talk food

What is a minority language?

A minority language is a language that is spoken by the

minority population in a geographic area or location.
An area may have several minority languages, depend-
ing on the constitution or makeup of the population.

How many minority languages are there in the world?

There are maybe 6,000 or 7,000 languages spoken in

the world and it is estimated that in a century at least
a half of them will have died out. With about 2,300
languages spoken in Asia, it still maintains its linguistic
diversity today. In China alone, 81 different languages
are spoken, 55 of them are spoken by national minori-
ties daily.
In Europe at the moment 79 indigenous regional and
minority languages, spoken by in total 203 national mi-
norities or linguistic groups, have been acknowledged
in the European Charter of Regional and Minority Lan-
guages.

Why do languages die out?

People who speak minority languages often have to

learn the majority language in order to function in
their society. Because most minority languages are not
officially recognized; as such, they cannot be used to
communicate with the larger population. And this is
due to the fact that there is some stronger language
that is spoken in the same area and whose speakers
have the political prestige and the power to decide
what should be spoken. Processes like urbanisation and
migration are also a threat for traditional ways of life
which, at least in the past, used to go hand in hand with
linguistic diversity.

What is the point in safeguarding languages?

When a language is dying out, a whole world of tradi-

tions and concepts and ways of seeing the world dies
with it. Languages are the immaterial richness of man-
kind. And languages are important for the speakers. It’s
a human right for a person to speak, and transfer to the
next generation, their own language.

Is the internet driving out minority languages?

The internet is an extremely important way of sup-

porting the revitalisation of minority languages. New
technology makes it possible for speakers of minority
languages who live in diaspora, or live scattered over
a vast geographical area, to communicate regardless
limitations of space or time.
But one problem is that many minority languages have
not been standardised, so the algorithms don’t even
recognise the materials that have been written in a
particular language and are available online - simply
because people write it in different ways.
Then of course there are no interfaces (such as web
browsers) available in many minority languages.

How do you preserve a language?

This has to do with family decisions in passing down

a minority language to children. Parents play a crucial
role in this decision, as it is connected to their own
identity. Leaving the language choice solely to the child
is seen as the worst possible decision since they cannot
decide if they have never been exposed to the minority
language.
Furthermore, merely hearing the language at home is
insufficient; children also require language education
in kindergartens and schools, ideally delivered in the
minority language. Additionally, it is important for the
minority language to have a practical purpose beyond
family networks, such as being used in religious com-
munities or within mainstream media in the dominant
language.
Teochew/ Chaozhou
潮州話/潮汕話/潮語

Chinese is the most widely spoken language in the

world. Chinese characters are more than 3,000 years
old and Chinese is one of the most complex written
languages in the world. However, the spoken language
has one major thing in common with many other mod-
ern languages – the dialects. Mandarin is the language
spoken in the region in and around Beijing, and most
Asians speak this form of Chinese. There are nine other
dialects such as Min, Yue or Wu in the Chinese lan-
guage.

Southern Min languages, including Teochew, are spo-

ken by approximately 50 million people worldwide,
with most being native speakers. The exact number of
Teochew speakers is difficult to determine, but it was
estimated to be over 4 million in mainland China and
around 2 million in Southeast Asia during the 1950s. To-
day, the number of Teochew speakers is likely between
5 and 10 million, similar to languages like Swedish and
modern Greek.

While Southern Min languages are generally consid-

ered “vigorous” in terms of language vitality, with Teo-
chew being actively used across generations in China,
there is more concern regarding its status in diaspora
communities. Factors contributing to this include lan-
guage and educational policies in host countries, where
the national language is prioritized, leading to the sup-
pression of Teochew. Additionally, language evolution
and change occur, with speakers incorporating foreign
vocabulary and experiencing phonological shifts.
Standardization of pronunciation and orthography is
also lacking, even within the Teochew homeland.

Today, there are large communities of Teochew people

in Thailand, Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia, and in
other Southeast Asian countries, as well as in the West
from secondary migration.
Where do Ethnic Teochew people live today?
Chaoshan map

