecue scene. New installments will post every day from June 28–July 1. \u003c/i>\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he term “American made” brings to mind images of Paul Bunyan types: pickup trucks, sledge hammers, plaid shirts and beer. It’s the idea of Rosie the Riveter—you know, prideful blue collar work to support this country’s wartime efforts. It’s athletes and entertainers like Babe Ruth, Marylin Monroe and Bruce Springtsteen. “American made,” it has a certain \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">brand\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Inside a single-story warehouse in the delta town of Suisun City, just 20 miles northeast of Vallejo, there’s a craftsman who makes uniquely refined barbecue grills—or rather, smokers, trailers and pits. He’s serious about his tools, knows all about the quality of his metal, and he’s a physicist when it comes to discussing how airflow and indirect heat impact the taste of ribs. His work has taken him from being down bad to b\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">eing on the up-and-up with some of the top dogs. His name is Garnet Geoffroy, and he’s the owner of \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.gstackspits.com/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">GStacks Professional Smokers and Pits\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">.\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Geoffroy, or GStacks, has\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> locs that drape down to his muscular shoulders, black-framed glasses and beat-up, wheat-colored work boots. His hands are grease-stained and rough from years of labor, but still welcoming when exchanging that handshake we both instinctively know as Black men.“What’s up, King?” he says as he greets me.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">He, too, is American made.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“I’m a welder, a fabricator,” says Geoffroy in an unmistakably Bay Area accent. “And I speak life into people.” He’s a constant soul-searcher who holds near and dear his ability to create. And because of his spirituality, he knows that his mission is bigger than barbecue. But right now, he’s using that as his vessel. “In the food industry,” Geoffroy says, “so many of us have this God-given talent of being able to please somebody through food… and that’s priceless.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13915537\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13915537\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/023_KQEDArts_GStacksCustomSmokers_06162022.jpg\" alt=\"Man looks up pensively as he works with metal equipment.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/023_KQEDArts_GStacksCustomSmokers_06162022.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/023_KQEDArts_GStacksCustomSmokers_06162022-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/023_KQEDArts_GStacksCustomSmokers_06162022-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/023_KQEDArts_GStacksCustomSmokers_06162022-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/023_KQEDArts_GStacksCustomSmokers_06162022-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/023_KQEDArts_GStacksCustomSmokers_06162022-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">G Stacks works on a custom BBQ smoker at his warehouse in Suisun City on June 16, 2022. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Before getting to Geoffroy’s larger life goals, though, you’ve got to understand his current success and where it all started. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“I’ve got units at \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Vegan Mob in Oakland, KC’s BBQ in Berkeley, Smokin Woods, Flip N Soul, Ruby Jewels, M.C.M. Kitchen Vallejo,” Geoffroy says, naming well-known eateries as easily as Bubba rattled off the names of different types of shrimp in \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Forrest Gump\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“Dawgie Dog’s in Vallejo, Pig in a Pickle in Corte Madera, River Rock Casino, Pacific Coast Producers, Local Q 707 in Petaluma—they’re great.” \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">He mentions DJ’s Tri-Tip in Stockton and Tank House BBQ and Bar in Sacramento’s midtown, followed by the names of some of his high profile customers: Marshawn Lynch and E-40. Then he tells the story of working with a well-known rapper and producer from Long Beach.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“When I got the call, I looked at my phone and I was like, ‘Warren Griffin?’ Who’s got Warren G’s name?” Geoffroy jokes. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">That was 2016. Since then Geoffroy has produced eight different smokers for Warren G, a barbecue connoisseur and owner of \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/sniffingriffinsbbq/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Sniffin Griffins BBQ\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. “The ninth one is in my shop right now,” he says.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13915532\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13915532\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/001_KQEDArts_GStacksCustomSmokers_06162022.jpg\" alt=\"A black and white barbecue smoker on wheels in an empty lot; a red smoker is behind it.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/001_KQEDArts_GStacksCustomSmokers_06162022.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/001_KQEDArts_GStacksCustomSmokers_06162022-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/001_KQEDArts_GStacksCustomSmokers_06162022-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/001_KQEDArts_GStacksCustomSmokers_06162022-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/001_KQEDArts_GStacksCustomSmokers_06162022-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/001_KQEDArts_GStacksCustomSmokers_06162022-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Custom smokers of various shapes and sizes sit outside GStacks’ warehouse.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“I have to say that this is a very incredible unit,” says Warren G \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGt5CSVn-2U\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">in a 2017 video\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, where he’s standing next to a custom-made smoker that has a working sound system and a wood-grain steering wheel as a handle. Warren G praises the build out—and the chicken that GStacks cooked in it—noting that he had seen the smoker on Instagram, but that wasn’t enough: “I had to come and witness it.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Years before he was making barbecue trailers and smokers for the creator of the West Coast hip-hop subgenre of G-Funk, Geoffroy, who was raised in Vallejo, was in and out of incarceration. Over a span of seven years \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Geoffroy was locked up,\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> first in youth detention and then adult jail. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“I didn’t do ‘lost time,’” Geoffroy says sharply. “I got wise. Every time I got locked up, I got into the welding program.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">At 18, he was locked up in Fouts Springs Youth Facility. While there, he noticed a pattern: “The white boys would get up early and go to program. The Black boys in there would just kick it all day.” He made his choice to get up early and take classes with the white kids. He made his mistakes at times, like wearing the wrong welding hood– a safety issue that put his eyes in jeopardy, but corrections were made and the losses rapidly became valuable lessons. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13915535\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13915535\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/012_KQEDArts_GStacksCustomSmokers_06162022.jpg\" alt=\"A man kneels on the ground welding something, as blue sparks fly.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/012_KQEDArts_GStacksCustomSmokers_06162022.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/012_KQEDArts_GStacksCustomSmokers_06162022-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/012_KQEDArts_GStacksCustomSmokers_06162022-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/012_KQEDArts_GStacksCustomSmokers_06162022-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/012_KQEDArts_GStacksCustomSmokers_06162022-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/012_KQEDArts_GStacksCustomSmokers_06162022-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A longtime employee at GStacks’ warehouse welds a steel frame for a BBQ smoker. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Three years later, \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Geoffroy spent\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> his 21st birthday inside Sacramento’s Rio Cosumnes Correctional Center, where he further refined his welding ability. After he got out, he found his path—but it wasn’t without a few twists and turns.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Geoffroy spent time in the streets, living the fast life and making money through channels he was familiar with given the environment he was raised in. A series of unfortunate events, including the deaths of a few close friends, led him to the church. That’s where things started to change.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Through the church he learned about Cypress Mandela Training Center, a vocational training program in West Oakland. He credits that community, specifically the older Black men who taught classes, for his full-blown introduction to the craft of welding.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Around 2005 he finished the pre-apprenticeship training program, got certified and became an ironworker. He did structural steel erection, assisting with the creation of bridges, colleges, hospitals and more.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">He was in the Iron Workers Union for a year and a half before things went awry. “I got run over by a forklift by a drunk foreman on a night job,” says Geoffroy, pulling up his right pant leg to reveal a lengthy scar on his inner calf. “I almost lost my leg.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">After surgery and rehabilitation, Geoffroy says, “\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">like a dummy I went back to work, because that’s all I knew.” And then, four years later, a second major injury occurred, this time to his back.\u003c/span> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">He got workers’ compensation, but the cash wasn’t sustainable, and definitely not worth two lifelong scars. He hit a wall.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13915534\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13915534\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/008_KQEDArts_GStacksCustomSmokers_06162022.jpg\" alt=\"A man looks up as he uses a band saw to cut a steel beam.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/008_KQEDArts_GStacksCustomSmokers_06162022.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/008_KQEDArts_GStacksCustomSmokers_06162022-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/008_KQEDArts_GStacksCustomSmokers_06162022-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/008_KQEDArts_GStacksCustomSmokers_06162022-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/008_KQEDArts_GStacksCustomSmokers_06162022-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/008_KQEDArts_GStacksCustomSmokers_06162022-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Geoffroy cuts steel beams for the frame of a smoker. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“I went fishing for three years, sitting on the Bay in a boat, trying to figure out my next play,” Geoffroy reflects. A father of twin girls, he was also married at the time. His now ex-wife pushed him to find a new job. Geoffroy questioned, “How do I get a job when my body is mangled?”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">He went back to what he knows best: welding. This time for himself. He started in his garage, making a \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">welding cart to wheel around his materials and fix a neighbor’s boat trailer. Then, he got the idea to make barbecue pits. It was something he’d done as a side gig one time while he was still working in the union, turning a 55-gallon barrel into a grill for a brother who attended his church. He was underpaid for that one, but the seed was planted. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Years later, unemployed, injured and in a financial situation that had his back against the wall, he found some odd pieces—an old jet ski trailer and two water tanks from a seller in Santa Rosa—and made his first barbecue trailer, then posted it on Craigslist. It sold to a woman who smokes turkeys in Pittsburg, and from there the requests started rolling in. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">This was 2012. Geoffroy started his business and the money was starting to come in. But even as his entrepreneurial endeavors began to grow, he came to the realization that he still had some work to do on himself.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13915533\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13915533\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/006_KQEDArts_GStacksCustomSmokers_06162022.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/006_KQEDArts_GStacksCustomSmokers_06162022.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/006_KQEDArts_GStacksCustomSmokers_06162022-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/006_KQEDArts_GStacksCustomSmokers_06162022-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/006_KQEDArts_GStacksCustomSmokers_06162022-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/006_KQEDArts_GStacksCustomSmokers_06162022-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/006_KQEDArts_GStacksCustomSmokers_06162022-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Plans and measurements for a future smoker. