1 00:00:01,080 --> 00:00:04,960 Speaker 1: My name is Eva Longoria and I am mate and 2 00:00:05,120 --> 00:00:09,959 Speaker 1: welcome to Hungry for History, a podcast that explores our 3 00:00:10,000 --> 00:00:12,920 Speaker 1: past and present through food. On every episode, we'll talk 4 00:00:12,960 --> 00:00:16,079 Speaker 1: about the history of some of our favorite dishes, ingredients, 5 00:00:16,120 --> 00:00:23,400 Speaker 1: and beverages. So make yourself at home, Eche. On today's 6 00:00:23,440 --> 00:00:27,840 Speaker 1: episode of Hungry for History, we are celebrating two local 7 00:00:28,160 --> 00:00:32,400 Speaker 1: Afro Mexican establishments. One is a food truck in the 8 00:00:32,440 --> 00:00:35,680 Speaker 1: city of Watts and the other is a bakery in Compton. 9 00:00:36,080 --> 00:00:38,040 Speaker 1: We are so excited to share those with you, but 10 00:00:38,080 --> 00:00:40,440 Speaker 1: before we do that, we've got a very special guest 11 00:00:40,479 --> 00:00:43,920 Speaker 1: that is joining us. That's right. I have followed Ebany 12 00:00:44,000 --> 00:00:48,360 Speaker 1: Bailey's work for a while. She's a filmmaker, a producer, 13 00:00:48,479 --> 00:00:53,600 Speaker 1: and a documentarian. As a self described Black Sican, Ebani 14 00:00:53,680 --> 00:00:57,480 Speaker 1: tells stories with the intention of representing her communities and 15 00:00:57,640 --> 00:01:03,320 Speaker 1: building spaces of empowerment between diverse populations. Ebony, welcome to 16 00:01:03,400 --> 00:01:08,120 Speaker 1: the show. Thank you so much for having me. I 17 00:01:08,200 --> 00:01:10,560 Speaker 1: love blacks Agan. You know Mike, I don't know Mike. 18 00:01:10,600 --> 00:01:12,920 Speaker 1: They've you call yours. I call myself a Texican. I 19 00:01:12,959 --> 00:01:15,440 Speaker 1: love Yami too. I started calling myself a Texican when 20 00:01:15,440 --> 00:01:17,680 Speaker 1: I heard you. I was just calling yourself and it's like, 21 00:01:17,720 --> 00:01:20,679 Speaker 1: wait a minute, I am too. I love that, Ebany. 22 00:01:20,520 --> 00:01:23,120 Speaker 1: What is a black Sican? To explain it to me, 23 00:01:23,720 --> 00:01:26,360 Speaker 1: A black Sican. I mean, there are many different ways 24 00:01:26,360 --> 00:01:28,640 Speaker 1: that people describe themselves as Black Sican, but the way 25 00:01:28,640 --> 00:01:31,600 Speaker 1: that I describe myself as a Black Sican is that 26 00:01:31,959 --> 00:01:35,240 Speaker 1: my mom is Mexican American and my dad is African American, 27 00:01:35,800 --> 00:01:38,360 Speaker 1: and growing up, I didn't really know what to like 28 00:01:38,760 --> 00:01:42,560 Speaker 1: call myself, if that makes sense, until I was probably 29 00:01:42,959 --> 00:01:45,960 Speaker 1: twelve thirteen, like around the age of starting like brows 30 00:01:46,000 --> 00:01:48,520 Speaker 1: on the Internet and stuff, and I found this food 31 00:01:48,520 --> 00:01:51,960 Speaker 1: truck in Atlanta that was called the Black Sican Food 32 00:01:51,960 --> 00:01:55,120 Speaker 1: Truck something like that, and I was like, yeah, that's me. 33 00:01:56,960 --> 00:01:59,000 Speaker 1: So it kind of just stuck. And I think it's 34 00:01:59,000 --> 00:02:01,520 Speaker 1: like a good at least me and a good identifier 35 00:02:01,560 --> 00:02:05,320 Speaker 1: of showing like this cross between blackness, Black American and 36 00:02:05,400 --> 00:02:08,079 Speaker 1: making any of that. So yeah, that's why I stick 37 00:02:08,120 --> 00:02:13,080 Speaker 1: to that identifier. I love it, me too, in me too. So, Ebony, 38 00:02:13,160 --> 00:02:15,799 Speaker 1: tell us about your journey and how you began your 39 00:02:15,800 --> 00:02:21,480 Speaker 1: work as a filmmaker exploring these cultural intersections and diaspora 40 00:02:21,600 --> 00:02:26,000 Speaker 1: and social movements. So I started off more in journalism, 41 00:02:26,040 --> 00:02:29,000 Speaker 1: I mean journalism and then digital journalism, and I kind 42 00:02:29,040 --> 00:02:32,880 Speaker 1: of fell into photography and videography because I liked the 43 00:02:32,960 --> 00:02:36,639 Speaker 1: mix between the techie side of playing with colors and 44 00:02:36,720 --> 00:02:39,440 Speaker 1: playing with composition, but also getting out and going and 45 00:02:39,480 --> 00:02:42,399 Speaker 1: meeting people and connecting with people and sharing people's stories. 