China

Chaoshan

Taiwan
Hong Kong

Thailand
Vietnam
Cambodia Philippines

Singapore
Teochew culture is closely tied to the language of
the Teochew people. Teochew opera is probably the
best known art form that uses the Teochew language.
There is also a tradition of folk rhymes and songs
that were orally transmitted, usually through women,
some of which were recorded in song books.
The coastal environment is also a big part of Teo-
chew life. Many Teochew people are devotees of
the goddess Māzǔ (媽祖, T: Ma2(6)zou2), whom they
believe protects people at sea. Fishing is an impor-
tant economic activity, and seafood is important to
Teochew cuisine, in condiments such as dried shrimp
and in dishes like steamed fish. Teochews have also
developed an elaborate ritual around drinking tea,
known as gōngfū chá (功夫茶, T: gang1hu1 dê5).
Traditionally Teochew people do not consider a
meal without seafood a proper meal, believing that
freshness and quality of ingredients determining the
taste and flavor. Poaching, braising, and steaming are
common techniques, mild flavors and minimal use of
food oil are common traits of the cuisine
A popular condiment is shacha sauce (沙茶酱), a
paste made from soybean oil, garlic, chili, dried
shrimp, and fish sauce. It is commonly used in beef
and Chaozhou hotpot.
Another common dish “Lau” is a dark soya-based
sauce cooked with pork, tofu and eggs stewed in a
mixture of anise, rock sugar, five spices, licorice, and
cinnamon. Derivative dishes using this basic soya
base sauce are often cooked with Duck, chicken,
and Goose as well. is a very popular dish among the
Chaozhou people
Teochew oyster omelet is another popular dish
found in night markets where Teochew people can
be found. Though it varies by region, in general
the omelet with oysters, starch, green onions and
Cilantro that have been fried with pork lard, giving it
a crispy texture and some sticky texture.
 From Dumplings to Sriracha: The
(In)Visibility of Teochew Food and
Culture
By Christine Tran
May 19, 2021

