New Sampan Article: Ruby Foo, Chinatown’s First Woman Restaurateur (Part 2)

"The most interesting feature of Chinese life to me was that on board their boats, or sampans, as they are called....Upon these boats live whole families of three and even four generations."
--The Fall River Daily Herald, November 20, 1888

As I mentioned previously, I have a new writing gig, contributing to Sampan, the only bilingual Chinese-English Newspaper in New England. I've previously written three articles for Sampan, including, In Search of the First Chinese Restaurant in Chinatown, Malden’s First Chinese Restaurant, Quincy's First Chinese Restaurants, and Ruby Foo, Chinatown’s First Woman Restaurateur (Part 1). My newest article, the second of two parts, is now available, Ruby Foo, Chinatown’s First Woman Restaurateur (Part 2).

Around 1929, an enterprising and pioneering Chinese woman, Ruby Foo, seized an opportunity, thwarted norms, and opened a Chinese restaurant in Boston’s Chinatown. Her story is fascinating though unfortunately her life was far too short. Despite dying too early, Ruby made a significant impact, and her legacy is and should still be cherished.

This second part of my article discusses the success of Ruby Foo, from Chinese food delivery to expanding her restaurant empire to other parts of the country, from canned Ruby Foo's Den food to her eventual acquisition of a liquor license. Two of her children continued to operate the restaurant after the passing of Ruby Foo, earning accolades from the press for their excellent management of this iconic Chinese restaurant. Ruby's tale is fascinating and her endeavors helped to define and shape Boston's Chinatown.

I'm currently working on a new article for the next issue of Sampan, which will be published next month.

What is a "sampan?" The newspaper's site states, "A sampan is a popular river boat in traditional China. This small but useful vessel, by transporting cargo from large boats to the village ports, creates a channel of communication among villages." And like that type of boat, Sampan delivers news and information all across New England, and "acts a bridge between Asian American community organizations and individuals in the Greater Boston area."

Sampan, which was founded in 1972, is published by the nonprofit Asian American Civic Association, "The newspaper covers topics that are usually overlooked by the mainstream press, such as key immigration legislation, civil rights, housing, education, day-care services and union activities. These issues are crucial to the well-being of Asian immigrants, refugees, low-income families as well as individuals who are not proficient in the English language."

There is plenty of interest in Sampan which will appeal to all types of readers, from restaurant reviews to historical articles, from vital news stories to travel items. In these current days when racism and prejudice against Asians and their restaurants is high, it's more important than ever that accurate information about the Asian community is disseminated and promoted. We need to combat the irrational prejudices that some possess, and support our Asian communities just as we would support any other element of our overall community. We are all important aspects of a whole, and we need to stand together.

Support Sampan!

Rant: Nothing Wrong With Hot Dogs & Ketchup

In the movie Sudden Impact, Inspector Harry "Dirty Harry" Callahan stated, "Nobody, I mean nobody puts ketchup on a hot dog." When Anthony Bourdain asked President Barack Obama whether you should put ketchup on a hot dog, he replied, “It’s not acceptable past the age of 8." The National Hot Dog & Sausage Council also has declared that, "Don't...Use ketchup on your hot dog after the age of 18." In Chicago, they are especially virulent against the use of ketchup on hot dogs.

Start a conversation on social media about ketchup and hot dogs and you'll hear many adamant, and even vehement, admonitions that you should never put ketchup on a hot dog. It can be a divisive topic, one filled with emotion, and will likely come to the forefront once again as the summer season begins, and backyard grilling ensues.

Contrary to the haters, I like ketchup on my hot dogs and I'm here to defend my stance and shatter the myth. Some of the haters have no actual reason for their opposition to ketchup, simply taking it as an article of faith that it doesn't belong atop a hotdog. For those with a rationale, the primary reason for their opposition to the use of ketchup on a hot dog falls apart when the facts are properly considered and analyzed.

Why so much hate for ketchup on hot dogs? At its heart, the most commonly stated reason is that ketchup is too sweet. However, that reason fails to be convincing with further analysis. First, there are numerous different types of ketchup on the market, with varying degrees of sweetness, including some which are far more savory. Thus, you can't generalize about ketchup because of its diversity. Second, many people approve of chili on hot dogs, yet they don't seem to realize that ketchup is an  ingredient in a number of chili recipes. You might then have ketchup on your hotdog and not even realize it. However, chili is considered an acceptable hot dog topping, despite potentially containing ketchup.

