A Taste of China Ep. 1: A Bowl of Noodles and the Secrets of Yunnan
Join us as we unveil the Secrets of Yunnan, one of China’s most diverse regions, to explore the unique flavors of China’s s southwestern borderlands.
Follow our onsite guide, Frank Shan, to Dali to observe the local tradition of hand pulled noodles, and talk food and culture with cookbook author Georgia Freedman, journalist and author David Eimer, and Yunnan native Mei Zhang, founder of WildChina. This event is co-hosted with the China Institute.
SPEAKERS:
David Eimer
David Eimer is the author of the critically acclaimed The Emperor Far Away: Travels at the Edge of China (Bloomsbury 2014) and A Savage Dreamland: Journeys in Burma (Bloomsbury, 2019). A former foreign correspondent for the Sunday and Daily Telegraph in Beijing and Bangkok, he has written for many newspapers including the Sunday Times, Times, Guardian, Independent, Australian and the South China Morning Post.
Georgia Freedman
Georgia Freedman is the author of Cooking South of the Clouds: Recipes and Stories from China’s Yunnan Province (Kyle Books, 2018). A freelance journalist and editor, her writing has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, Afar, Martha Stewart Living, Rodale’s Organic Life, Roads and Kingdoms, and other food and travel publications including Saveur magazine, where she was previously the managing editor.
Georgia has been traveling to China to learn about the country’s food and culture since 2000, and she lived in Yunnan Province for two years. She returns to Yunnan regularly with her husband, Josh Wand, and their young daughter, and she shares stories about their travels at ChinaSouthoftheClouds.com.
Brought to you by WildChina & China Institute
Hosts
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Dorinda ElliottDirector of Programs and Center for Business at the China InstituteDorinda Elliott is the SVP, Director of Programs and Center for Business at the China Institute. Before joining China Institute, Elliott worked as editorial and communications director at the Paulson Institute, which promotes U.S.-China relations and sustainable growth in both countries.
Elliott worked as a journalist for some 30 years, with a deep background in China. She wrote for the BusinessWeek magazine, then served as Beijing bureau chief for Newsweek magazine. Elliott later lived in Hong Kong for a decade, traveling and reporting across China. Elliott was Newsweek Bureau Chief in Beijing, Moscow, and Hong Kong, then Asia Editor. As Editor-in-Chief of Asiaweek from 2000-2001, she relaunched the magazine with a new focus on China and business. Elliott was later an Assistant Managing Editor at Time magazine, then Global Affairs Editor at Condé Nast Traveler, where she wrote about China, global issues, and corporate social responsibility. Elliott graduated from Harvard University with a B.A. in East Asian Studies.
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Mei ZhangFounder and CEO of WildChinaMei Zhang is the founder and CEO of WildChina. Under her leadership, WildChina flourished from a small Hutong operation into an award-winning business. Mei’s own expertise has led her to win a number of personal awards, including Travel and Leisure’s A-List of Top Travel Advisors, Condé Nast Traveler’s Top Travel Specialist, and Wendy Perrin’s #WOW List of Travel Experts. Mei is an Aspen Institute China Fellow and currently serves as a member of Harvard Business School’s Alumni Board.