Mo Kong, Food Preservation Workshop, 2022. Photo: Jodi Waynberg
Mo Kong and Artists Alliance hosted a four-part workshop series on food preservation techniques with students from PS 19 and East Village Community School. The series explored the relationship between cultural tradition, celebratory customs, and food, using one of the most traditional cooking methods: fermentation.
Working in pairs, students studied the changes caused by the process of fermenting food, and discussed how we might “normalize” pickled food to dispel people’s fears of unknown smells. They also learned about the origin and cultural significance of ingredients used throughout the pickling processes, and ask questions including: who has the right to claim ownership for these species? and who will take the blame for the environmental impact of removing these foods from their native territories?
