Performing Culinary Diaspora: Food Practices and Culinary Encounters of South Asians in Hong Kong

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study proposed ‘performing culinary diaspora’ to examine how South Asians use food to articulate diasporic identity in Hong Kong and foster culinary encounters with Hong Kong Chinese. Drawing on in-depth interviews and participant observations of South Asians and Hong Kong Chinese in different South Asian restaurants, grocery shops, and homes, this work examined how transnational South Asian food networks have facilitated the formation of culinary space in which South Asians prepare and consume traditional food with co-ethnics in restaurants and homes. The research also considered the culinary encounters in which South Asians utilise their culinary knowledge to initiate meaningful contacts with Hong Kong Chinese by preparing ‘authentic’ South Asian dishes in different eating places. This research argued that ethnic foodways serve as a space of both social frictions and interactions. By focusing on culinary practices, this study demonstrated how the South Asian diaspora is felt, embodied, and perceived by the host society. It contributes to intercultural studies by revealing how South Asians in Hong Kong use their traditional food culture to create a sense of place, initiating cultural encounters, and promoting social inclusion in Hong Kong.