Beating the talking drum of culture
and a recipe for arroz chaufa that’s a blend of Peruvian and Chinese cuisines
If the world is a melting pot, we may well be at a boiling point right now.
Never before have we had access to so much, from so many places. Our fiercely-held cultures—and with them, our beliefs and values and way of life—are accessible to all through the click of a button or a plane ride. Those fortunate enough to travel can dive deep inside other worlds, other places, and hopefully, in the process, expand their minds and hearts.
But this fertile ground is fraught with land mines. In immersing ourselves in cultures that are not our own, how do we use that inspiration appropriately? How can we honour what has come before us, that is not from us?
Is it too much of a simplification to start by talking about it?
Seven hundred year old traditions
Last Friday night we went to see the first Black Panther film, shown in concert with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. If you’ve never gone to a “live soundtrack” performance, it’s a thrill I would highly recommend. No matter how familiar you might be with a film, seeing the musicians bring the soundtrack to life gives far greater depth and resonance to every note.
Black Panther is by far my favourite of the MCU collection. Thrilling, beautiful, meaningful, magical. A world created that is pitch perfect in every detail. But even after several viewings, I had not appreciated the complexity and meaning behind the Oscar-winning soundtrack.
A collaborative effort between director Ryan Coogler and Swedish composer Ludwig Göransson, the music was born from a deep dive into African culture. Göransson may not have seemed like an obvious choice. As Göransson said, “I…felt incredible pressure to pay homage to African culture and its traditional music. It’s not lost on me that I’m a Swedish guy from one of the coldest countries in the world.”
Göransson started by travelling to the International Library of African Music, which has a collection of more than 500 different instruments that don’t exist anymore. The instruments were used by African tribes to create music for hundreds of different ceremonies dating back to more than 700 years ago. The result? A spine tingling musical score full of the deep heart of Africa.
As Göransson describes it, music from Africa is a language" used for storytelling, every instrument and different musical rhythm given meaning.”
The talking drum
Nowhere is this more apparent than in the use of the tama, the West African talking drum.
The most wonderful part of our Black Panther evening was seeing Senegalese composer Massamba Diop playing the tama. Diop created leitmotifs for each character, most notably T’Challa, Wakanda’s newly-appointed king. As the story unfolds, the talking drum rhythm becomes a character too, underscoring the drama, emotions and conflicts within each character. Seeing it live, Diop fully engaged with the storytelling, giving the film even more meaning and gravitas.
The talking drum language is complex. It requires the player to link a simple word with additional meaning and context. Sound travels for several miles and the listener is compelled to stop, pause and take in the message.
It made me think that we might borrow this profound tradition symbolically for our own communication with one another. Beat. Pause. Add another beat or two. Listen. Surely we can create beautiful music together, across languages, cultures and miles, if only we try.
Arroz chaufa
Ham El-Waylly, The New York Times
serves 2-4; double it up for some good leftovers
Couscous in Palermo, Sicily. Spaghetti in Carmelo, Uruguay. Rijsttafel (rice table) in Jakarta, Indonesia. Travel to just about anywhere in the world, and you’re likely to find the melding of cultures through food at the table. A happier result of colonization, breaking bread together is a way to find common ground, share traditions and make something original that honours everyone.
Perhaps Peru is one of the most interesting places where cuisine and culture have made happy marriages. The Indigenous peoples laid the groundwork for cuisine that celebrates the incredible abundance of Peruvian agriculture. Layer in Spanish, Italian, Chinese, Japanese, Maghrebi and West African cuisine, and the table is truly full.
Chifa is a culinary tradition based on Cantonese cuisine melded with traditional Peruvian ingredients and traditions. The result is nothing short of delicious.
This riff on chicken fried rice makes for an easy weeknight dinner, ready in under an hour. Double it up for a leftover fried rice lunch - after all, isn’t the best part about Chinese food the leftovers?
Note: Don’t let that heaping tablespoon of cumin scare you. It doesn’t overpower the dish, but you may want to hold back if you’re doubling the recipe.
Ingredients
4 tablespoons grapeseed or canola oil
2 large eggs, beaten
Kosher salt
1 medium red bell pepper, stem and seeds removed, roughly chopped
½ pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 (2-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 bunch scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced, white and green portions separated
1 tablespoon ground cumin (see Note)
1 teaspoon ground white pepper, plus more for seasoning
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
2 cups cooked white rice, cooled
2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari, plus more for seasoning
1 tablespoon roasted sesame oil
In a large skillet or wok, heat 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil over high heat until shimmering. Add the eggs, season with a pinch of salt and cook until fully cooked, flipping over once halfway through, about 2 minutes. On a cutting board, chop the eggs into small pieces and transfer to a bowl.
Return the pan to high heat and add another tablespoon of oil. Add the bell pepper, season with a pinch of salt and cook, frequently stirring, until lightly charred along the edges and softened, 3 to 5 minutes; transfer to the same bowl with the eggs. Add the scallion greens to the bowl and set aside.
In a medium bowl, break up the cooled rice with your hands, so the grains are separate, and set aside.
Return the pan to high heat and add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Add the chicken, season with a pinch of salt and cook, stirring frequently, until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through, about 5 minutes.
Add the ginger, garlic and scallion whites; cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant and softened, 2 to 4 minutes. Add the cumin, white pepper and sugar and stir to combine.
Add the rice to the pan. Stir frequently so all the ingredients are well incorporated and each grain of rice is coated in fat. Add the soy sauce and sesame oil and toss to combine. Cook, stirring frequently, until some of the rice starts to crisp, 5 to 8 minutes. Add the eggs, bell pepper and scallion greens to the pan; toss to combine.
Cook for another minute, then taste and adjust seasoning with salt, soy sauce and white pepper as needed. Serve immediately.