46 00:02:42,760 --> 00:02:47,040 Speaker 1: And my first kind of intro to the cultural intersection 47 00:02:47,080 --> 00:02:50,280 Speaker 1: work that I focus heavily on now was doing my 48 00:02:50,360 --> 00:02:54,040 Speaker 1: first documentary that I did several years ago about Haitian 49 00:02:54,120 --> 00:02:57,200 Speaker 1: migrants in Tijuana and their experiences at what it's like 50 00:02:57,280 --> 00:03:00,440 Speaker 1: to be a black migrant in Tijuana. And I did 51 00:03:00,440 --> 00:03:03,120 Speaker 1: that because I was reading the newspaper in Mexico. I 52 00:03:03,120 --> 00:03:06,000 Speaker 1: was living into the Mexico at the time, and I 53 00:03:06,040 --> 00:03:08,520 Speaker 1: just saw a photo on the newspaper of migrants at 54 00:03:08,560 --> 00:03:11,399 Speaker 1: the border, and I noticed they were all black, and 55 00:03:11,600 --> 00:03:13,280 Speaker 1: at the time, I didn't know that many other black 56 00:03:13,280 --> 00:03:15,400 Speaker 1: people who were living in Mexico. So I kind of 57 00:03:15,400 --> 00:03:17,880 Speaker 1: just wanted to go deeper into that and I did 58 00:03:18,000 --> 00:03:21,280 Speaker 1: a short documentary about that issue, and from there I 59 00:03:21,320 --> 00:03:24,600 Speaker 1: really started connecting with a lot of like the Migraine 60 00:03:24,800 --> 00:03:29,040 Speaker 1: Afro diaspora and also kind of food community and Mexico 61 00:03:29,120 --> 00:03:31,399 Speaker 1: it all just kind of blended. So it was really 62 00:03:31,440 --> 00:03:33,720 Speaker 1: that documentary that helped me like get a lot of 63 00:03:33,720 --> 00:03:37,080 Speaker 1: these other connections and meet other people and tell other stories. 64 00:03:37,200 --> 00:03:41,360 Speaker 1: It was like a good launching point for me. You know, 65 00:03:41,400 --> 00:03:46,080 Speaker 1: you've discussed before that like being in La being black 66 00:03:46,320 --> 00:03:50,160 Speaker 1: or Mexican or being Blackxican. You know, you represent two 67 00:03:50,200 --> 00:03:54,840 Speaker 1: of the most aggrieved groups in Los Angeles, and talk 68 00:03:54,920 --> 00:03:57,080 Speaker 1: to me about that and the relevance of it today 69 00:03:57,120 --> 00:04:01,240 Speaker 1: because there's just this complex history that black and Latino 70 00:04:01,320 --> 00:04:04,600 Speaker 1: communities have with Los Angeles. You talk a lot about it. Yeah, 71 00:04:04,720 --> 00:04:07,600 Speaker 1: I mean that's that's like a that's a big topic 72 00:04:07,760 --> 00:04:12,000 Speaker 1: because there's so much history with both black communities and 73 00:04:12,080 --> 00:04:15,840 Speaker 1: Latin communities in Los Angeles. And it actually even goes 74 00:04:15,840 --> 00:04:18,640 Speaker 1: way back to the founding of Los Angeles, Like a 75 00:04:18,640 --> 00:04:21,000 Speaker 1: lot of people don't know, and I think it's on 76 00:04:21,000 --> 00:04:24,039 Speaker 1: all Varia Streets somewhere that most of the people that 77 00:04:24,200 --> 00:04:30,320 Speaker 1: founded Los Angeles were afrol Mistiso people, and so kind 78 00:04:30,320 --> 00:04:33,920 Speaker 1: of this like intersection of blackness in and Los Angeles 79 00:04:33,920 --> 00:04:37,920 Speaker 1: goes way back to then and just seeing how intertwined 80 00:04:37,960 --> 00:04:40,120 Speaker 1: the communities have been, like we've always live in the 81 00:04:40,160 --> 00:04:43,640 Speaker 1: same neighborhoods always gone to the same schools. Yet there's 82 00:04:43,640 --> 00:04:46,679 Speaker 1: also been a lot of conflict. There can be anti 83 00:04:46,720 --> 00:04:49,599 Speaker 1: blackness and the Latino side, there can be xenophobia on 84 00:04:49,640 --> 00:04:53,520 Speaker 1: the Black American side. So a lot of that conflict, 85 00:04:53,600 --> 00:04:57,080 Speaker 1: I feel like sometimes overshadows that the two groups have 86 00:04:57,360 --> 00:05:02,120 Speaker 1: really similar, like you said, agrevements and really similar histories, 87 00:05:02,240 --> 00:05:06,840 Speaker 1: especially in the Los Angeles context with police brutality, Like 88 00:05:06,920 --> 00:05:09,560 Speaker 1: this mission to reform police brutality has been going on 89 00:05:09,600 --> 00:05:13,560 Speaker 1: for decades. Even though there has been a lot of progress, 90 00:05:13,680 --> 00:05:16,279 Speaker 1: runnicking and all of that, there still is like a 91 00:05:16,320 --> 00:05:17,960 Speaker 1: lot more to be done, and there's still a lot 92 00:05:18,000 --> 00:05:20,840 Speaker 1: more healing. There's a lot more cross dialogue. And I'm 93 00:05:20,880 --> 00:05:23,280 Speaker 1: glad that we are having these conversations and we're talking 94 00:05:23,320 --> 00:05:25,839 Speaker 1: about how in our cultures, how in our foods, there 95 00:05:25,880 --> 00:05:28,800 Speaker 1: are these intersections, and there's always been these intersections. One 96 00:05:28,800 --> 00:05:31,479 Speaker 1: of the many things that's so wonderful about food that 97 00:05:31,560 --> 00:05:35,160 Speaker 1: it's such a great way in to have these conversations, right, 98 00:05:35,440 --> 00:05:42,000 Speaker 1: it's an accessible way into these conversations. I could talk 99 00:05:42,040 --> 00:05:45,400 Speaker 1: to to Ebity forever because this is so fascinating to me, 100 00:05:45,480 --> 00:05:50,320 Speaker 1: this intersectionality of cultures and race, But how did that 101 00:05:50,880 --> 00:05:53,680 Speaker 1: translate into food what we were memories of as a 102 00:05:53,760 --> 00:05:56,800 Speaker 1: child cooking with your family. It's funny because I actually 103 00:05:56,839 --> 00:06:00,480 Speaker 1: didn't realize how much ffro influence there is in food 104 00:06:00,520 --> 00:06:03,760 Speaker 1: until I got older, until I started researching for my 105 00:06:03,800 --> 00:06:08,240 Speaker 1: other documentary, Hamake Tamarno. And I always grew up drinking 106 00:06:08,240 --> 00:06:11,200 Speaker 1: I want the hamica and eating like the Tamarindo candies. 107 00:06:11,200 --> 00:06:14,320 Speaker 1: And I had no idea that La froda hamica and 108 00:06:14,520 --> 00:06:19,080 Speaker 1: the tamarin the food are originally from the continent of Africa, 109 00:06:19,279 --> 00:06:22,359 Speaker 1: and tamarin also has a lot of influence in South 110 00:06:22,360 --> 00:06:25,080 Speaker 1: Asia too, But but I didn't know that when I 111 00:06:25,120 --> 00:06:28,040 Speaker 1: was growing up, and I think now it almost feels 112 00:06:28,080 --> 00:06:30,799 Speaker 1: like it was like my ancestors talking to me whenever 113 00:06:30,800 --> 00:06:32,800 Speaker 1: I would drink I was the hamica and eat the 114 00:06:32,839 --> 00:06:37,320 Speaker 1: little Sam's kind of showing them subtly that this was 115 00:06:37,400 --> 00:06:40,040 Speaker 1: also my food and my two sides of lending together. 116 00:06:40,560 --> 00:06:42,360 Speaker 1: And there is like a connection between like ian a 117 00:06:42,400 --> 00:06:46,159 Speaker 1: hamica and red juice in African American communities, they're both 118 00:06:46,200 --> 00:06:49,040 Speaker 1: from like the hibiscus flower. So I think like growing 119 00:06:49,120 --> 00:06:51,640 Speaker 1: up and learning that has been like something that's really 120 00:06:51,640 --> 00:06:54,440 Speaker 1: special for me and it brings me back to my childhood. 121 00:06:55,320 --> 00:06:59,480 Speaker 1: Oh and I totally forgot about this, but I love 122 00:07:00,400 --> 00:07:05,880 Speaker 1: eating menudo growing up. I'm now, that's your favorite, that's 123 00:07:05,880 --> 00:07:12,400 Speaker 1: your favorite. That's my favorite. A girl eating menulo every Sunday. 