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">During a 2017 trip to Mexico for a cousin’s wedding, he hit rock bottom. Overweight and indulging in alcohol, he says he didn’t eat any food at the resort he was staying in because he had noticed that there was a clowder of cats living in one of the refrigerators the hotel was using. His friends neverminded it, but he couldn’t stomach it. So, he compensated by drinking more. “At that time I was 333 pounds,” says Geoffroy, pointing to pictures of himself from that era. “I had an epiphany that I can’t live like this.” \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">After the trip he implemented portion-controlled diets and cut out alcohol and sugary drinks. Now his only vice is an order of chips and queso from Chipotle. Otherwise, he doesn’t do fast food, but he does do barbecue. And he’s a huge advocate for sea moss.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Beyond controlling his consumption, Geoffroy is ever mindful of how his time is used. Mondays and Thursdays are the only days he allows people to talk to him; otherwise, he’s working. His creations take time. Geoffroy says, “each smoker is different,” as they’re all handmade, often using quarter-inch to eighth-inch steel. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Sometimes he and a duo of private contractors work to refurbish old units, remixing the elements that are already in place. He’s built pieces that funnel out the taste of charcoal and others that are completely electric. Some trailers have working water spouts and others have custom embroidery. He says he doesn’t rely on blueprints, but will take a measure of the customer and try to create a unit that speaks to their personality. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Again, Geoffroy stresses the time it takes to create these build outs. “I can’t just blow these things into existence.” \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[dropcap]W[/dropcap]arren G’s 1994 track “Do You See” starts with a sample of Gil Scott-Heron’s “Bicentennial Blues.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>But the blues has always been totally American\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>As American as apple pie\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>As American as the blues\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>As American as apple pie\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>The question is why?\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>Why should the blues be so at home here?\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>Well, America provided the atmosphere\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Scott-Heron recites the lyrics as a synthesizer hums in the background, right before the drums kick. In the song, Warren G goes on to rap about his environment and the ups and downs he and his circle of friends are facing, mentioning his cousin, Snoop Dogg, who was incarcerated at the time. On the final verse, the man who penned “Regulate” says:\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Well as time goes past, slowly we try to make it\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>But things are gettin hectic, I just can’t take it\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>Should I A: Go back to slangin’ dope?\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>Or should I B: Maintain and try to cope?\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>Or should I C: Just get crazy and wild?\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>But no I chose D: Create the G-Child\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">In this country, the ability to create and then recreate yourself, in spite of your environment, is more than just being “American made,” it’s American alchemy—just like barbecue itself is a form of alchemy. And \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Geoffroy\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> knows that it doesn’t end with him. He’s looking to pay it forward. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[pullquote size=\"large\" align=\"right\" citation=\"Garnet Geoffroy\"]“I come from helping the ones who struggle, the ones who are wounded…I want to reach the sick, not the ones who are healed.”[/pullquote]He says his end goal isn’t to sell barbecue pits to famous people or make the best-tasting ribs on record. He wants to buy a youth facility, where he can introduce young folks to skilled trades, similar to the space where he learned how to weld at the \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Fouts Springs Youth Facility. He even aims to work with the same population.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“The ones whose backs are already up against the wall, that’s who I want to work with,” says Geoffroy in a voice that lets you know he’s been to church a few times. “I come from helping the ones who struggle, the ones who are wounded…I want to reach the sick, not the ones who are healed.” \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13915539\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13915539\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/034_KQEDArts_GStacksCustomSmokers_06162022.jpg\" alt='A man seen through an opening in a a barbecue smoker emblazoned with the website \"GStackspits.com\"' width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/034_KQEDArts_GStacksCustomSmokers_06162022.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/034_KQEDArts_GStacksCustomSmokers_06162022-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/034_KQEDArts_GStacksCustomSmokers_06162022-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/034_KQEDArts_GStacksCustomSmokers_06162022-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/034_KQEDArts_GStacksCustomSmokers_06162022-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/034_KQEDArts_GStacksCustomSmokers_06162022-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">GStacks works on a BBQ smoker outside of his warehouse in Suisun City. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[aside postID='arts_13915312,arts_13915387,arts_13915306' label='More BBQ']Beyond teaching craftsmanship, he wants to instill character and morale, and expose people to things they might not see in their immediate environment. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Business-wise, he’s competing with “American made” big names like Weber and Traeger. The latter of the two is based in the U.S. but manufactures its units overseas. “\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Their box is from America. My product is,” says \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Geoffroy.\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Of course, even the saying “as American as apple pie” is a misnomer—the dessert was created in England. But Geoffroy, a person who had hiccups in American schools and spent time in American jails, has learned to make something out of nothing, the American way. And now he uses his creations to assist people in making food that has the power to heal. Well, that’s a tale as American as G-Funk.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-12904247\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"39\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39-160x16.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39-240x23.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39-375x37.jpg 375w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Pendarvis Harshaw is the host of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/rightnowish\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Rightnowish\u003c/a> on KQED-FM, a columnist at KQED Arts, and the author of OG Told Me, a memoir about growing up in Oakland.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "Garnet Geoffroy, aka GStacks, counts E-40 and Warren G among his clients—but cares more about inspiring young people.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ci data-stringify-type=\"italic\">KQED’s \u003c/i>\u003c/em>BBQ in the Bay\u003cem>\u003ci data-stringify-type=\"italic\"> is a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/bbq\">series of stories\u003c/a> exploring the Bay Area’s multicultural barbecue scene. New installments will post every day from June 28–July 1. \u003c/i>\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class=\"utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__dropcapShortcode__dropcap\">T\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>he term “American made” brings to mind images of Paul Bunyan types: pickup trucks, sledge hammers, plaid shirts and beer. It’s the idea of Rosie the Riveter—you know, prideful blue collar work to support this country’s wartime efforts. It’s athletes and entertainers like Babe Ruth, Marylin Monroe and Bruce Springtsteen. “American made,” it has a certain \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">brand\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Inside a single-story warehouse in the delta town of Suisun City, just 20 miles northeast of Vallejo, there’s a craftsman who makes uniquely refined barbecue grills—or rather, smokers, trailers and pits. He’s serious about his tools, knows all about the quality of his metal, and he’s a physicist when it comes to discussing how airflow and indirect heat impact the taste of ribs. His work has taken him from being down bad to b\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">eing on the up-and-up with some of the top dogs. His name is Garnet Geoffroy, and he’s the owner of \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.gstackspits.com/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">GStacks Professional Smokers and Pits\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">.\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Geoffroy, or GStacks, has\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> locs that drape down to his muscular shoulders, black-framed glasses and beat-up, wheat-colored work boots. His hands are grease-stained and rough from years of labor, but still welcoming when exchanging that handshake we both instinctively know as Black men.“What’s up, King?” he says as he greets me.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">He, too, is American made.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“I’m a welder, a fabricator,” says Geoffroy in an unmistakably Bay Area accent. “And I speak life into people.” He’s a constant soul-searcher who holds near and dear his ability to create. And because of his spirituality, he knows that his mission is bigger than barbecue. But right now, he’s using that as his vessel. “In the food industry,” Geoffroy says, “so many of us have this God-given talent of being able to please somebody through food… and that’s priceless.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13915537\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13915537\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/023_KQEDArts_GStacksCustomSmokers_06162022.jpg\" alt=\"Man looks up pensively as he works with metal equipment.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/023_KQEDArts_GStacksCustomSmokers_06162022.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/023_KQEDArts_GStacksCustomSmokers_06162022-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/023_KQEDArts_GStacksCustomSmokers_06162022-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/023_KQEDArts_GStacksCustomSmokers_06162022-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/023_KQEDArts_GStacksCustomSmokers_06162022-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/023_KQEDArts_GStacksCustomSmokers_06162022-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">G Stacks works on a custom BBQ smoker at his warehouse in Suisun City on June 16, 2022. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Before getting to Geoffroy’s larger life goals, though, you’ve got to understand his current success and where it all started. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“I’ve got units at \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Vegan Mob in Oakland, KC’s BBQ in Berkeley, Smokin Woods, Flip N Soul, Ruby Jewels, M.C.M. Kitchen Vallejo,” Geoffroy says, naming well-known eateries as easily as Bubba rattled off the names of different types of shrimp in \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Forrest Gump\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“Dawgie Dog’s in Vallejo, Pig in a Pickle in Corte Madera, River Rock Casino, Pacific Coast Producers, Local Q 707 in Petaluma—they’re great.” \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">He mentions DJ’s Tri-Tip in Stockton and Tank House BBQ and Bar in Sacramento’s midtown, followed by the names of some of his high profile customers: Marshawn Lynch and E-40. Then he tells the story of working with a well-known rapper and producer from Long Beach.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“When I got the call, I looked at my phone and I was like, ‘Warren Griffin?’ Who’s got Warren G’s name?” Geoffroy jokes. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">That was 2016. Since then Geoffroy has produced eight different smokers for Warren G, a barbecue connoisseur and owner of \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/sniffingriffinsbbq/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Sniffin Griffins BBQ\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. “The ninth one is in my shop right now,” he says.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13915532\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13915532\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/001_KQEDArts_GStacksCustomSmokers_06162022.jpg\" alt=\"A black and white barbecue smoker on wheels in an empty lot; a red smoker is behind it.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/001_KQEDArts_GStacksCustomSmokers_06162022.