ESEA Archives Book Club #33 - Jenny Lau : Is food my love language?

For ESEA Archives 33rd session, we are hosting a special in-person event at the ESEA Community Centre.

IS FOOD MY LOVE LANGUAGE?

Join author Jenny Lau for a close reading of selected chapters from her book An A-Z of Chinese Food (Recipes Not Included). While food is often seen as a love language in the Chinese diaspora, what happens when this narrative overshadows more complex intergenerational dynamics? Through a critical discussion, Jenny examines how food functions as both a site of intimacy and expectation, nostalgia and obligation, community and constraint.

Featuring chapters that explore the everyday and the symbolic, the practical and the political:

H is for Home CookingR is for Rice CookerW is for WhatsAppY is for Yeet HayZ is for Zongzi

Expect a lively debate on the ways food shapes—and sometimes limits—diaspora writing (...and reading).

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An A-Z of Chinese Food (Recipes Not Included) is not a recipe book, but a deliberate 'anti-glossary' - a delectable edible anthology that serves up Chinese flavour beyond just its taste. What started as a self-published series has evolved into a surprising, unputdownable and deliciously enriching anthology that uses food to explore who we are and how we relate to the world.

Jenny Lau is a writer, community organiser and Chinese food cheerleader under the persona of Celestial Peach. Since 2019 she has been curating food-based events for the UK ESEA (East and Southeast Asian) community, from potlucks and supper clubs to congee gatherings. On Wednesdays and Fridays, you can find her in her role as community chef cooking at the ESEACC (East and Southeast Asian Community Centre) luncheon club in Dalston.

Reserve your spots at Eventbrite