However, for the most compelling argument, we must look at the famous Chicago-style hot dog, especially that the city is so strongly anti-ketchup. Their hot dog is topped by a mound of ingredients, including yellow mustard, chopped white onions, green sweet pickle relish, a dill pickle spear, tomatoes, pickled sport peppers, and celery salt. With all those ingredients, can you really appreciate the hot dog itself? The numerous condiments seem to be the star of such a hot dog.

In addition, and most importantly, this Chicago-style hot dog generally contains more sugar than a hot dog covered with just ketchup! It seems rather disingenuous for Chicagoans, and others, to complain that ketchup is too sweet yet their own famous toppings present even more sugar.

Let's consider the sugar levels of a few toppings. In general, ketchup contains about 3.5-4.0 grams of sugar while sweet relish has about 4.0-4.5 grams of sugar. So why is sweet relish acceptable, despite its high level of sweetness, while ketchup is disdained? It makes no logical sense and destroys the argument that ketchup is too sweet for a hot dog. In addition, the average tomato contains 3.0-3.5 grams of sugar, making it the second sweet ingredient on the Chicago dog. Plus, Vienna sport peppers have about 2 grams of sugar and dill pickles have about 1 gram of sugar.  meaning there are three sweet ingredients. That means a Chicago dog could possess three times the amount of sugar found in ketchup alone.

The opposition to ketchup as being too sweet on a hot dog clearly falls when you look at it rationally. The famous and well-accepted Chicago-style hot dog is much sweeter than a hotdog merely slathered with ketchup. Since the sweetness argument has been put to rest, what other complaint can you have about the use of ketchup?

In the end, we also have to remember that this is just a simple hot dog. It isn't haute cuisine. It commonly includes meat trimmings and fat, spices and preservatives. So what's the big deal about what some people choose to put on it? Why be a snob about putting ketchup on such a plebian food? Get off your high horse about what you think is an acceptable condiment for a hot dog. Ketchup isn't the villain so many claim it to be.

Happy National Iced Tea Day

"Iced tea is too pure and natural a creation not to have been invented as soon as tea, ice, and hot weather crossed paths.”
--John Egerton

Today is National Iced Tea Day, a holiday I fully embrace. Every day, year round, I drink unsweetened iced tea. I'll drink iced green tea, black, tea, white tea, flavored teas, and more. It's simple, refreshing, and only has about 2 calories.

Iced tea was invented in the U.S., likely sometime during the 1800s in the South. There is a legend that iced tea was created in 1904, during the World's Fair in St. Louis, Missouri, by an Englishman Richard Blechynden. However, there is clear evidence iced tea existed before 1904, so Richard may be considered more the popularizer of iced tea rather than the actual inventor.

After water, tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world. But, in the U.S., tea occupies the sixth position, after water, soda, coffee, beer, and milk. About 50% of Americans drink tea daily but not as many cups each day as coffee. The greatest number of tea drinkers are located in the South and Northeast regions.

According to the Tea Association of the USA, "In 2019, Americans consumed over 84 billion servings of tea, or more than 3.8 billion gallons. About 84% of all tea consumed was black tea, 15% was green Tea, and the small remaining amount was oolong, white and dark tea." And who is drinking this tea? "Approximately four in five consumers drink tea, with Millennials being the most likely (87% of millennials drink tea)."

A fascinating fact is that approximately 85% of the tea consumed in America is iced. That certainly shows the vast popularity of iced tea, which in its sweetened version is a staple in the South. Despite this popularity, iced tea can be difficult to find in restaurants during the winter months, though those same spots offer still have iced coffee available. Iced tea should be a year round drink, and not just a summer special.

Do you enjoy iced tea? If so, do you prefer it sweetened or unsweetened? Have you used iced tea in cocktails?

New Sampan Article: Ruby Foo, Chinatown’s First Woman Restaurateur

"The most interesting feature of Chinese life to me was that on board their boats, or sampans, as they are called....Upon these boats live whole families of three and even four generations."
--The Fall River Daily Herald, November 20, 1888

As I mentioned previously, I have a new writing gig, contributing to Sampan, the only bilingual Chinese-English Newspaper in New England. I've previously written three articles for Sampan, including, In Search of the First Chinese Restaurant in Chinatown, Malden’s First Chinese Restaurant, and Quincy's First Chinese Restaurants. My newest article, the first of two parts, is now available, Ruby Foo, Chinatown’s First Woman Restaurateur.

Around 1929, an enterprising and pioneering Chinese woman, Ruby Foo, seized an opportunity, thwarted norms, and opened a Chinese restaurant in Boston’s Chinatown. Her story is fascinating though unfortunately her life was far too short. Despite dying too early, Ruby made a significant impact, and her legacy is and should still be cherished.