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/001_KQEDArts_GStacksCustomSmokers_06162022-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/001_KQEDArts_GStacksCustomSmokers_06162022-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/001_KQEDArts_GStacksCustomSmokers_06162022-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/001_KQEDArts_GStacksCustomSmokers_06162022-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/001_KQEDArts_GStacksCustomSmokers_06162022-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Custom smokers of various shapes and sizes sit outside GStacks’ warehouse.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“I have to say that this is a very incredible unit,” says Warren G \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGt5CSVn-2U\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">in a 2017 video\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, where he’s standing next to a custom-made smoker that has a working sound system and a wood-grain steering wheel as a handle. Warren G praises the build out—and the chicken that GStacks cooked in it—noting that he had seen the smoker on Instagram, but that wasn’t enough: “I had to come and witness it.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Years before he was making barbecue trailers and smokers for the creator of the West Coast hip-hop subgenre of G-Funk, Geoffroy, who was raised in Vallejo, was in and out of incarceration. Over a span of seven years \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Geoffroy was locked up,\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> first in youth detention and then adult jail. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“I didn’t do ‘lost time,’” Geoffroy says sharply. “I got wise. Every time I got locked up, I got into the welding program.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">At 18, he was locked up in Fouts Springs Youth Facility. While there, he noticed a pattern: “The white boys would get up early and go to program. The Black boys in there would just kick it all day.” He made his choice to get up early and take classes with the white kids. He made his mistakes at times, like wearing the wrong welding hood– a safety issue that put his eyes in jeopardy, but corrections were made and the losses rapidly became valuable lessons. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13915535\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13915535\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/012_KQEDArts_GStacksCustomSmokers_06162022.jpg\" alt=\"A man kneels on the ground welding something, as blue sparks fly.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/012_KQEDArts_GStacksCustomSmokers_06162022.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/012_KQEDArts_GStacksCustomSmokers_06162022-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/012_KQEDArts_GStacksCustomSmokers_06162022-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/012_KQEDArts_GStacksCustomSmokers_06162022-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/012_KQEDArts_GStacksCustomSmokers_06162022-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/012_KQEDArts_GStacksCustomSmokers_06162022-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A longtime employee at GStacks’ warehouse welds a steel frame for a BBQ smoker. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Three years later, \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Geoffroy spent\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> his 21st birthday inside Sacramento’s Rio Cosumnes Correctional Center, where he further refined his welding ability. After he got out, he found his path—but it wasn’t without a few twists and turns.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Geoffroy spent time in the streets, living the fast life and making money through channels he was familiar with given the environment he was raised in. A series of unfortunate events, including the deaths of a few close friends, led him to the church. That’s where things started to change.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Through the church he learned about Cypress Mandela Training Center, a vocational training program in West Oakland. He credits that community, specifically the older Black men who taught classes, for his full-blown introduction to the craft of welding.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Around 2005 he finished the pre-apprenticeship training program, got certified and became an ironworker. He did structural steel erection, assisting with the creation of bridges, colleges, hospitals and more.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">He was in the Iron Workers Union for a year and a half before things went awry. “I got run over by a forklift by a drunk foreman on a night job,” says Geoffroy, pulling up his right pant leg to reveal a lengthy scar on his inner calf. “I almost lost my leg.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">After surgery and rehabilitation, Geoffroy says, “\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">like a dummy I went back to work, because that’s all I knew.” And then, four years later, a second major injury occurred, this time to his back.\u003c/span> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">He got workers’ compensation, but the cash wasn’t sustainable, and definitely not worth two lifelong scars. He hit a wall.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13915534\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13915534\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/008_KQEDArts_GStacksCustomSmokers_06162022.jpg\" alt=\"A man looks up as he uses a band saw to cut a steel beam.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/008_KQEDArts_GStacksCustomSmokers_06162022.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/008_KQEDArts_GStacksCustomSmokers_06162022-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/008_KQEDArts_GStacksCustomSmokers_06162022-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/008_KQEDArts_GStacksCustomSmokers_06162022-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/008_KQEDArts_GStacksCustomSmokers_06162022-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/008_KQEDArts_GStacksCustomSmokers_06162022-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Geoffroy cuts steel beams for the frame of a smoker. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“I went fishing for three years, sitting on the Bay in a boat, trying to figure out my next play,” Geoffroy reflects. A father of twin girls, he was also married at the time. His now ex-wife pushed him to find a new job. Geoffroy questioned, “How do I get a job when my body is mangled?”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">He went back to what he knows best: welding. This time for himself. He started in his garage, making a \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">welding cart to wheel around his materials and fix a neighbor’s boat trailer. Then, he got the idea to make barbecue pits. It was something he’d done as a side gig one time while he was still working in the union, turning a 55-gallon barrel into a grill for a brother who attended his church. He was underpaid for that one, but the seed was planted. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Years later, unemployed, injured and in a financial situation that had his back against the wall, he found some odd pieces—an old jet ski trailer and two water tanks from a seller in Santa Rosa—and made his first barbecue trailer, then posted it on Craigslist. It sold to a woman who smokes turkeys in Pittsburg, and from there the requests started rolling in. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">This was 2012. Geoffroy started his business and the money was starting to come in. But even as his entrepreneurial endeavors began to grow, he came to the realization that he still had some work to do on himself.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13915533\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13915533\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/006_KQEDArts_GStacksCustomSmokers_06162022.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/006_KQEDArts_GStacksCustomSmokers_06162022.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/006_KQEDArts_GStacksCustomSmokers_06162022-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/006_KQEDArts_GStacksCustomSmokers_06162022-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/006_KQEDArts_GStacksCustomSmokers_06162022-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/006_KQEDArts_GStacksCustomSmokers_06162022-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/006_KQEDArts_GStacksCustomSmokers_06162022-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Plans and measurements for a future smoker. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">During a 2017 trip to Mexico for a cousin’s wedding, he hit rock bottom. Overweight and indulging in alcohol, he says he didn’t eat any food at the resort he was staying in because he had noticed that there was a clowder of cats living in one of the refrigerators the hotel was using. His friends neverminded it, but he couldn’t stomach it. So, he compensated by drinking more. “At that time I was 333 pounds,” says Geoffroy, pointing to pictures of himself from that era. “I had an epiphany that I can’t live like this.” \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">After the trip he implemented portion-controlled diets and cut out alcohol and sugary drinks. Now his only vice is an order of chips and queso from Chipotle. Otherwise, he doesn’t do fast food, but he does do barbecue. And he’s a huge advocate for sea moss.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Beyond controlling his consumption, Geoffroy is ever mindful of how his time is used. Mondays and Thursdays are the only days he allows people to talk to him; otherwise, he’s working. His creations take time. Geoffroy says, “each smoker is different,” as they’re all handmade, often using quarter-inch to eighth-inch steel. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Sometimes he and a duo of private contractors work to refurbish old units, remixing the elements that are already in place. He’s built pieces that funnel out the taste of charcoal and others that are completely electric. Some trailers have working water spouts and others have custom embroidery. He says he doesn’t rely on blueprints, but will take a measure of the customer and try to create a unit that speaks to their personality. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Again, Geoffroy stresses the time it takes to create these build outs. “I can’t just blow these things into existence.” \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class=\"utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__dropcapShortcode__dropcap\">W\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>arren G’s 1994 track “Do You See” starts with a sample of Gil Scott-Heron’s “Bicentennial Blues.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>But the blues has always been totally American\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>As American as apple pie\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>As American as the blues\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>As American as apple pie\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>The question is why?\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>Why should the blues be so at home here?\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>Well, America provided the atmosphere\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Scott-Heron recites the lyrics as a synthesizer hums in the background, right before the drums kick. In the song, Warren G goes on to rap about his environment and the ups and downs he and his circle of friends are facing, mentioning his cousin, Snoop Dogg, who was incarcerated at the time. On the final verse, the man who penned “Regulate” says:\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Well as time goes past, slowly we try to make it\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>But things are gettin hectic, I just can’t take it\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>Should I A: Go back to slangin’ dope?\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>Or should I B: Maintain and try to cope?\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>Or should I C: Just get crazy and wild?\u003c/em>\u003cbr>\n\u003cem>But no I chose D: Create the G-Child\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">In this country, the ability to create and then recreate yourself, in spite of your environment, is more than just being “American made,” it’s American alchemy—just like barbecue itself is a form of alchemy. And \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Geoffroy\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> knows that it doesn’t end with him. He’s looking to pay it forward. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "“I come from helping the ones who struggle, the ones who are wounded…I want to reach the sick, not the ones who are healed.”",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>He says his end goal isn’t to sell barbecue pits to famous people or make the best-tasting ribs on record. He wants to buy a youth facility, where he can introduce young folks to skilled trades, similar to the space where he learned how to weld at the \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Fouts Springs Youth Facility. He even aims to work with the same population.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“The ones whose backs are already up against the wall, that’s who I want to work with,” says Geoffroy in a voice that lets you know he’s been to church a few times. “I come from helping the ones who struggle, the ones who are wounded…I want to reach the sick, not the ones who are healed.” \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13915539\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-13915539\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/034_KQEDArts_GStacksCustomSmokers_06162022.jpg\" alt='A man seen through an opening in a a barbecue smoker emblazoned with the website \"GStackspits.com\"' width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/034_KQEDArts_GStacksCustomSmokers_06162022.