For more than ten years, I’ve been traveling all over California, reporting stories about food and farming from every county in the state. Now, for the 58th and very last story in the series, I went back to where I grew up — Santa Clara County, to a special-occasion restaurant from my childhood: Chef Chu’s.
On a corner in Richmond, California, there’s a business that has celebrated the city’s Black history and Southern roots for 30 years: CJ’s BBQ & Fish. Born and raised in Richmond, with a family that came from Arkansas to work in the shipyards, Charles Evans is at the center of it all.
Californians have made whiskey since the Gold Rush, and craft bourbon has taken off in the last 20 years. I stumbled upon a place that’s producing whiskey at a location where people used to make something really different: massive objects that changed the course of world events.
When most of California is asleep, a few square blocks on the edge of Jack London Square come alive with people, produce and machinery. Streets fill up with pallets of fruits and vegetables. It’s the Oakland Produce Market, and it’s been supplying grocers and restaurants for more than 100 years, despite fears that it might not survive.
Grange halls have been around for more than 150 years — the Grange began as a fraternal organization for farmers. Many rural towns still rely on Grange halls as community centers. In the Anderson Valley, many people credit this place for bringing together groups of people that were once really divided.
During the holy month of Ramadan, fasting is important, but so is food. All across the state, markets are central. Not only do they supply the ingredients for the holiday, they also connect people from all ethnicities who follow Islam. One such place is Besan’s International Market in San Bruno. Reported with Leenah Bassouni.
A lot of California 4th graders learn about the transcontinental railroad, the “Big Four” tycoons, and the mostly Chinese laborers who laid track through the mountains. But some of this history is overlooked, like how the railroad, and its connection to food, shaped much of California’s story.
The Eastern Sierra town of Independence –population: 600 — is home to a destination restaurant, the Still Life Cafe. A local favorite for nearly 30 years, Mt Whitney hikers and Mammoth skiers also tell their friends about the French Bistro and North African dishes they can look forward to.
Cheese wasn’t part of Soyoung Scanlan’s early life, growing up in South Korea. Now, she’s one of California’s most celebrated cheese makers. Part of her inspiration? Classical music. Every cheese Soyoung has made for 25 years has a musical name and connection.
Hundreds of miles from the ocean, divers submerge into the Sacramento River to work on an irrigation pump. Picture contractors and construction workers, just under water. In this story, we meet divers who grew up inland, but who keep water flowing into farmland.
At this Stockton park, the air is filled with wafts of smoke, the smell of grilled meats and karaoke tracks booming out of speakers. For 30 years, this has been a destination for made-to-order dishes created by food vendors, many of whom are Hmong and Cambodian immigrants.
Hollywood writers and actors are on strike, asking for transparency, fair pay, and protection from AI. They’re not the only ones impacted by labor disputes. In this story, I share the reporting I did before the strikes began, to learn more about the often-invisible work of a Hollywood food stylist.
David “Mas” Masumoto and his family run an organic farm south of Fresno, growing luscious peaches and nectarines. Mas is an author, too. In his new book, Mas writes about the shock of a newly uncovered family secret. He tells me what he learned about this hidden story, and how he rediscovered just how resilient his farming family is.
Brennan Temol never takes his apron off. He spends all week cooking at Lassen Community College cafeteria, and all weekend cooking with family and friends. For both, he draws on his culinary school training, and the flavors of his childhood–in the Pacific Island nation of Palau.
Ojai’s charming downtown draws crowds of the bohemian chic. Part of the charm? This Ventura County town is surrounded by orchards. The valley’s climate has been ideal for citrus, but it’s changing—getting windier, drier, and hotter. Some farmers are questioning whether agriculture even has a future in the Ojai Valley.
On the edge of the town of Marysville in Yuba County, there’s market with an inventory that would rival Asian grocery stories in big cities. In the back corner, you’ll find a small, bustling kitchen in the back corner. That’s where I became a fan of the dishes made here, and the woman behind them.
In February 2020, I went to Sonora to join the Mother Lode Jewish Community in their Tu BiShvat celebration, honoring trees and the harvest. Just weeks later, the Covid pandemic would stop in-person gatherings like these, and create tensions so many communities are still navigating.
Dennis Tamura never set out to be a bird-watcher. He’s been an organic farmer for over 35 years outside Watsonville. But, with more than 30 bird boxes around the perimeter, birds have become a part of the farm’s ecosystem. New research shows just how much those birds help agriculture.
I’ve met some amazing people reporting for California Foodways. At the end of 2020, I learned that three of those people passed away: Amigo Bob Cantisano, Marshall McKay, and Mohinder Singh Ghag. KQED’s California Report Magazine invited me to talk with host Sasha Khokha about three food pioneers, and remind us of their legacies.
Trinity County is mountainous, and remote, and when I visited in 2017 I learned that it’s also one of the state’s most food insecure places. Many people don’t know where their next meal is coming from, even in the best of times. But the spring of 2020, with the state under shelter-at-home orders because of the coronavirus, is clearly not the best of times. I check in with Jeffry England at the county’s food bank.
