Flavors of Empire: Food and the Making of Thai America

by Mark Padoongpatt

With a uniquely balanced combination of salty, sweet, sour, and spicy flavors, Thai food burst onto Los Angeles’s and America’s culinary scene in the 1980s. Flavors of Empire examines the rise of Thai food and the way it shaped the racial and ethnic contours of Thai American identity and community. Full of vivid oral histories and new archival material, this book explores the factors that made foodways central to the Thai American experience. Starting with American Cold War intervention in Thailand, Mark Padoongpatt traces how informal empire allowed U.S. citizens to discover Thai cuisine abroad and introduce it inside the United States. When Thais arrived in Los Angeles, they reinvented and repackaged Thai food in various ways to meet the rising popularity of the cuisine in urban and suburban spaces. Padoongpatt opens up the history and politics of Thai food for the first time, all while demonstrating how race emerges in seemingly mundane and unexpected places.

Genres: Food, Nonfiction, History, Food History, Food Writing, Asia, Race

272 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 9, 2017

Reviews

[Kip · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a non-Thai American/Brit who has studied the foods of Thailand for over a decade, I was excited about the publication of this book for a couple of reasons. First, I have been trying to educate myself further about Thailand in the geopolitical sphere. The use of food as a point of narrative especially interested me. Second, I was interested in the academic perspective of a Thai national with regards to farang cooking and/or being viewed as an expert on Thai cuisine. Mark's perspective was both interesting and helpful.

Few Americans truly understand their own country through the lens of empire, and fewer still probably understand the purpose of the Cold War was to quash all leftist thinking around the world to build it. For anyone interested in US postwar politics (which, in my opinion, any American citizen or geopolitics enthusiast should be), Flavors of Empire is a must read. From that perspective, you do not need to be actively interested in food to appreciate the book.

[Brett · Rating 5 out of 5]

“As ethnic cuisine becomes more popular in foodie culture, it is imperative not to lose sight of the fact that there are real people who cook and serve the food we consume in eateries across the United States.”

Flavors of Empire is a brilliant narrative that dives into the historical, political, and sociological contexts of Thai America. Padoongpatt goes beyond merely explaining the history of Thai immigration to the U.S and the development of Thai food in the country - he invites the reader to recognize how immigration policies, social marginalization, and the service economy have affected the mainstream view of Thai people in America. This book challenged me to face the reality that many immigrant communities are so often reduced to cuisine and an “exotic other” that can be objectified and consumed. Padoongpatt shows us that we must acknowledge the resiliency, innovation, and above all else, the humanity that goes before the food we eat and enjoy so much.

[Matt Mirmak · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a second generation biracial Thai American ("luk khrueng), this book is one of the most comprehensive histories of how Thai culture and food came to the United States. The stories of Thai immigrants in this book resonated with me because I felt that they told my mom's story of coming to the United States as a "war bride" during the Vietnam War. My dad was an officer and B-52 pilot stationed out of U Tapao AB in Sattahip when he met my mom in 1967 and they are still alive and married to this day. Like the author, I would always get annoyed with people who would say "I love Pad Thai" when I would tell them that I am 1/2 Thai. It is about as ridiculous as me saying to someone from Sweden "I just love putting together unassembled furniture from IKEA." There is so much more to Thai culture than Pad Thai and our really delicious cuisine that Americans do not know about. The author does a very good job of telling our stories and showing how Thai immigrant history is indeed American history.

[Adam · Rating 1 out of 5]

The title is deceiving.
The content does not offer a solid outlook on the history trail, Seems more focused on LA history. It's very impersonal towards the Las Vegas history. Gives a feel like the author has not actually experienced anything within the community itself, but rather basing his finding on second party events. Where are the updates? The book seems to have focused on the early days then everyone fell of the face of the earth with no continued interaction.
Bland
Not recommended.

[Charlie Haviland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really insightful and informative history of Thai America. A worthwhile read for anyone who feels connected to Thailand or Thai food