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/034_KQEDArts_GStacksCustomSmokers_06162022-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/034_KQEDArts_GStacksCustomSmokers_06162022-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/034_KQEDArts_GStacksCustomSmokers_06162022-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/034_KQEDArts_GStacksCustomSmokers_06162022-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/034_KQEDArts_GStacksCustomSmokers_06162022-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">GStacks works on a BBQ smoker outside of his warehouse in Suisun City. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Beyond teaching craftsmanship, he wants to instill character and morale, and expose people to things they might not see in their immediate environment. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Business-wise, he’s competing with “American made” big names like Weber and Traeger. The latter of the two is based in the U.S. but manufactures its units overseas. “\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Their box is from America. My product is,” says \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Geoffroy.\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Of course, even the saying “as American as apple pie” is a misnomer—the dessert was created in England. But Geoffroy, a person who had hiccups in American schools and spent time in American jails, has learned to make something out of nothing, the American way. And now he uses his creations to assist people in making food that has the power to heal. Well, that’s a tale as American as G-Funk.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-12904247\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"39\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39-160x16.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39-240x23.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39-375x37.jpg 375w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Pendarvis Harshaw is the host of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/tag/rightnowish\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Rightnowish\u003c/a> on KQED-FM, a columnist at KQED Arts, and the author of OG Told Me, a memoir about growing up in Oakland.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>Earlier this month, an image went viral suggesting the unthinkable had finally happened: AriZona Iced Tea had fallen victim to soaring inflation, and raised their long-held price for a 23oz can of tea from 99 cents to $1.29.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s not true—that’s just the price in Canadian dollars.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, while the AriZona alarm bells may be disarmed this time around, inflation in the U.S. continues to put many people in an unprecedented budget crunch. And with supply chain issues stemming from the war in Ukraine, expensive labor and fuel, and material shortages, the questions remain: Why are some companies sticking with fixed-price items, and how much longer can they hold out?\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Why do the $1 deals stick around?\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>One key indicator to the sustainability of these deals is how steadily companies can maintain the volume and consistency of their customers walking through doors, ready to spend.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Take Costco’s famous hotdog meal, so emblematic of the business that founder Jim Sinegal once threatened the company CEO, saying, “If you raise the [price of the] effing hot dog, I will kill you.” Since 1985, the wholesale membership club has offered a beef hotdog with a refillable 20oz soda for just $1.50.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13915545\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13915545\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/gettyimages-1241318012-1-fe63e9f8423b43701aef8b3777234ce22bf5f92a-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"Customers wait in line to order below signage for the Costco Kirkland Signature $1.50 hot dog and soda combo.\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Costco hot dog and soda combo is $1.50, and has stayed that way since 1985. \u003ccite>(PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>According to David Ortega, a food economist and associate professor at Michigan State University, this price is nowhere in line with inflation, and should actually cost around $4. But the store is still able to extract value from the deal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Those are loss leaders, meaning that they are priced below cost because these are the products that bring people into the store,” Ortega said. “They bring that family in to eat that hotdog meal, which is a bargain at $1.50. But they’re likely to pick up other products when they go into the store.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Loss leaders are a popular strategy for companies that can afford them. Costco is well known for this, also offering a 3 pound rotisserie chicken for only $5.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postid='arts_13914585']It’s a common move for fast food giants as well. McDonalds, Taco Bell and Wendy’s have all offered their own versions of dollar menus, selling items like burritos, burgers and sundaes for just a buck, with the aim to bring people in.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ortega said that AriZona was able to operate with a similar approach.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I see a lot of the retailers that sell that iced tea, and like having that product in their store, because it brings people in, it brings in the volume,” he said. “And they’re people that are going to pick up that bag of chips or another snack when they’re purchasing those products.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>AriZona has other, less obvious factors they play with to keep their prices down. One example is using the price itself as a form of marketing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The 99 cents is part of the brand’s iconography,” explained Rabobank beverage analyst Bourcard Nesin. “It’s now core to the advertising of AriZona to the point that [they get] all the free press in this environment simply because they haven’t raised their price.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nesin also added that innovation can be a great tool for keeping costs low. If packaging, manufacturing, or transportation can be streamlined to be more affordable, that leaves more profit for the company.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postid='arts_13913985']In this sense, AriZona has struck a rare balance. Nesin said that advertising typically represented a large portion of the operational costs for any beverage company, and AriZona’s reputation allowed it a significant amount of wiggle room when faced with increased production costs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“While other brands are spending lots of money and spending lots of their margin to promote their products, Arizona just sits in the cooler of every convenience store in America, advertising 99 cents,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>The future of fixed-price deals\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>So, is this a business model that will be able to sustain itself?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ortega said it mostly depended on the business. Factors like scale, diversity among products, and a financial cushion to fall back all have to be taken into consideration. Ultimately, for companies like AriZona or Costco that have the upper hand on these elements, Ortega doesn’t think there will be a price reckoning anytime soon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nesin adds that when it comes to inflation, it is typically the small business owners and low-income consumers who have to make adjustments when faced with a higher cost of living.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13915553\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13915553\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/GettyImages-119601971-800x725.jpg\" alt=\"A black and white image shows a restaurant named Hav-A-Pizza with customers standing outside next to a busy news stand. A neon sign in the restaurant window advertises 20¢ slices.\" width=\"800\" height=\"725\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">20¢ New York pizza, circa 1955. \u003ccite>(John Spencer Fay/FPG/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>One example of this contrast is the death of The New York City dollar slice.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For years, people could enjoy a large slice of cheese pizza for $1 flat. Despite their popularity, many of these businesses had to raise their price by as much as 50 cents in November due to the increased cost of ingredients and labor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s not likely that we’ll see a resurgence of the dollar slice, either. As Nesin explains: “If your favorite product’s price is higher than you’re used to, chances are it’s never going to go back to where it was before.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ortega said that before this round of rising inflation, smaller businesses were able to stay afloat because of volume and semi-normal economic times.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postid='arts_13913592']“But we’ve seen food prices at record levels that we haven’t seen in 40 years,” he said. “And it’s not just food prices, but everything that goes into the production of these products. So transportation is up, wages are up, the price of gas is also up.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nesin said these price changes hit hardest for those who had less to begin with.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Traditionally when consumer income is constrained, if people have less money to spend, it’s actually the lower income people that are forced to change their behavior,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He explained the link to a brand like AriZona, saying: “Lower-cost products are most affected. So a brand like AriZona, if they raise prices a little bit, it will have an outsized impact on demand.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>AriZona chairman and founder Don Vultaggio has remained adamant that he has no intention of changing the price anytime soon. But Nesin thinks that eventually, they too will have to conform to the eternal trend of upward inflation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“But for now,” he said, “we get to enjoy a 99 cent, 23 ounce behemoth of a refreshment.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"fullattribution\">\u003cem>Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">visit NPR\u003c/a>.\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&utmdt=Inflation+killed+the+%241+pizza+slice.+Long+live+the+99c+iced+tea&utme=8(APIKey)9(MDAxOTAwOTE4MDEyMTkxMDAzNjczZDljZA004)\">\u003c/em>\u003c/div>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Earlier this month, an image went viral suggesting the unthinkable had finally happened: AriZona Iced Tea had fallen victim to soaring inflation, and raised their long-held price for a 23oz can of tea from 99 cents to $1.29.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s not true—that’s just the price in Canadian dollars.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, while the AriZona alarm bells may be disarmed this time around, inflation in the U.S. continues to put many people in an unprecedented budget crunch. And with supply chain issues stemming from the war in Ukraine, expensive labor and fuel, and material shortages, the questions remain: Why are some companies sticking with fixed-price items, and how much longer can they hold out?\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Why do the $1 deals stick around?\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>One key indicator to the sustainability of these deals is how steadily companies can maintain the volume and consistency of their customers walking through doors, ready to spend.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Take Costco’s famous hotdog meal, so emblematic of the business that founder Jim Sinegal once threatened the company CEO, saying, “If you raise the [price of the] effing hot dog, I will kill you.” Since 1985, the wholesale membership club has offered a beef hotdog with a refillable 20oz soda for just $1.50.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13915545\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13915545\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/gettyimages-1241318012-1-fe63e9f8423b43701aef8b3777234ce22bf5f92a-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"Customers wait in line to order below signage for the Costco Kirkland Signature $1.50 hot dog and soda combo.\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Costco hot dog and soda combo is $1.50, and has stayed that way since 1985. \u003ccite>(PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>According to David Ortega, a food economist and associate professor at Michigan State University, this price is nowhere in line with inflation, and should actually cost around $4. But the store is still able to extract value from the deal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Those are loss leaders, meaning that they are priced below cost because these are the products that bring people into the store,” Ortega said. “They bring that family in to eat that hotdog meal, which is a bargain at $1.50. But they’re likely to pick up other products when they go into the store.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Loss leaders are a popular strategy for companies that can afford them. Costco is well known for this, also offering a 3 pound rotisserie chicken for only $5.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>It’s a common move for fast food giants as well. McDonalds, Taco Bell and Wendy’s have all offered their own versions of dollar menus, selling items like burritos, burgers and sundaes for just a buck, with the aim to bring people in.