124 00:07:12,400 --> 00:07:13,920 Speaker 1: It was like a family thinking that go to my 125 00:07:13,920 --> 00:07:15,760 Speaker 1: grandma's house and na menudo. It's like one of my 126 00:07:15,760 --> 00:07:18,320 Speaker 1: favorite things. I still really love the texture of tripe 127 00:07:18,320 --> 00:07:20,520 Speaker 1: and I try to find that with like mushrooms and 128 00:07:20,600 --> 00:07:23,600 Speaker 1: things like that that are plant based. But I also 129 00:07:23,680 --> 00:07:26,880 Speaker 1: learned as I was researching for this documentary and for 130 00:07:26,960 --> 00:07:30,280 Speaker 1: other things, that menudo also has African influence and it's 131 00:07:30,320 --> 00:07:34,520 Speaker 1: like a descendant. Yes, it's a descendant of mondongole that 132 00:07:34,640 --> 00:07:37,480 Speaker 1: is originally from Beracruz and Becruz. I actually still call 133 00:07:37,520 --> 00:07:44,240 Speaker 1: it monongo um and other. Yeah there my mind. You 134 00:07:44,320 --> 00:07:49,480 Speaker 1: have fascinating I have no idea what differentiates the menongo 135 00:07:49,560 --> 00:07:52,280 Speaker 1: from the menudo. Is it the Chile and it's the Chile. 136 00:07:52,680 --> 00:07:55,720 Speaker 1: The thing that keeps them similar is that they're both 137 00:07:55,760 --> 00:07:58,240 Speaker 1: made from like the stomach insights. But I think that 138 00:07:58,320 --> 00:08:01,240 Speaker 1: the way that they make the Chile like in Jalisco 139 00:08:01,480 --> 00:08:07,880 Speaker 1: and Norna Mexico, like the spices and the ingredients. Of 140 00:08:08,080 --> 00:08:11,920 Speaker 1: all the stories you've covered as a filmmaker, is there 141 00:08:12,000 --> 00:08:15,960 Speaker 1: one that has left a mark or hit a chord 142 00:08:16,000 --> 00:08:20,320 Speaker 1: with you. I think I would say my film Hamaka Merindo. 143 00:08:20,480 --> 00:08:22,880 Speaker 1: It's also a short film, and it was my thesis 144 00:08:22,880 --> 00:08:26,480 Speaker 1: film for my master's program at NA I'm in Mexico City, 145 00:08:26,920 --> 00:08:29,400 Speaker 1: and that one really stook a chord with me because 146 00:08:29,480 --> 00:08:31,720 Speaker 1: it kind of brought together all of my loves of 147 00:08:31,840 --> 00:08:36,920 Speaker 1: food and culture and meeting people in history, and it 148 00:08:36,960 --> 00:08:39,600 Speaker 1: was a way for me to learn about, as I 149 00:08:39,600 --> 00:08:43,360 Speaker 1: had mentioned before, the Afro influence in certain ingredients. But 150 00:08:43,400 --> 00:08:45,200 Speaker 1: it was also a way for me to connect with 151 00:08:45,400 --> 00:08:49,120 Speaker 1: Afro Mexican people that live in Mexico. And even though 152 00:08:49,120 --> 00:08:51,920 Speaker 1: we have like different experiences of growing up on different 153 00:08:51,960 --> 00:08:54,520 Speaker 1: sides of the porter, and they're Afro Mexican in the 154 00:08:54,559 --> 00:08:58,200 Speaker 1: sense that their ancestors were enslaved in Mexico, whereas my 155 00:08:58,240 --> 00:09:01,319 Speaker 1: ancestors were inslaved in the US and my mom is 156 00:09:01,360 --> 00:09:04,320 Speaker 1: the one who is a Mistisa Mexican, so in that sense, 157 00:09:04,360 --> 00:09:07,320 Speaker 1: we have different backgrounds. But I felt like through doing 158 00:09:07,360 --> 00:09:10,920 Speaker 1: this documentary and hearing their stories, especially about growing up 159 00:09:10,920 --> 00:09:13,600 Speaker 1: and about their relationship with food. I just felt this 160 00:09:13,679 --> 00:09:17,640 Speaker 1: like really strong kinship with them and like sharing this 161 00:09:17,760 --> 00:09:21,560 Speaker 1: like this connection of like common ancestors that I'll always 162 00:09:21,559 --> 00:09:25,600 Speaker 1: like take with me. After I did that documentary, it's beautiful. 163 00:09:25,640 --> 00:09:28,240 Speaker 1: I've seen it. It's a beautiful documentary. Your work is 164 00:09:28,360 --> 00:09:31,120 Speaker 1: so important. It's just so important, like I said, especially 165 00:09:31,200 --> 00:09:33,800 Speaker 1: right now with the relevance of this topic and the 166 00:09:33,920 --> 00:09:39,560 Speaker 1: anti black sentiment in some Latin X cultures. I think 167 00:09:39,679 --> 00:09:43,920 Speaker 1: it's an important conversation to have, and you're broadening the 168 00:09:44,720 --> 00:09:47,160 Speaker 1: mindset of a lot of people. So thank you, Yes, 169 00:09:47,320 --> 00:09:54,320 Speaker 1: thank you. Don't go anywhere. When we come back. Hungry 170 