At the time she opened her restaurant, there were about 3000 Chinese men in Chinatown and only 150 Chinese women. And nearly all of those women were home makers so it was revolutionary for Ruby Foo to open her own restaurant in such a male-dominated area. Ruby Foo's Den became immensely popular, especially with celebrities from all over the country. The restaurant also was likely one of the first Chinese spots to offer "take-out" food.

Ruby's tale is fascinating and her endeavors helped to define and shape Boston's Chinatown. I'm currently working on Part 2 of Ruby Foo's story, which should be published in the next issue Sampan, sometime later this month.

What is a "sampan?" The newspaper's site states, "A sampan is a popular river boat in traditional China. This small but useful vessel, by transporting cargo from large boats to the village ports, creates a channel of communication among villages." And like that type of boat, Sampan delivers news and information all across New England, and "acts a bridge between Asian American community organizations and individuals in the Greater Boston area."

Sampan, which was founded in 1972, is published by the nonprofit Asian American Civic Association, "The newspaper covers topics that are usually overlooked by the mainstream press, such as key immigration legislation, civil rights, housing, education, day-care services and union activities. These issues are crucial to the well-being of Asian immigrants, refugees, low-income families as well as individuals who are not proficient in the English language."

There is plenty of interest in Sampan which will appeal to all types of readers, from restaurant reviews to historical articles, from vital news stories to travel items. In these current days when racism and prejudice against Asians and their restaurants is high, it's more important than ever that accurate information about the Asian community is disseminated and promoted. We need to combat the irrational prejudices that some possess, and support our Asian communities just as we would support any other element of our overall community. We are all important aspects of a whole, and we need to stand together.

Support Sampan!

Celebrating Local Diversity: People of Color Blogging About Food & Drink (Updated)

"So I guess this is where I tell you what I learned - my conclusion, right? Well, my conclusion is: Hate is baggage. Life's too short to be pissed off all the time. It's just not worth it. Derek says it's always good to end a paper with a quote. He says someone else has already said it best. So if you can't top it, steal from them and go out strong. So I picked a guy I thought you'd like. 'We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory will swell when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature."
--American History X

In July 2015, I first published this post and considering recent events, the murder of George Floyd, the hate that is spewing from ignorant racists, the protests, the violence and more, we need to stand united against the forces that seek to divide our country. We need to embrace diversity, opening our minds to new ideas, and to eliminate our biases and prejudices. Embracing diversity will only make us better human beings. And don't we all want to be better people?

As a tiny contribution to this issue, I want to once again showcase local people of color who blog/write about food & drink. I want to bring to the forefront all the valuable contributions and unique voices of these bloggers. And it is certainly time for an update. In light of recent events, it would likely benefit us all to post about it again.

I've been blogging about food and drink in the Boston area for over 14 years, and the vast majority of bloggers I've seen at local events have been white. I've spoken about this before, stating we need to find ways to attract more people of color to these events. An initial step would be to identify those people of color who blog, to showcase their talents. This could be a motivation for other people of color to get involved and start blogging too. It will also present blogs with different voices, a way for all of us to expand our own experience and knowledge.

The following is an initial list of people of color, living in New England, who blog/write about food and/or drink. This is by no means a comprehensive list but provides a starting foundation. Check out these food & drink blogs and I am sure you will like what you find.

If you are or know of any other local people of color with food & drink blogs in the New England area that are not on this list, please have them send me their info, including their name, URL and a brief description of their blog, and I will add them to the list.

Embrace diversity!

Bianca of Confessions Of A Chocoholic

Chanie of Life By Zen: Chanie shares her adventures and experience with delicious foods, drinks especially great wines, and life in Boston. She cooks and is always testing new recipes or looking for fun foods but prefer to talk about her food adventures and dining experiences.

D. of A Little Bit About A Lot Of Things: This is a food and lifestyle blog. D has been been writing since 2010 and her photos have appeared in Boston Magazine, Boston Common, Thrillist, BostInno and others.

Fiona of Gourmet Pigs; Gourmet Pigs was started in Los Angeles in 2007 and Fiona moved to Boston in 2014. The blog reviews restaurants, bars, and events in the two cities and wherever she travels to around the globe.

Jen of Tiny Urban Kitchen

Korsha of Korsha Wilson

Kristina of Appetite For Instruction

Lisa of Anali's Next Amendment: Lisa writes about life, food and current events. She’s been blogging since 2006 and is a freelance writer and attorney. She regularly writes for LegalZoom and manages Free Yoga Boston. She’s also an organizer and contributing editor at Kwanzaa Culinarians, where recipes and food stories from the African Diaspora are shared.