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ortega said that AriZona was able to operate with a similar approach.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I see a lot of the retailers that sell that iced tea, and like having that product in their store, because it brings people in, it brings in the volume,” he said. “And they’re people that are going to pick up that bag of chips or another snack when they’re purchasing those products.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>AriZona has other, less obvious factors they play with to keep their prices down. One example is using the price itself as a form of marketing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The 99 cents is part of the brand’s iconography,” explained Rabobank beverage analyst Bourcard Nesin. “It’s now core to the advertising of AriZona to the point that [they get] all the free press in this environment simply because they haven’t raised their price.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nesin also added that innovation can be a great tool for keeping costs low. If packaging, manufacturing, or transportation can be streamlined to be more affordable, that leaves more profit for the company.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>In this sense, AriZona has struck a rare balance. Nesin said that advertising typically represented a large portion of the operational costs for any beverage company, and AriZona’s reputation allowed it a significant amount of wiggle room when faced with increased production costs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“While other brands are spending lots of money and spending lots of their margin to promote their products, Arizona just sits in the cooler of every convenience store in America, advertising 99 cents,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>The future of fixed-price deals\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>So, is this a business model that will be able to sustain itself?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ortega said it mostly depended on the business. Factors like scale, diversity among products, and a financial cushion to fall back all have to be taken into consideration. Ultimately, for companies like AriZona or Costco that have the upper hand on these elements, Ortega doesn’t think there will be a price reckoning anytime soon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nesin adds that when it comes to inflation, it is typically the small business owners and low-income consumers who have to make adjustments when faced with a higher cost of living.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13915553\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13915553\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/GettyImages-119601971-800x725.jpg\" alt=\"A black and white image shows a restaurant named Hav-A-Pizza with customers standing outside next to a busy news stand. A neon sign in the restaurant window advertises 20¢ slices.\" width=\"800\" height=\"725\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">20¢ New York pizza, circa 1955. \u003ccite>(John Spencer Fay/FPG/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>One example of this contrast is the death of The New York City dollar slice.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For years, people could enjoy a large slice of cheese pizza for $1 flat. Despite their popularity, many of these businesses had to raise their price by as much as 50 cents in November due to the increased cost of ingredients and labor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s not likely that we’ll see a resurgence of the dollar slice, either. As Nesin explains: “If your favorite product’s price is higher than you’re used to, chances are it’s never going to go back to where it was before.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ortega said that before this round of rising inflation, smaller businesses were able to stay afloat because of volume and semi-normal economic times.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“But we’ve seen food prices at record levels that we haven’t seen in 40 years,” he said. “And it’s not just food prices, but everything that goes into the production of these products. So transportation is up, wages are up, the price of gas is also up.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nesin said these price changes hit hardest for those who had less to begin with.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Traditionally when consumer income is constrained, if people have less money to spend, it’s actually the lower income people that are forced to change their behavior,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He explained the link to a brand like AriZona, saying: “Lower-cost products are most affected. So a brand like AriZona, if they raise prices a little bit, it will have an outsized impact on demand.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>AriZona chairman and founder Don Vultaggio has remained adamant that he has no intention of changing the price anytime soon. But Nesin thinks that eventually, they too will have to conform to the eternal trend of upward inflation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“But for now,” he said, “we get to enjoy a 99 cent, 23 ounce behemoth of a refreshment.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"fullattribution\">\u003cem>Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">visit NPR\u003c/a>.\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&utmdt=Inflation+killed+the+%241+pizza+slice.+Long+live+the+99c+iced+tea&utme=8(APIKey)9(MDAxOTAwOTE4MDEyMTkxMDAzNjczZDljZA004)\">\u003c/em>\u003c/div>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "The BBQ King of Pleasant Hill",
"headTitle": "The BBQ King of Pleasant Hill | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ci data-stringify-type=\"italic\">KQED’s \u003c/i>\u003c/em>BBQ in the Bay\u003cem>\u003ci data-stringify-type=\"italic\"> is a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/bbq\">series of stories\u003c/a> exploring the Bay Area’s multicultural barbecue scene. New installments will post every day from June 28–July 1. \u003c/i>\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915393\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-00.jpg\" alt=\"Black-and-white images of a man grilling pork ribs, sitting next to a smoker. The text reads, "The BBQ King of Pleasant Hill, by Raynato Castro (Color by Alex Culang). \" width=\"600\" height=\"508\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-00.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-00-160x135.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915394\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-01.jpg\" alt=\"A man loads boxes into the truck of his car. Text reads, "It's early, Saturday morning. Everyone's asleep." "Aagh, I need a bigger car." "OK, if I win this cook-off, I'm selling the hatchback and buying a truck."\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-01.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-01-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915395\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-02.jpg\" alt=\"A cooler and other equipment sit in the trunk of the car in the half-darkness. Text reads, "Today is the 'Back 40 Texas Barbecue 5th Annual Amateur Rib Cook-Off' in Pleasant Hill. Rolls off the tongue." "It's my third barbecue competition ever."\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-02.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-02-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915396\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-03.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration of a group of barbecue hobbyists lined up in a row. Text reads, "My first one was only a month ago at the King of the County Cook-Off in Martinez. My team placed 7th out of 24 teams." "Not bad for a first showing."\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-03.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-03-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915397\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-04.jpg\" alt=\"The same row of people as the previous panel, but all but two men have faded away. Text reads, "The second cook-off was two weeks later at the Clayton BBQ Cook-Off. My team had shrunk down to just me and one friend." "We placed 12th out of 28 teams."\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-04.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-04-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915398\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-05.jpg\" alt=\"One remaining man looks fearfully in both directions. Text reads, "This time, I'm on my own." "But I'm kind looking forward to it."\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-05.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-05-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915399\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-06.jpg\" alt=\"Side by side illustration of the same man: on the left, he's a grillmaster holding a pair of tongs. On the right, he's wearing a dentist's white coat and holding a giant toothbrush. Text reads, "You see, when I'm not doing barbecue, I'm actually a full-time dentist." "I'm constantly busy, trying to keep patients and staff happy."\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-06.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-06-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915400\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-07.jpg\" alt=\"A giant set of dentures holding a pork rib between its teeth. Text reads, "When I compete in this cook-off, I get to do it all by myself. I won't be anyone's captain or boss. No training anyone, no setting of expectations. If I win, it's all me. If I lose..." "...it's all me."\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-07.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-07-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915401\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-08.jpg\" alt=\"A dentist wearing magnifying eyeglasses peers under the lid of a barbecue smoker, only to see a 7th place trophy. Text reads, "Aw, crud." "Dentists have to be detail-oriented to work on people's teeth. I carry these high standards over to my cooking. I like to think that this is my secret advantage in BBQ." "Though it hasn't panned out in the last two cook-offs."\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-08.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-08-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915402\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-09.jpg\" alt=\"In a dark bedroom, a man kisses his wife and baby, who are still sleeping. Text reads, "Smooch." "I'll see you later."\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-09.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-09-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915403\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-10.jpg\" alt=\"The sun is rising between two purple-blue hills, as a single car with its headlights on drives down the winding road. Text reads, "Years ago, I was driving my sister-in-law down the same road I'm driving on right now. Sister-in-law told me, 'Ray, Lindsey is so beautiful. And you, you're so ugly!' That's how she makes conversation." "At family barbecues, she also made sure to let me know what she thought of my cooking."\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-10.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-10-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915404\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-11.jpg\" alt=\"Three pieces of meat on a grill, glowing as orange flames come up through the grate. Text reads, "Ray, everything's burnt. Who's gonna eat this?!" "Aiyah! So stupid." "Hey, the first batch always gets kinda burnt...the coals are hot!" "She was right. I sucked. No one else had ever pointed that out." \" width=\"599\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-11.jpg 599w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-11-160x134.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 599px) 100vw, 599px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915406\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-12.jpg\" alt=\"Spotlight shines down on a queen sitting in her throne while a man in an apron holds up a bone-in hame over his head. Text reads, "I saw it as a challenge. It was for honor! I had to save face." "My wife thinks it's hilarious that my sister-in-law is my inspiration for getting good at BBQ." "But it's true." "Thank you, sister-in-law, for being my BBQ tiger mom." "Good. You're still ugly."\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-12.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-12-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915407\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-13.jpg\" alt=\"A car pulls up to a old-fashioned saloon style restaurant with an orange facade. Text reads, "All right, I'm here!" "I make it to Back Forty Texas BBQ. It's a popular restaurant that made its name by winning lots of People's Choice competitions, like the one in Reno attended by 400,000 people!" "Every year they host an amateur cook-off to let regular guys like me feel like rock stars for the day."\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-13.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-13-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915408\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-14.jpg\" alt=\"A stack of $20 bills and a gold plaque that reads, "1st Place 2019, Your Name Here, Amateur Rib Cook-Off." Text reads, "First place wins $600 and a gift card to the restaurant. Even more impressive, the winner's name is etched on a plaque at the front of the restaurant for all to admire." "Don't they know that dentists don't like plaque? Sorry, everyone."\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-14.