Envisioning What Irish Food Could Be: Victory Nwabu-Ekeoma of Bia! Zine
Victory Nwabu-Ekeoma is the founding editor of Bia! Zine, a magazine that celebrates the voices, food, and stories of immigrant communities in Ireland. Unlike most other food-related publications, Bia! doesn’t concern itself with the hottest new chefs or trends in food and restaurants. Rather, the zine is a place to highlight and share the stories behind food—ones which emphasize how immigrants live their identity, cultural heritage, and celebrate in their new homes through the medium of food. Even the title is multicultural, reflecting the zine’s community-oriented focus: the word bia in Irish means “food”; in Igbo, bia means “come”.
On this week’s episode, we talk to Victory about how food stories can highlight the immigrant experience beyond the “lunchbox” cliché; the limitations of using food as a way to bring people together; whether defining “Irish food” is a useful practice; and how young people are using food as a way to express pride in themselves and where they come from.
Dyed Green is a project of Bog & Thunder, whose mission is to highlight the best of Irish food and culture, through food tours, events, and media. Find out more at www.bogandthunder.com.
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