Shared Roots: Hmong Foodways

Minnesota Unraveled: Pulling on the Threads of Minnesota History

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Think of your favorite meal. It’s so much more than just what you see on the plate. It’s the history of the ingredients, the recipes passed down from family members, the memories you have with the tastes and smells of it all. For the Hmong community in Minnesota, food sits at the intersection of community tradition, culture, and history.

In this episode, historian and host Dr. Chantel Rodriguez speaks with three Hmong community members: Chef Yia Vang, of the restaurant Vinai, Pakou Hang, co-founder and executive director of the Hmong American Farmers Association (HAFA), and Zongxee Lee, a Hmong herbalist. In each conversation, guests share the role food and foodways have played in their families, and the ways they’re looking to carry that forward for future generations.