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-14-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915409\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-15.jpg\" alt=\"Two older men clink glasses while standing in front of their own respective smokers. Text reads, "Why would a person even want to compete? Because of the camaraderie. Because of the rivalry. Because it's fun." "Because after doing a hobby for so many years, you want to see how your skills stack up."\" width=\"599\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-15.jpg 599w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-15-160x134.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 599px) 100vw, 599px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915410\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-16.jpg\" alt=\"The same two men from the previous panel, now battling against each other as though in a arcade fighting game. Text reads, "It's like playing the multiplayer after finishing the singleplayer in a video game. It keeps it fresh!" "You can compete in literally anything, so why not BBQ?"\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-16.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-16-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915411\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-17.jpg\" alt=\"Man unloads crate from his car in the early morning light. Text reads, "Oh boy, there are those guys that won 3rd place at Clayton." "The competition takes place in the parking lot of the restaurant. Everyone's unloading their trucks (and not hatchbacks). "This is the chest-puffing, ego-checking part of the day."\" width=\"599\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-17.jpg 599w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-17-160x134.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 599px) 100vw, 599px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915412\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-18.jpg\" alt=\"Man looks nervously at a table covered with first place trophies. Text reads, "I walk past the other tables and try not to get too distracted." "Look at these trophies. Wait—they put me right next to last year's winner? Uhh... I'm not nervous! I'm not nervous." "Whoa! Look at that smoker! I thought this was for amateurs!"\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-18.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-18-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915413\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-19.jpg\" alt=\"Man walks away from a tented station set up with barbecue equipment and walks toward a small crowd that has gathered. Text reads, "After setting up, I head over to where the organizers go over the rules." "...No marinades. No offering of samples to the public. Racks must be submitted by 1pm. Fires out by 2 pm... and have fun!" "There are lots of smiles, but also lots of poker faces."\" width=\"599\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-19.jpg 599w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-19-160x134.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 599px) 100vw, 599px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915414\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-20.jpg\" alt=\"A 19th century-style tycoon runs away carrying a golden piece of brisket (marked "A5 Wagyu") while a regular guy chases him holding a burning torch. Text reads, "At cook-offs, competitors usually bring their own meats to cook that day. To get an edge, many teams will use the best, most expensive cuts available." "Fortunately, this cook-off is nice for regular guys like me because the organizers provide all the meat."\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-20.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-20-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915415\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-21.jpg\" alt=\"Four barbecue competition contestants look frazzled but determined. Text reads, "'Let the competition begin!' The moment we've all been waiting for is finally here! The racks of ribs are set on tables against the side of the restaurant. It's a Black Friday rush to get the best ones." "How many racks are you gonna cook?!" "Hey, these ones! Not those! Put those back!" "I'm gonna need a bigger grill!" "I feel like I'm on Chopped!"\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-21.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-21-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915416\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-22.jpg\" alt=\"A barbecue competitor watches while one of his rivals squirts lighter fluid onto her grill. Text reads, "We're all getting our fires going. Chimneys, charcoal, pellets, wood chunks, lighter fluid. The smell of smoke fills the air, like a new Pope has been chosen." "Lighter fluid, eh?" "Yeah, what's it to ya?"\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-22.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-22-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915417\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-23.jpg\" alt=\"The man's arms are a whirlwind of movement as he prepares and seasons his raw rack of ribs. Text reads, "And then... quiet. The chatter stops. Anyone who's into a craft knows this feeling. Zen takes over. You don't even feel like you're working or that there are others around you." "Doing the thing you've done a million times."\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-23.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-23-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915717\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-24-1.jpg\" alt=\"Man sits in a chair facing a barbecue smoker, with a gorgeous blue sky in the background. Text reads, "Before I know it, my ribs are on the smoker. Now it's a waiting game." "If there's one thing you miss about having a teammate, it's being able to pass the time with someone." "So, you come here often?" "You know I'm an inanimate object, right?"\" width=\"600\" height=\"497\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-24-1.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-24-1-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915718\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-25-1.jpg\" alt=\"The man finishes seasoning his ribs as a couple of fancy-looking chefs in chef hats stride past. Text reads, "Some hours go by and there's a murmur in the crowd. It's the judges; they've arrived. They are all local chefs and restaurant owners. They know their stuff." "It's time to start looking at which ribs to submit." "Oh man, it's getting real."\" width=\"600\" height=\"497\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-25-1.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-25-1-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915719\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-26-1.jpg\" alt=\"Hands holding an open box of ribs over a bed of greens. Text reads, "Judging is inherently subjective, but just like with any good food, the taste should be a balance of salt, sweet, acid, fat and heat." "Thought has to be given to presentation as well. Do the ribs look tasty? Red, not gray. Glossy, not dull. We eat with our eyes first."\" width=\"600\" height=\"497\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-26-1.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-26-1-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915421\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-27.jpg\" alt=\"Hand holding a single rib with a bite in it. Text reads, "Last , but definitely not least, the texture has to be spot on. You want a crusty bark that gives way to tender meat that bites cleanly off the bone, but does not sloppily 'fall off.'" "It's a misconception in barbecue that mea has to be 'fall off the bone' to be good. This isn't a crockpot competition!\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-27.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-27-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915422\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-28.jpg\" alt=\"Barbecue competitors are handling meat with tongs and passing boxes of samples to the judges. Text reads, "'One hour remaining! Get your trays ready!' It's the moment of truth. Teams are slicing their racks, sampling, trying to decide which is the best of the bunch." "I evaluate mine: Nice glaze. Sweet & salty. Just a little heat. Tender. My best yet.\" width=\"599\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-28.jpg 599w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-28-160x134.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 599px) 100vw, 599px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915423\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-29.jpg\" alt=\"Hand holding a playing card: the jack of clubs. Text reads, "The organizers give you a playing card that they'll use later to identify the winning team." "I get the Jack of Clubs."\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-29.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-29-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915424\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-30.jpg\" alt=\"Three smiling men taking a bite out of a rib. Text reads, "We start crowding into the main hall for the awards ceremony. Near the entrance, a group of competitors are sharing ribs. ...Sure, why not?" "Ray, let's try yours. ...Whoa, damn!" "You really haven't won before?"\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-30.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-30-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915425\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-31.jpg\" alt=\"Man sits at a table with his wife and child, making a shushing motion with his hand to tell the kid to quiet down. Text reads, "Everyone's seated. The organizers thank us all for being here. We give ourselves a round of applause for a long day." "My wife arrives just in time to enjoy the atmosphere." "You smell really bad." "Shhh... It's about to start." "They begin announcing the winners."\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-31.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-31-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915426\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-32.jpg\" alt=\"Man with baseball cap pulled low so his face is in shadow. Text reads, "Third place. Five... of hearts." "Second place. Queen... of diamonds." "Chef's choice. King... of Spades." "Welp, I haven't been called yet. Maybe I need a new hobby..." "And... first place... Jack... of Clubs!" "Holy crap, that's me!"\" width=\"599\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-32.jpg 599w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-32-160x134.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 599px) 100vw, 599px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915427\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-33.jpg\" alt=\"Man stands in the spotlight with arms upraised in victory as the audience claps. Text reads, "I shoot up out of my chair. My wife is surprised, but proud. She gives me a lil' kiss. Everyone's just kinda looking at us." "Then, genuine applause, starting with the fellas who tried my ribs earlier." "After two other competitions and a whole lot of self-prescribed stress, it was finally all worth it."\" width=\"599\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-33.jpg 599w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-33-160x134.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 599px) 100vw, 599px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915428\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-34.jpg\" alt=\"Man holds a trophy with a delighted smile. Text reads, "The BBQ King of Pleasant Hill."\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-34.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-34-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915429\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-35.jpg\" alt=\"A red and gold first place trophy strapped into the carseat by a seatbelt. Text reads, "I pack up my tiny little hatchback. Turns out, it fits plenty. All my equipment and a 1st place trophy."\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-35.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-35-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-12904247\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"39\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39-160x16.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39-240x23.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39-375x37.jpg 375w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Raynato Castro is a dentist, cartoonist, good barbecuer, bad guitarist and, most of all, a dad. He maintains a dental practice in San Pablo, California, and is also the co-artist of the webcomic, \u003ca href=\"https://www.buttersafe.com/\">Buttersafe\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "A dentist's guide to winning your first amateur barbecue competition.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ci data-stringify-type=\"italic\">KQED’s \u003c/i>\u003c/em>BBQ in the Bay\u003cem>\u003ci data-stringify-type=\"italic\"> is a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/bbq\">series of stories\u003c/a> exploring the Bay Area’s multicultural barbecue scene. New installments will post every day from June 28–July 1. \u003c/i>\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915393\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-00.jpg\" alt=\"Black-and-white images of a man grilling pork ribs, sitting next to a smoker. The text reads, "The BBQ King of Pleasant Hill, by Raynato Castro (Color by Alex Culang). \" width=\"600\" height=\"508\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-00.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-00-160x135.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915394\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-01.jpg\" alt=\"A man loads boxes into the truck of his car. Text reads, "It's early, Saturday morning. Everyone's asleep." "Aagh, I need a bigger car." "OK, if I win this cook-off, I'm selling the hatchback and buying a truck."