00:09:54,360 --> 00:09:58,240 Speaker 1: for History visits the first Afro Mexican food establishment in 171 00:09:58,400 --> 00:10:01,640 Speaker 1: Los Angeles. It's been around for almost thirty years and 172 00:10:01,679 --> 00:10:15,000 Speaker 1: you don't want to miss it. Welcome back. I visited 173 00:10:15,040 --> 00:10:19,040 Speaker 1: the city of Watts, California, to try some amazing banana lefamals, 174 00:10:19,120 --> 00:10:20,680 Speaker 1: which I have to say were some of the best 175 00:10:20,720 --> 00:10:23,760 Speaker 1: I've ever had. I interviewed one of the women who 176 00:10:23,800 --> 00:10:29,240 Speaker 1: helps runs that it was originally started by Elena Lorenzo 177 00:10:29,320 --> 00:10:31,960 Speaker 1: and after Latina, who immigrated to the US from La 178 00:10:32,000 --> 00:10:36,640 Speaker 1: Costa Chica in Mexico. Her daughter Maria sat down to 179 00:10:36,720 --> 00:10:43,000 Speaker 1: chat with us. Take a listen here with Madia outside 180 00:10:43,000 --> 00:10:46,280 Speaker 1: of the truck of the Melisa. So tell us a 181 00:10:46,320 --> 00:10:52,520 Speaker 1: little bit about one originally Islena. That's how we started off, 182 00:10:53,240 --> 00:10:57,480 Speaker 1: maybe like around twenty nine years ago. My mom migrated 183 00:10:57,520 --> 00:11:01,520 Speaker 1: to the United States from like a Pulco Guerrero, and 184 00:11:01,600 --> 00:11:05,880 Speaker 1: the first day that she got here, there was no 185 00:11:06,160 --> 00:11:09,319 Speaker 1: like greet men or anything like you would imagine her 186 00:11:09,320 --> 00:11:13,040 Speaker 1: family would greet her. My mom took I guess lessons 187 00:11:13,040 --> 00:11:15,360 Speaker 1: of how to make the malice from my grandma. My 188 00:11:15,440 --> 00:11:18,040 Speaker 1: dad got here a little bit after her, and he 189 00:11:18,080 --> 00:11:21,760 Speaker 1: started selling out of his chunk of his car, and 190 00:11:21,880 --> 00:11:25,400 Speaker 1: they just became a power, do you know. Like he 191 00:11:25,520 --> 00:11:27,520 Speaker 1: used to be the one that used to go grocery 192 00:11:27,679 --> 00:11:30,440 Speaker 1: shopping and do all the hard labor. And my mom 193 00:11:30,559 --> 00:11:32,520 Speaker 1: used to be the one that put as a son 194 00:11:32,600 --> 00:11:35,959 Speaker 1: and everything because y'all knew that she had she had 195 00:11:36,000 --> 00:11:37,680 Speaker 1: it in her. It's like you were born with it 196 00:11:37,800 --> 00:11:42,520 Speaker 1: or you're not. And so she went ahead and that 197 00:11:42,840 --> 00:11:46,120 Speaker 1: the prepping and my dad didn't that the maalets with her. 198 00:11:46,160 --> 00:11:49,640 Speaker 1: It was just them too. And then we came along, 199 00:11:49,679 --> 00:11:52,520 Speaker 1: we came to age. They never did ask us to 200 00:11:52,600 --> 00:11:55,640 Speaker 1: help them. We used to see them work very hard, 201 00:11:55,760 --> 00:11:57,840 Speaker 1: and we used to get back from school and we're like, 202 00:11:58,280 --> 00:12:01,240 Speaker 1: can we help, And that's and we started working. We 203 00:12:01,280 --> 00:12:03,720 Speaker 1: all started working, like at the average of like twelve 204 00:12:03,800 --> 00:12:07,560 Speaker 1: years old. Everybody started learning how to do Now we 205 00:12:07,600 --> 00:12:09,800 Speaker 1: can do it with our oars close. It's a story 206 00:12:09,840 --> 00:12:14,680 Speaker 1: of the ultimate immigrants story. That's amazing. So do you 207 00:12:14,720 --> 00:12:17,920 Speaker 1: and your sisters have the sasm some of us do. 208 00:12:18,000 --> 00:12:25,520 Speaker 1: I cannot say for all of them. How does it 209 00:12:25,640 --> 00:12:29,240 Speaker 1: feel to be able to do this, to carry the 210 00:12:29,280 --> 00:12:33,080 Speaker 1: torch that your parents felt? You know what, I've never 211 00:12:33,120 --> 00:12:35,640 Speaker 1: been ashamed of it. I've always been proud of what 212 00:12:35,800 --> 00:12:38,840 Speaker 1: my parents did. I've always been conscious of the fact 213 00:12:38,920 --> 00:12:43,079 Speaker 1: that we are doing something special that unfortunately here and wants. 