Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Press Release: Hyphen's Food for Thought

The nation’s premier Asian American magazine launches first food section in “Inside/Out Issue”

SAN FRANCISCO (April 15th, 2010) — Hyphen celebrates its first issue of 2010 by debuting a new section dedicated to inspiring and educating readers on all aspects of food. The recent “Inside/Out Issue,” released on newsstands April 15, follows one woman’s boundless dedication to creating better conditions for restaurant workers, breaks down the science behind the wok and updates a traditional jung recipe with an African American spin.

“Food is a celebration of heritage, but it’s also much more than that,” says Food Editor Nina Kahori Fallenbaum. “Hyphen reveals what’s happening behind the scenes, serving up stories from who’s growing, preparing and distributing the food.”

Fallenbaum, who holds a master’s degree in Food Policy, will utilize her passion for discovery to investigate the political and social issues connected to food and its unique relationship with Asian Americans. She didn’t become Hyphen’s first food editor by chance—Fallenbaum, a Japanese American San Francisco Bay Area native, lived in Japan for four years, where she worked for a millet entrepreneur and researched the environmental effects of the modern food industry. She’s contributed to Civil Eats, Nikkei Heritage, and Nichi Bei Times, and is a former editor for the Asian Development Bank Institute and the Sloth Club Japan (a green business publisher).

“We’ve found that our Asian American audience is craving more powerful stories to digest,” says Publisher Lisa Lee. “Now, in our 20th issue, we’re proving that Hyphen is evolving with its readers to reflect how Asian American interests are shaping politics and popular culture.”

Hyphen readers have always been interested in food, but as Editor in Chief Harry Mok noted in a recent blog post, “The perceived exoticness of Asian food and the explosion of fusion cuisine (mean that) many of the stereotypes about Asian Americans come from food. Our founding editor proclaimed Hyphen would never cover food in a way that doesn’t uphold Hyphen’s ideals.” Indeed, Hyphen’s inaugural food section shows that the world of Asian American food is diverse and opinionated. Contributors include scientists Fumei Lam and Jamie Bresson, analyzing the science behind the everyday wok, and restaurant worker organizer Bonnie Kwon explaining why she sees eating out as a political act. The illustrated jung recipe is an African-Asian creative mashup by cookbook author Bryant Terry and artist Jidan Koon.

The stories come from the heart, delving into deep issues that circulate within the agriculture and restaurant industries, which impacts all Americans. Hyphen’s take on food satisfies the curious reader, while continuing to spark interest and transform common perceptions, more often misperceptions, of the culinary aspects of Asian American cultures.

About Hyphen
Hyphen is a fiscally sponsored project of Independent Arts & Media, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. It is an Asian American publication that's distributed nationally and internationally. Based in San Francisco, Hyphen was created as a response to a void of media for young Asian Americans. Covering arts, culture and politics in a fresh and irreverent voice, Hyphen is a media must for savvy Asian Americans. With award-winning design and content, Hyphen is recognized nationwide as an authority on contemporary Asian American identity. Since its inception, Hyphen has been touted in print, online and on camera. Hyphen has been featured or quoted in media outlets such as Yahoo, ESPN, San Francisco Chronicle, Boston Globe, Houston Chronicle, Utne, Flavorpill, Gothamist and Racialicious.com. www.hyphenmagazine.com

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