Feast Your Senses on a New Streaming Season of Relish The show’s host, Chef Yia Vang, explains the powerful synergy between food, storytelling and human connection.
We caught up with Chef Vang to get the inside scoop on his experiences hosting this new expression of Relish .
Q: Relish is back! How do you describe this show to people?
Yia Vang : Relish to me is the digging in of stories that start from food. As humans, we search for restoration and to be restored, and that's Relish . It's a sense of belonging; all of us asking the question, “Where and how do I belong?” This season, we're spending more time in each episode digging deeper into the relationships and the stories.
Q: What was your favorite part of making these new episodes?
The Twin Cities PBS original series Relish returns with a bold new take and a longer format that features more local chefs, more music and more flavor. Hosted by contagiously enthusiastic Chef Yia Vang of Union Hmong Kitchen and Vinai (opening later this spring), Relish delves into the rich tapestry of food traditions, history, cultural influences, and modern expressions of taste and flavor, catering to the epicurious and those eager to explore new culinary horizons in Minnesota. Starting May 10, all six new episodes will be available to stream for free on the PBS App ahead of the broadcast premiere later this fall. Apart from transforming Hmong classic dishes into modern marvels, Chef Vang believes that food is rooted in the power of narrative, making him the perfect host to draw out the intimate stories that connect other local chefs’ cuisine to their cultural roots. This season, we venture with him as he explores the veritable globe of the Minnesota food scene, and meets luminaries such as Sean Sherman of Owamni, John Ng of Zen Box Izakaya, Milissa Silva of El Burrito Mercado, and Aubrey and Kale Walch of The Herbivorous Butcher, among many others.
Yia Vang : During interviewing, cooking and understanding the food and the stories behind it, I have these light-bulb moments of connection. When we were at Olsen’s Fish Co., learning about lutefisk and talking about Norway, our photographer, who is from Nigeria, starts talking about the dried cod fish he ate during childhood. The Olsens said they get a lot of it and that East African folks request it. It was this moment of connection, where lutefisk is a global thing. Q: Olsen Fish Co. also sells the often-contentious fish made into lutefisk. What surprised you about lutefisk? Yia Vang : What I learned is, if you talk to a Norwegian, they will turn their nose at lutefisk and say, “Why are you eating that?” For them, it was a symbol of the old days. This also happens with some Hmong dishes. I firmly believe that, as humans, we were created for community, like our soul desires it. I think for young people who are like, “Lutefisk! No!,” you’ve got to get over it and see what's deeper.
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MAY 2024
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