214 00:12:43,200 --> 00:12:45,880 Speaker 1: There's not a lot of food vendors. We've been here, 215 00:12:46,160 --> 00:12:50,320 Speaker 1: this spot, this block for the past twenty nine years. 216 00:12:50,920 --> 00:12:55,080 Speaker 1: People have tried and come and put. We're always welcoming 217 00:12:55,080 --> 00:12:58,280 Speaker 1: other vendors. We want other company here with us, but 218 00:12:58,440 --> 00:13:01,720 Speaker 1: unfortunately people don't make it. And for me to be 219 00:13:01,760 --> 00:13:04,680 Speaker 1: able to say that we have been, you know, a 220 00:13:04,760 --> 00:13:10,600 Speaker 1: life for that long, it's it's you know, it's I 221 00:13:10,640 --> 00:13:12,560 Speaker 1: talked to my husband about it and He's like, I 222 00:13:12,600 --> 00:13:14,520 Speaker 1: can see it every time you talk to me about it. 223 00:13:14,520 --> 00:13:17,040 Speaker 1: It's like your eyes light up, like you know, because 224 00:13:17,120 --> 00:13:20,640 Speaker 1: you you they are able to carry what your parents, 225 00:13:21,120 --> 00:13:24,720 Speaker 1: your parents dream and somehow it became ours, not forcibly, 226 00:13:25,440 --> 00:13:31,040 Speaker 1: it grew on us. And we know that food is whatever, 227 00:13:31,120 --> 00:13:35,520 Speaker 1: there is, pandemic, recession, anything people want to eat. And 228 00:13:35,840 --> 00:13:39,160 Speaker 1: what a better way to to just carry this off 229 00:13:39,280 --> 00:13:43,480 Speaker 1: harry on their story, their legacy through through food. It's 230 00:13:43,520 --> 00:13:46,720 Speaker 1: the way to people's hearts, right way into other peoples, 231 00:13:46,720 --> 00:13:53,439 Speaker 1: other cultures. About your mom's recipes, Well, my mom has 232 00:13:53,520 --> 00:13:57,840 Speaker 1: a lot of recipes that she has come up with 233 00:13:59,000 --> 00:14:02,480 Speaker 1: because it's a fusion because my dad is from there. 234 00:14:02,480 --> 00:14:06,080 Speaker 1: Both my dad is from Acapulco and my mom is 235 00:14:06,080 --> 00:14:11,240 Speaker 1: from La Cosa, Chica, but his mom is indigenous from 236 00:14:11,320 --> 00:14:17,640 Speaker 1: Mexico Native so she brings cuisine from from Naciera. My 237 00:14:17,679 --> 00:14:21,400 Speaker 1: mom meets my dad and she brings cuisine from Nasa Chica, 238 00:14:21,440 --> 00:14:24,840 Speaker 1: which is the majority of them to live off the sea. 239 00:14:24,960 --> 00:14:27,680 Speaker 1: You know, it's a fishing community and they have a 240 00:14:27,680 --> 00:14:30,640 Speaker 1: lot of sea food. But his mom was from the Sierraso. 241 00:14:30,800 --> 00:14:32,760 Speaker 1: There was a lot of like veal, you know, and 242 00:14:32,800 --> 00:14:36,840 Speaker 1: stuff like that and a carne meat and vegetables. That's 243 00:14:36,840 --> 00:14:39,280 Speaker 1: what his dad was based on. But she got married 244 00:14:39,320 --> 00:14:42,000 Speaker 1: with my mom my dad, so she had to you know, 245 00:14:42,160 --> 00:14:46,680 Speaker 1: come to an agreement like how to make his food, 246 00:14:47,280 --> 00:14:50,280 Speaker 1: you know, with her her sason. So that's where everything 247 00:14:50,320 --> 00:14:56,480 Speaker 1: else came in, which is catfish ala mihicana um. We 248 00:14:56,640 --> 00:15:04,120 Speaker 1: have lengua coma macho. We also have a pole. If 249 00:15:04,160 --> 00:15:06,560 Speaker 1: you are looking for sola, you have to go to Geo. 250 00:15:06,840 --> 00:15:12,080 Speaker 1: There's nowhere else. We offered a white red green seafood 251 00:15:12,120 --> 00:15:18,880 Speaker 1: elo sole and all its toppings. It's a sole mesh 252 00:15:18,960 --> 00:15:21,680 Speaker 1: meat out of vegetables. Traditionally it's red and then all 253 00:15:21,680 --> 00:15:30,720 Speaker 1: of the toppings. We have CuO fresco, Ravano's gold, the castle, 254 00:15:30,880 --> 00:15:37,160 Speaker 1: thenmost chios wo. Before you serve the posla, you crack 255 00:15:37,200 --> 00:15:39,720 Speaker 1: an egg. You serve the posolo boiling hot, so it 256 00:15:39,720 --> 00:15:43,080 Speaker 1: cooks in there and it's just a whole bunch of stuff. 