In 2017 the cookbook Maancake & Jasmijn – 100 secret recipes from Chinese mothers was published. Within recipes form 20 Chinese mothers in the Netherlands. For the international version we explored and experimented with new formats in which stories are told and recipes are marked.
With this project we give 50 million immigrated Chinese around the world a new face.
“Maancake en Jasmijn – de app” is an mobile application with personal stories and recipes of Chinese mothers who moved from China to other countries to build a new live. The focal point are podcasts who provide you with cook-instructions and who, using interviews with the cooks, the Chinese mothers, gives you a insights in the food culture in Chinese families around the world.
Cooking can feel like a language: the ingredients are the vocabulary and the techniques the grammar. There can be mixed with traditions and ideas, new ingredients and people we get exposed to. This way a new Chinese food culture is created, and so a new language as well. A new way to tell your surroundings who you are.
Chinese mothers are the spine for this new food culture. With their adaptability, entrepreneurial spirit and talent for improvisation the made the Chinese kitchen into what it is today. As creators the mothers are honored in this project by telling their stories and showing their recipes. This is important: the new generation is confronted daily with stereotype judgement coming from insufficient and superficial stories which don’t do justice to their (food) culture.
Right when the Chinese restaurants are in danger of disappearing from the street scene, it becomes important to document this cultural and culinary heritage the right way. This so it can be preserved, is accessible and an inspiration for the generations to come.
We hope this project excites to Chinese cooking and the Chinese culture to both Chinese and others and this way revive this entirely.
You can try the mobile app here (mobile only!) or watch the user video below.
Sarra Hassouni: Editor & projectmanager – Enthousiastic and wonderfull team member. Provides peace and brings creative points of views on existing ideas.
Maria Lam: Author – Knows how to deliver her love and passion for the Chinese kitchen using strong, beautiful and funny stories.
Lieke van der Rijk: Coach – Cooperative front woman – ‘The Wizard of WIX.’ Highly structured, offers good guidance through the process and is strong in time management.
Jolijn Louisa: Coach- Cooperative front woman – Infectious energy, curious and able to image and elaborate on divergent concepts, very flexible.