If you’re familiar with Sriracha, you know have survived generations of displace-
something with Teochew roots. The fa- ment. But migration, distinctive cuisine
mous rooster brand chili sauce by Huy and intergenerational storytelling have
Fong Foods was developed by David kept our culture alive for generations.
Tran, a Vietnamese refugee of Teochew
descent. From Ancestral Home to Global Dias-
Before he left Vietnam in 1978 around pora
the age of 33, Tran made his own hot For Teochew people, diaspora fully de-
sauce, a common practice for many scribes our generational and geograph-
households. During the war, he served ical scatter. The origin story of our people
as a major in the South Vietnamese army. is a complex and challenging one. Our
But in 1978, he fled communist Vietnam ancestral roots can be traced to the Yel-
with over 3,000 other refugees on a Tai- low River Valley in the Central Plains of
wanese-owned freighter, which eventual- China. Due to civil wars during the Jin
ly inspire the name of his company, Huy dynasty (265 to 420 A.D.), our people
Fong. Tran arrived in the United States in fled and eventually migrated through
1979, and while looking for a job, he con- the mountains of Fujian toward a coast-
tinued to tinker with his hot sauce recipe al region of Guangdong, China, called
and eventually began selling it. Today, Teoswa (or Chaoshan in Mandarin). This
the sauce is world famous. Although hot region is considered the Teochew home-
sauce isn’t uniquely Teochew in origin, land. But despite having a place to call
what is remarkably Teochew is Tran’s jour- home, over time, more displacement and
ney — cultural survival through food is a migration occurred as more local con-
recurring theme for our people. flicts arose.
Despite an estimated global popula- Teochew people have been pushed
tion of 25 million, Teochew — sometimes and pulled to the corners of the world.
spelled Chiu Chow or Chaozhou — peo- Today, it’s estimated that half of all Teo-
ple are invisible to much of the world. chew people live outside of China across
Across many generations, our people countless countries with significant pres-
have migrated and adapted. Even my ences in Southeast Asia. As our people
own identity as Vietnamese and Teochew migrate, cultural exchange is key to sur-
stems from my grandparents’ ability to viving and thriving. “Teochew people,
adapt to Vietnamese culture. The Teo- for some reason, speak every language,”
chew language is one of over 2,000 Asian says Benjamin Tran, a policy advocate
languages, yet this  diversity  is not well- in Sacramento, California. “My parents
known because there are more dominant speak Mandarin, Cantonese, Vietnamese
cultural categories and labels like Cam- and a bit English on top of Teochew.” Tran
bodian, Chinese or Taiwanese. Although believes the Teochew’s diasporic nature
Teochew people may seem large in num- allows us to claim many identities, includ-
ber, the price of becoming a globalized ing Cambodian, Vietnamese and Malay-
people is heavy and was rarely, if ever, by sian, to name a few.
choice. From local to global conflicts, we In the last half century, by way of South-
east Asia, refugees of Teochew descent We say, “Gaginang,” meaning, “We are
arrived to North America, Europe and one.” Promptly followed by, “Have you
Australia as the direct consequence of eaten yet?” Our food, like our people, has
the Vietnam War and the Khmer Rouge adapted to the cultures around us with lo-
genocide. The latter was the systematic cal ingredients and techniques. We have
persecution and killing of Cambodians interpreted and blended cultures to cre-
under the Pol Pot dictatorship where up- ate unique and popular dishes enjoyed
ward to 2 million people were killed from by many worldwide.
1975 to 1979. Those who were ethnically
Chinese Cambodians, like Teochew peo- Adaptive Teochew Cuisine
ple, were specifically targeted. There is a reason why the first season
These geopolitical movements have of Netflix’s “Flavorful Origins” (2019) is
influenced how we see ourselves. “I’m focused on Teochew cuisine. The Teoswa
Teochew Cambodian and was raised by (Chaoshan) region is known for its gas-
my maternal grandmother,” says Julie Lai, tronomy, which is characterized by fla-
who speaks Teochew and Khmer (Cam- vorfully balanced and vibrant dishes, free
bodian). “Growing up, I felt like I had an of heavy seasoning. Teochew cooking
identity crisis. Being Teochew, I felt invis- methods include poaching, steaming,
ible. Besides my cousins, I didn’t know braising and stir-frying. Since Teoswa sits
anyone else like me.” In fact, while going in a coastal region, seafood is a popular
to school in Central Alberta, Canada, Lai hero in a number of dishes. There are
was placed into bilingual Mandarin and well-known Teochew dishes and food
English classes. Yet, most of her peers items that many people may not know
spoke Cantonese. This is a common situa- originate from our people. A few dish-
tion in educational systems not equipped es include  gue diao  (Teochew noodle
to meet the cultural and linguistic needs soup), hiam jio iu (Teochew chili oil), hung
of students. gue  (Teochew dumplings),  ghu bhah
Like many displaced peoples who ex- in (Teochew beef meatballs) and gue (Te-
perience psychological trauma, Teochew ochew snacks).
people struggle with understanding our Gue diao, a rice noodle dish, is pre-
identities. Sometimes the past is hard to pared with a light, clear pork bone broth
talk about, or simply there are more dom- with minced meat and shrimp. This popu-
inant languages. Worldwide, Teochew lar combination originated from Cambo-
people have very diverse identity expe- dian-Vietnamese Teochew people. In Vi-
riences. Some are born knowing their Te- etnamese, it’s spelled Hủ tiếu Nam Vang,
ochew culture, while others, like me, dis- named after the Vietnamese name for
cover it over time. “I was raised Teochew Cambodia’s capital, Phnom Penh (Nam
and so were my cousins in America,” says Vang). It’s also named for its Teochew
G.C., an engineer from New York City. long-grain rice flour noodles, called kway
“But my cousins in Germany identify as teow in Khmer and hủ tiếu in Vietnamese.
Vietnamese and don’t know the Teochew Since the noodles are not made of glu-
language.” tinous rice flour, this difference gives the
Despite identity challenges, wonder- noodles a translucent look with a chewy,
ful new cultures have emerged, particu- springy bite to them.
larly through food as Teochew people Hiam jio iu  is Teochew chili oil, often
migrate to other countries and learn new labeled as such on glass jars, and is a sta-
cuisines. Regardless of where we are in ple pantry item available in most Asian
the world, Teochew people have a spe- markets under popular brands like Lee
cial greeting when we see each other. Kum Kee. This chili oil packs a punch with
umami depth and layered heat. Many en- As our culture is being passed down
joy this chili oil on dumplings, vegetables, from generation to generation, Teochew
noodles or rice. In the jar, you’ll notice cuisine is our generational wealth. If our
dark pieces of chili and garlic sink and food endures, then it should also be ac-
separate from the reddish-golden hues companied by written and visual narra-
of the floating oil. This chili oil is believed tives, as well as our spoken ancestral lan-
to be inspired by food fusions between guage. Inclusive narratives keep cultures
the Cantonese and Teochew peoples in alive.
the Guangdong province. That’s why it’s so important for Teo-
Hung gue, Teochew dumplings, are chew people to tell our stories as much
another Cantonese-Teochew hybrid. as for non-Teochew people to experi-
Known as fun guo in Cantonese, they are ence them. Diana Zheng didn’t set out to
translucent tapioca-based dumplings be a Teochew cookbook writer or histo-
with textured fillings of minced pork, rian, but she has written one of the very
shrimp, peanuts, chives, garlic and water few existing English-language Teochew
chestnut. Amid bustling dim sum scenes, cookbooks called “Jia! The Food of Swa-
these dumplings can be found with their tow and the Teochew Diaspora.” “There
popular cuisine cousins, har gow and siu is not a singular Teochew experience be-
mai. cause we’re such a global people,” Zheng
Ghu bhah in, Teochew beef meat- tells me. “It gets confusing because there
balls, can be found in a number of Asian is no clean narrative of how we made our
hot pot spots or in bowls of Vietnamese way across the globe.” That’s why Teo-
phở. They are made by pounding meat, chew authors and creatives like Zheng
which stretches the protein strands. Piec- are so critical. As storytellers, they are
es of tendon are later added to provide documenting our existence through his-
a chewy texture. And after rolling out the tory and cuisine.
meatballs and applying some heat, they Knowledge of Teochew culture isn’t
are soup-ready. A similar process is used just important to our people, but to all
for Japanese surimi, a seafood product people because cultural preservation is
commonly marketed as imitation crab. interconnected. If you are reading this
Although a broad term, gue are bite- and you’re not Teochew, you might be
sized snacking morsels and can be sweet learning about an entire population for
or savory. Popularly known as  kueh  in the first time. If you are Teochew, hopeful-
Singapore and Malaysia, they usually ly reading this resonates with you in a way
consist of rice flour or tapioca starches. that helps carry on our culture. Preserving
Due to the global migration of Teochew culture is our collective responsibility,
people and regional differences, gue has and it can be a delicious journey.
been adapted over time to include local-
ly available ingredients. For instance, the
migration of Teochew people from China
to Southeast Asia has resulted in coconut
and pandan as gue flavors.

Sharing Stories, Preserving Culture

With the cost of geographic displace-
ment, the legacy of our culture survives
through our food. The global migration
of our people has split families and sev-
ered connections to our ancestral roots.
 General Food Vocabs
eatjiah8
drink
jiah8

食 食

hungry
dou2 kung3
cookjeu6
i’m full
ua2 ba2 ou3

肚餓 煮 我飽了

breakfast
ja6 chang1/ja6 beung7
lunch
dong1 ngou6 chang1/yik4 dao2 beung7
dinner
men7 chang1/men7 beung7

早餐/早飯 中午餐/日晝飯 暝餐/暝飯

蠔烙
Oyster Pancake

Serves 04
baby oysters 190g
potato starch 76g
chicken egg 1
duck egg 1
spring onion 1 stalk
coriander 1 sprig

White pepper powder, fish

sauce and chicken sauce to
taste

recipe shared by Michelin Plate restaurant

Pak Loh Chiu Chow in Hong Kong.

* [Link]
ing-in/recipe_chiu_chow_oyster_omelette
1. Rinse the baby oysters. Put them in a strainer and reserve. 2. Finely chop the
spring onion and coriander. 3. Mix the baby oysters, fish sauce, chicken sauce,
white pepper powder, spring onion and coriander evenly. 4. Add potato starch
and combine. 5. Heat a greased pan and wait for a moment. Pour in the batter
and shape it into a flat pancake. 6. When the pancake is 70% to 80% cooked,
beat the eggs together and pour the mixture on the outer rim of the pancake. 7.
Keep frying the pancake until it is fully cooked.
普寧豆腐
CHIU CHOW
FRIED TOFU
Ingredients:
普寧豆腐 Puning tofu or Firm tofu
韭菜 3棵 Garlic chives
鹽1茶匙 Salt
凍滾水半碗 Water

Cut the tofu into several triangular pieces. Place the tofu
pieces on a kitchen towel to absorb some of the moisture
and set aside. In the meantime, cut the green part of gar-
lic chives into small pieces and place the pieces in a small
bowl. Then add salt and hot water to the bowl to make
the dip. Fry the tofu over high heat for 2-3 minutes, only
turning them over once they start to puff up. They are
ready once all sides assume a golder brown color.
DEEP FRIED TARO
TOSSED WITH
SUGAR 反沙芋
Ingredients: Wash and peel the taro, then re-
move the smooth edges and cut
it into strips.
Fry the taro over medium-low
heat until slightly golden in
芋頭 1/2 (~600g) Taro color, crispy on the outside and
soft on the inside. Set aside.
(Frying in scallion/shallot-in-
水 80g Water
fused oil is reccomended for bet-
ter flavor and fragrance.)
砂糖 100g Sugar Chop the spring onions into
small pieces and set aside.
蔥 少許 Green onion Mix sugar with water, and cook
until thickened without caramel-
ization.
Add the spring onions and taro,
then immediately turn off the
heat. Stir-fry continuously until
the mixture turns white and
sandy. It is now ready.
Thank you for
reading!
by Renee Choy
May 2023