257 00:15:43,240 --> 00:15:49,160 Speaker 1: Sardines a stoppings for poles sole is one of our 258 00:15:49,200 --> 00:15:56,640 Speaker 1: main like the volume structure of of course, right here 259 00:15:56,680 --> 00:16:02,240 Speaker 1: we introduced them with shredded meat. Traditionally for us is 260 00:16:02,320 --> 00:16:08,960 Speaker 1: whole pork rips or a whole chicken wing. Inside themal 261 00:16:09,280 --> 00:16:13,920 Speaker 1: we also have tchina, which is our muscles, river muscles 262 00:16:14,520 --> 00:16:20,000 Speaker 1: in make it a shrim and a whole bunch of stuff. 263 00:16:23,760 --> 00:16:26,400 Speaker 1: Other people come and ask us, They're like, what do 264 00:16:26,600 --> 00:16:30,200 Speaker 1: what makes this? This a from Mexican? I wish I 265 00:16:30,200 --> 00:16:32,960 Speaker 1: can tell them that it's a second ingredient. You know 266 00:16:33,080 --> 00:16:36,960 Speaker 1: that we can tell them. M I explained to them 267 00:16:37,000 --> 00:16:40,080 Speaker 1: there is no second ingredient. One makes it Afro Mexican 268 00:16:40,760 --> 00:16:44,600 Speaker 1: as the cook. It's us as a culture behind it, 269 00:16:44,680 --> 00:16:51,560 Speaker 1: the people who makes it where we come from. After 270 00:16:51,600 --> 00:16:55,200 Speaker 1: the break, Mighty tries some fandul from an Afro Mexican 271 00:16:55,240 --> 00:17:14,840 Speaker 1: bakery in Compton, California. Don't go anywhere, Welcome back to 272 00:17:14,920 --> 00:17:17,720 Speaker 1: Hungry for history. I had a chance to check out 273 00:17:17,760 --> 00:17:22,480 Speaker 1: an Afro Latino bakery in Compton, California that runs out 274 00:17:22,480 --> 00:17:26,080 Speaker 1: of a garage serving some of the most delicious band 275 00:17:26,600 --> 00:17:31,800 Speaker 1: I have ever tried. In Los Angeles. Fan Estila is 276 00:17:31,880 --> 00:17:37,600 Speaker 1: run by Annie Polanco and his wife. No I just 277 00:17:37,800 --> 00:17:45,040 Speaker 1: arrived to fan Estia in Compton, and this is a site. 278 00:17:45,440 --> 00:17:50,320 Speaker 1: It's amazing. You walk in. It's in somebody's garage. There's 279 00:17:50,359 --> 00:17:54,800 Speaker 1: a whole line of Apico chairs of every single different 280 00:17:54,800 --> 00:17:57,399 Speaker 1: color for adults and for children. As you walk in 281 00:17:57,480 --> 00:18:00,080 Speaker 1: along a white wall and then you walk into to 282 00:18:00,160 --> 00:18:06,399 Speaker 1: the garage, and first of all, the smell is intoxicating. 283 00:18:06,600 --> 00:18:12,080 Speaker 1: It's just smells like yeast and and sugar and butter, 284 00:18:12,440 --> 00:18:16,080 Speaker 1: and it's just unindebevable. So many different types of bread, 285 00:18:16,680 --> 00:18:22,600 Speaker 1: breads that I've never actually seen before, the ball very artisanal. 286 00:18:25,240 --> 00:18:28,359 Speaker 1: I just had the most amazing experience. Well, I shared 287 00:18:28,400 --> 00:18:30,600 Speaker 1: that my grandmother was a baker, and they're like, oh 288 00:18:30,640 --> 00:18:32,280 Speaker 1: wait a minute, let me see, let me see if 289 00:18:32,320 --> 00:18:35,919 Speaker 1: you you have her skills. Put an apron on me, 290 00:18:36,040 --> 00:18:38,720 Speaker 1: put a net on my head, and had me roll 291 00:18:39,000 --> 00:18:54,840 Speaker 1: the little balls of dough of corn chest she said, 292 00:18:55,400 --> 00:18:58,280 Speaker 1: And of course I did not do such a great job, 293 00:18:58,320 --> 00:19:12,280 Speaker 1: and they were making fun of me picking a yeah. Yeah, 294 00:19:12,320 --> 00:19:16,119 Speaker 1: it felt I felt like I was home, I was family. 