\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-01.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-01-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915395\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-02.jpg\" alt=\"A cooler and other equipment sit in the trunk of the car in the half-darkness. Text reads, "Today is the 'Back 40 Texas Barbecue 5th Annual Amateur Rib Cook-Off' in Pleasant Hill. Rolls off the tongue." "It's my third barbecue competition ever."\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-02.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-02-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915396\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-03.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration of a group of barbecue hobbyists lined up in a row. Text reads, "My first one was only a month ago at the King of the County Cook-Off in Martinez. My team placed 7th out of 24 teams." "Not bad for a first showing."\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-03.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-03-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915397\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-04.jpg\" alt=\"The same row of people as the previous panel, but all but two men have faded away. Text reads, "The second cook-off was two weeks later at the Clayton BBQ Cook-Off. My team had shrunk down to just me and one friend." "We placed 12th out of 28 teams."\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-04.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-04-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915398\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-05.jpg\" alt=\"One remaining man looks fearfully in both directions. Text reads, "This time, I'm on my own." "But I'm kind looking forward to it."\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-05.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-05-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915399\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-06.jpg\" alt=\"Side by side illustration of the same man: on the left, he's a grillmaster holding a pair of tongs. On the right, he's wearing a dentist's white coat and holding a giant toothbrush. Text reads, "You see, when I'm not doing barbecue, I'm actually a full-time dentist." "I'm constantly busy, trying to keep patients and staff happy."\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-06.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-06-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915400\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-07.jpg\" alt=\"A giant set of dentures holding a pork rib between its teeth. Text reads, "When I compete in this cook-off, I get to do it all by myself. I won't be anyone's captain or boss. No training anyone, no setting of expectations. If I win, it's all me. If I lose..." "...it's all me."\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-07.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-07-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915401\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-08.jpg\" alt=\"A dentist wearing magnifying eyeglasses peers under the lid of a barbecue smoker, only to see a 7th place trophy. Text reads, "Aw, crud." "Dentists have to be detail-oriented to work on people's teeth. I carry these high standards over to my cooking. I like to think that this is my secret advantage in BBQ." "Though it hasn't panned out in the last two cook-offs."\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-08.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-08-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915402\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-09.jpg\" alt=\"In a dark bedroom, a man kisses his wife and baby, who are still sleeping. Text reads, "Smooch." "I'll see you later."\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-09.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-09-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915403\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-10.jpg\" alt=\"The sun is rising between two purple-blue hills, as a single car with its headlights on drives down the winding road. Text reads, "Years ago, I was driving my sister-in-law down the same road I'm driving on right now. Sister-in-law told me, 'Ray, Lindsey is so beautiful. And you, you're so ugly!' That's how she makes conversation." "At family barbecues, she also made sure to let me know what she thought of my cooking."\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-10.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-10-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915404\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-11.jpg\" alt=\"Three pieces of meat on a grill, glowing as orange flames come up through the grate. Text reads, "Ray, everything's burnt. Who's gonna eat this?!" "Aiyah! So stupid." "Hey, the first batch always gets kinda burnt...the coals are hot!" "She was right. I sucked. No one else had ever pointed that out." \" width=\"599\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-11.jpg 599w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-11-160x134.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 599px) 100vw, 599px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915406\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-12.jpg\" alt=\"Spotlight shines down on a queen sitting in her throne while a man in an apron holds up a bone-in hame over his head. Text reads, "I saw it as a challenge. It was for honor! I had to save face." "My wife thinks it's hilarious that my sister-in-law is my inspiration for getting good at BBQ." "But it's true." "Thank you, sister-in-law, for being my BBQ tiger mom." "Good. You're still ugly."\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-12.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-12-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915407\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-13.jpg\" alt=\"A car pulls up to a old-fashioned saloon style restaurant with an orange facade. Text reads, "All right, I'm here!" "I make it to Back Forty Texas BBQ. It's a popular restaurant that made its name by winning lots of People's Choice competitions, like the one in Reno attended by 400,000 people!" "Every year they host an amateur cook-off to let regular guys like me feel like rock stars for the day."\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-13.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-13-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915408\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-14.jpg\" alt=\"A stack of $20 bills and a gold plaque that reads, "1st Place 2019, Your Name Here, Amateur Rib Cook-Off." Text reads, "First place wins $600 and a gift card to the restaurant. Even more impressive, the winner's name is etched on a plaque at the front of the restaurant for all to admire." "Don't they know that dentists don't like plaque? Sorry, everyone."\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-14.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-14-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915409\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-15.jpg\" alt=\"Two older men clink glasses while standing in front of their own respective smokers. Text reads, "Why would a person even want to compete? Because of the camaraderie. Because of the rivalry. Because it's fun." "Because after doing a hobby for so many years, you want to see how your skills stack up."\" width=\"599\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-15.jpg 599w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-15-160x134.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 599px) 100vw, 599px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915410\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-16.jpg\" alt=\"The same two men from the previous panel, now battling against each other as though in a arcade fighting game. Text reads, "It's like playing the multiplayer after finishing the singleplayer in a video game. It keeps it fresh!" "You can compete in literally anything, so why not BBQ?"\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-16.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-16-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915411\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-17.jpg\" alt=\"Man unloads crate from his car in the early morning light. Text reads, "Oh boy, there are those guys that won 3rd place at Clayton." "The competition takes place in the parking lot of the restaurant. Everyone's unloading their trucks (and not hatchbacks). "This is the chest-puffing, ego-checking part of the day."\" width=\"599\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-17.jpg 599w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-17-160x134.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 599px) 100vw, 599px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915412\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-18.jpg\" alt=\"Man looks nervously at a table covered with first place trophies. Text reads, "I walk past the other tables and try not to get too distracted." "Look at these trophies. Wait—they put me right next to last year's winner? Uhh... I'm not nervous! I'm not nervous." "Whoa! Look at that smoker! I thought this was for amateurs!"\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-18.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-18-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915413\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-19.jpg\" alt=\"Man walks away from a tented station set up with barbecue equipment and walks toward a small crowd that has gathered. Text reads, "After setting up, I head over to where the organizers go over the rules." "...No marinades. No offering of samples to the public. Racks must be submitted by 1pm. Fires out by 2 pm... and have fun!" "There are lots of smiles, but also lots of poker faces."\" width=\"599\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-19.jpg 599w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-19-160x134.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 599px) 100vw, 599px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915414\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-20.jpg\" alt=\"A 19th century-style tycoon runs away carrying a golden piece of brisket (marked "A5 Wagyu") while a regular guy chases him holding a burning torch. Text reads, "At cook-offs, competitors usually bring their own meats to cook that day. To get an edge, many teams will use the best, most expensive cuts available." "Fortunately, this cook-off is nice for regular guys like me because the organizers provide all the meat."\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-20.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-20-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915415\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-21.jpg\" alt=\"Four barbecue competition contestants look frazzled but determined. Text reads, "'Let the competition begin!' The moment we've all been waiting for is finally here! The racks of ribs are set on tables against the side of the restaurant. It's a Black Friday rush to get the best ones." "How many racks are you gonna cook?!" "Hey, these ones! Not those! Put those back!" "I'm gonna need a bigger grill!" "I feel like I'm on Chopped!"\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-21.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-21-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915416\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-22.jpg\" alt=\"A barbecue competitor watches while one of his rivals squirts lighter fluid onto her grill. Text reads, "We're all getting our fires going. Chimneys, charcoal, pellets, wood chunks, lighter fluid. The smell of smoke fills the air, like a new Pope has been chosen." "Lighter fluid, eh?" "Yeah, what's it to ya?"\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-22.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-22-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915417\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-23.jpg\" alt=\"The man's arms are a whirlwind of movement as he prepares and seasons his raw rack of ribs. Text reads, "And then... quiet. The chatter stops. Anyone who's into a craft knows this feeling. Zen takes over. You don't even feel like you're working or that there are others around you." "Doing the thing you've done a million times."\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-23.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-23-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915717\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-24-1.jpg\" alt=\"Man sits in a chair facing a barbecue smoker, with a gorgeous blue sky in the background. Text reads, "Before I know it, my ribs are on the smoker. Now it's a waiting game." "If there's one thing you miss about having a teammate, it's being able to pass the time with someone." "So, you come here often?" "You know I'm an inanimate object, right?"\" width=\"600\" height=\"497\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-24-1.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-24-1-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915718\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-25-1.jpg\" alt=\"The man finishes seasoning his ribs as a couple of fancy-looking chefs in chef hats stride past. Text reads, "Some hours go by and there's a murmur in the crowd. It's the judges; they've arrived. They are all local chefs and restaurant owners. They know their stuff." "It's time to start looking at which ribs to submit." "Oh man, it's getting real."\" width=\"600\" height=\"497\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-25-1.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-25-1-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915719\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-26-1.jpg\" alt=\"Hands holding an open box of ribs over a bed of greens. Text reads, "Judging is inherently subjective, but just like with any good food, the taste should be a balance of salt, sweet, acid, fat and heat." "Thought has to be given to presentation as well. Do the ribs look tasty? Red, not gray. Glossy, not dull. We eat with our eyes first."\" width=\"600\" height=\"497\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-26-1.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-26-1-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915421\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-27.jpg\" alt=\"Hand holding a single rib with a bite in it. Text reads, "Last , but definitely not least, the texture has to be spot on. You want a crusty bark that gives way to tender meat that bites cleanly off the bone, but does not sloppily 'fall off.'" "It's a misconception in barbecue that mea has to be 'fall off the bone' to be good. This isn't a crockpot competition!\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-27.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-27-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915422\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-28.jpg\" alt=\"Barbecue competitors are handling meat with tongs and passing boxes of samples to the judges. Text reads, "'One hour remaining! Get your trays ready!' It's the moment of truth. Teams are slicing their racks, sampling, trying to decide which is the best of the bunch." "I evaluate mine: Nice glaze. Sweet & salty. Just a little heat. Tender. My best yet.\" width=\"599\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-28.jpg 599w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-28-160x134.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 599px) 100vw, 599px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915423\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-29.jpg\" alt=\"Hand holding a playing card: the jack of clubs. Text reads, "The organizers give you a playing card that they'll use later to identify the winning team." "I get the Jack of Clubs."\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-29.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-29-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915424\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-30.jpg\" alt=\"Three smiling men taking a bite out of a rib. Text reads, "We start crowding into the main hall for the awards ceremony. Near the entrance, a group of competitors are sharing ribs. ...Sure, why not?" "Ray, let's try yours. ...Whoa, damn!" "You really haven't won before?"\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-30.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-30-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915425\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-31.jpg\" alt=\"Man sits at a table with his wife and child, making a shushing motion with his hand to tell the kid to quiet down. Text reads, "Everyone's seated. The organizers thank us all for being here. We give ourselves a round of applause for a long day." "My wife arrives just in time to enjoy the atmosphere." "You smell really bad." "Shhh... It's about to start." "They begin announcing the winners."\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-31.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-31-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915426\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-32.jpg\" alt=\"Man with baseball cap pulled low so his face is in shadow. Text reads, "Third place. Five... of hearts." "Second place. Queen... of diamonds." "Chef's choice. King... of Spades." "Welp, I haven't been called yet. Maybe I need a new hobby..." "And... first place... Jack... of Clubs!" "Holy crap, that's me!"\" width=\"599\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-32.jpg 599w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-32-160x134.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 599px) 100vw, 599px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915427\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-33.jpg\" alt=\"Man stands in the spotlight with arms upraised in victory as the audience claps. Text reads, "I shoot up out of my chair. My wife is surprised, but proud. She gives me a lil' kiss. Everyone's just kinda looking at us." "Then, genuine applause, starting with the fellas who tried my ribs earlier." "After two other competitions and a whole lot of self-prescribed stress, it was finally all worth it."\" width=\"599\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-33.jpg 599w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-33-160x134.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 599px) 100vw, 599px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915428\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-34.jpg\" alt=\"Man holds a trophy with a delighted smile. Text reads, "The BBQ King of Pleasant Hill."\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-34.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-34-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-13915429\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-35.jpg\" alt=\"A red and gold first place trophy strapped into the carseat by a seatbelt. Text reads, "I pack up my tiny little hatchback. Turns out, it fits plenty. All my equipment and a 1st place trophy."\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-35.jpg 600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/The-BBQ-King-of-Pleasant-Hill-35-160x133.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-12904247\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"39\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39-160x16.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39-240x23.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2017/03/Q.Logo_.Break_-400x39-375x37.jpg 375w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" />\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Raynato Castro is a dentist, cartoonist, good barbecuer, bad guitarist and, most of all, a dad. He maintains a dental practice in San Pablo, California, and is also the co-artist of the webcomic, \u003ca href=\"https://www.buttersafe.com/\">Buttersafe\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"info": "What kind of no sabo word is Hyphenación? For us, it’s about living within a hyphenation. Like being a third-gen Mexican-American from the Texas border now living that Bay Area Chicano life. Like Xorje! Each week we bring together a couple of hyphenated Latinos to talk all about personal life choices: family, careers, relationships, belonging … everything is on the table. ",
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"info": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown brings listeners the wisdom of the former Governor, Mayor, and presidential candidate. Scott Shafer interviewed Brown for more than 40 hours, covering the former governor's life and half-century in the political game – and Brown has some lessons he'd like to share. ",
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"marketplace": {
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"info": "Our flagship program, helmed by Kai Ryssdal, examines what the day in money delivered, through stories, conversations, newsworthy numbers and more. Updated Monday through Friday at about 3:30 p.m. PT.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 4pm-4:30pm, MON-WED 6:30pm-7pm",
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"masters-of-scale": {
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},
"mindshift": {
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"info": "The MindShift podcast explores the innovations in education that are shaping how kids learn. Hosts Ki Sung and Katrina Schwartz introduce listeners to educators, researchers, parents and students who are developing effective ways to improve how kids learn. We cover topics like how fed-up administrators are developing surprising tactics to deal with classroom disruptions; how listening to podcasts are helping kids develop reading skills; the consequences of overparenting; and why interdisciplinary learning can engage students on all ends of the traditional achievement spectrum. This podcast is part of the MindShift education site, a division of KQED News. KQED is an NPR/PBS member station based in San Francisco. You can also visit the MindShift website for episodes and supplemental blog posts or tweet us \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/MindShiftKQED\">@MindShiftKQED\u003c/a> or visit us at \u003ca href=\"/mindshift\">MindShift.KQED.org\u003c/a>",
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"order": 12
},
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM1NzY0NjAwNDI5",
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"morning-edition": {
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"info": "\u003cem>Morning Edition\u003c/em> takes listeners around the country and the world with multi-faceted stories and commentaries every weekday. Hosts Steve Inskeep, David Greene and Rachel Martin bring you the latest breaking news and features to prepare you for the day.",
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"onourwatch": {
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"tagline": "Deeply-reported investigative journalism",
"info": "For decades, the process for how police police themselves has been inconsistent – if not opaque. In some states, like California, these proceedings were completely hidden. After a new police transparency law unsealed scores of internal affairs files, our reporters set out to examine these cases and the shadow world of police discipline. On Our Watch brings listeners into the rooms where officers are questioned and witnesses are interrogated to find out who this system is really protecting. Is it the officers, or the public they've sworn to serve?",
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"on-the-media": {
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"title": "On The Media",
"info": "Our weekly podcast explores how the media 'sausage' is made, casts an incisive eye on fluctuations in the marketplace of ideas, and examines threats to the freedom of information and expression in America and abroad. For one hour a week, the show tries to lift the veil from the process of \"making media,\" especially news media, because it's through that lens that we see the world and the world sees us",
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},
"pbs-newshour": {
"id": "pbs-newshour",
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},
"perspectives": {
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"order": 14
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"info": "The economy explained. Imagine you could call up a friend and say, Meet me at the bar and tell me what's going on with the economy. Now imagine that's actually a fun evening.",
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"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/planetmoney.jpg",
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"link": "/radio/program/planet-money",
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"politicalbreakdown": {
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"title": "Political Breakdown",
"tagline": "Politics from a personal perspective",
"info": "Political Breakdown is a new series that explores the political intersection of California and the nation. Each week hosts Scott Shafer and Marisa Lagos are joined with a new special guest to unpack politics -- with personality — and offer an insider’s glimpse at how politics happens.",
"airtime": "THU 6:30pm-7pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Political-Breakdown-2024-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
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"order": 5
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"possible": {
"id": "possible",
"title": "Possible",
"info": "Possible is hosted by entrepreneur Reid Hoffman and writer Aria Finger. Together in Possible, Hoffman and Finger lead enlightening discussions about building a brighter collective future. The show features interviews with visionary guests like Trevor Noah, Sam Altman and Janette Sadik-Khan. Possible paints an optimistic portrait of the world we can create through science, policy, business, art and our shared humanity. It asks: What if everything goes right for once? How can we get there? Each episode also includes a short fiction story generated by advanced AI GPT-4, serving as a thought-provoking springboard to speculate how humanity could leverage technology for good.",
"airtime": "SUN 2pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Possible-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.possible.fm/",
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"source": "Possible"
},
"link": "/radio/program/possible",
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"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/730YpdUSNlMyPQwNnyjp4k"
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},
"pri-the-world": {
"id": "pri-the-world",
"title": "PRI's The World: Latest Edition",
"info": "Each weekday, host Marco Werman and his team of producers bring you the world's most interesting stories in an hour of radio that reminds us just how small our planet really is.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 2pm-3pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-World-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
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},
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},
"radiolab": {
"id": "radiolab",
"title": "Radiolab",
"info": "A two-time Peabody Award-winner, Radiolab is an investigation told through sounds and stories, and centered around one big idea. In the Radiolab world, information sounds like music and science and culture collide. Hosted by Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich, the show is designed for listeners who demand skepticism, but appreciate wonder. WNYC Studios is the producer of other leading podcasts including Freakonomics Radio, Death, Sex & Money, On the Media and many more.",
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"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/radiolab1400.png",
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