295 00:19:16,840 --> 00:19:21,600 Speaker 1: And really they're so welcoming and the breads are so 296 00:19:21,680 --> 00:19:24,440 Speaker 1: delicious and so unique, different than any pandus I've ever had. 297 00:19:24,480 --> 00:19:27,040 Speaker 1: And I've had a lot of band in my life. 298 00:19:27,480 --> 00:19:29,159 Speaker 1: And they were sharing that they get all of the 299 00:19:29,359 --> 00:19:39,600 Speaker 1: ingredients from Mexico. They go Totio, they get the Mexican vanilla. Okay, 300 00:19:39,600 --> 00:19:47,359 Speaker 1: they get the fresh yeast. Everything is fresh. They use 301 00:19:47,440 --> 00:19:51,320 Speaker 1: no preservatives, and they say that their secret ingredient is love, 302 00:19:51,880 --> 00:19:55,720 Speaker 1: which you could totally taste. It's a wonderful atmosphere. The 303 00:19:55,800 --> 00:20:08,800 Speaker 1: breads are amazing that I feel so lucky that I 304 00:20:09,400 --> 00:20:21,000 Speaker 1: that I've been supported. Wife is the one that started 305 00:20:21,119 --> 00:20:22,840 Speaker 1: baking when she was a child, and all of the 306 00:20:22,880 --> 00:20:25,600 Speaker 1: recipes are her grandmother's recipes or recipes that she grew 307 00:20:25,680 --> 00:20:30,960 Speaker 1: up with. And people from the neighborhood that are from 308 00:20:31,119 --> 00:20:34,680 Speaker 1: that may not have been back moved to the US 309 00:20:34,760 --> 00:20:37,120 Speaker 1: and maybe haven't been able to go back to get 310 00:20:43,600 --> 00:20:47,520 Speaker 1: they taste this and it transports them to home. Also 311 00:20:56,359 --> 00:21:02,000 Speaker 1: here ye are all breads that you could find in 312 00:21:02,160 --> 00:21:06,800 Speaker 1: La Costa Chica in so they're all flavors from that 313 00:21:06,880 --> 00:21:10,800 Speaker 1: region and it's very unique. They're very unique, different than 314 00:21:10,840 --> 00:21:14,600 Speaker 1: anything I've ever had. Everything is much more rustic. You 315 00:21:14,600 --> 00:21:18,359 Speaker 1: could see that it's in artisanal bakery. There's no this 316 00:21:18,440 --> 00:21:22,280 Speaker 1: is all, you know, made from from scratch. This is 317 00:21:22,760 --> 00:21:26,480 Speaker 1: a family affair. In their backyard and back bay and 318 00:21:27,240 --> 00:21:32,720 Speaker 1: Uncinto's garage in their backyard and in the bakery in 319 00:21:32,760 --> 00:21:36,080 Speaker 1: the back is for him and his wife and their 320 00:21:36,200 --> 00:21:38,959 Speaker 1: son and then a couple of friends who have been 321 00:21:38,960 --> 00:21:42,560 Speaker 1: working with them for since twenty sixteen is when they 322 00:21:42,600 --> 00:21:46,160 Speaker 1: started this bakery, but she has started many years before, 323 00:21:46,880 --> 00:21:49,520 Speaker 1: just making bread from a little kitchen aid blender that 324 00:21:49,560 --> 00:22:09,320 Speaker 1: she's had for thirty years in that same kitchen. Uh huh. 325 00:22:10,800 --> 00:22:12,320 Speaker 1: So she had a full time job and then she 326 00:22:12,320 --> 00:22:15,159 Speaker 1: would come home and make breads, call her friends, and 327 00:22:15,200 --> 00:22:26,080 Speaker 1: that's how it started. It's all five people that are 328 00:22:26,119 --> 00:22:29,200 Speaker 1: making all of these breads, friends and family. They were 329 00:22:29,240 --> 00:22:33,439 Speaker 1: so welcoming they busted out the coffee maker. Wouldn't let 330 00:22:33,520 --> 00:22:38,280 Speaker 1: us sleep without drinking some coffee and tasting all of 331 00:22:38,320 --> 00:22:44,040 Speaker 1: the bread. M m hm. You guys, yes when you 332 00:22:44,119 --> 00:22:47,680 Speaker 1: see mom um, Really, I've never felt more at home 333 00:22:48,520 --> 00:22:53,680 Speaker 1: in the bakery in my life. Yes you're not. Yeah, 334 00:22:53,720 --> 00:23:06,119 Speaker 1: yeah you don't. Thank you so much for listening to 335 00:23:06,160 --> 00:23:10,000 Speaker 1: this very special and relevant episode. You know, Mike and 336 00:23:10,040 --> 00:23:14,480 Speaker 1: I wanted to do this podcast to really fully explore 337 00:23:14,640 --> 00:23:17,840 Speaker 1: our culture, and this is a side of it that 338 00:23:17,920 --> 00:23:20,679 Speaker 1: I think we don't talk enough about. So thank you 339 00:23:20,720 --> 00:23:24,920 Speaker 1: so much for listening. Thank you. Hungry for History is 340 00:23:24,960 --> 00:23:29,480 Speaker 1: an unbelievable entertainment production in partnership with Ihearts Michael Bura 341 00:23:29,640 --> 00:23:32,240 Speaker 1: podcast Network. For more of your favorite shows, visit the 342 00:23:32,240 --> 00:23:36,320 Speaker 1: iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts.