2016.037.016 Oral History Interview with Biying Ni 2015/12/04
Ni Biying talks about her experiences growing up in China and her experience with food over the years as she survives the Japanese invasion from an early age and moves to the US to find work during her adulthood. She imparts interesting knowledge about the regional cuisine from Fujian, China (Fujianese food) and gives insight into the types of food eaten from her rural roots in China. She describes food eaten during times of poverty as well as the difficulties she experiences while trying to make a living in New York City, ultimately settling down after being reunited with her children who moved to the US in the mid-1990s.

0:00 - 1936年在中国福建出生,家乡遭日本君袭击,母亲死亡,家居农村且父亲为农民,小时候在农村的伙食(鱼,红薯),农村里孩子很小就劳动,父亲做饭,家里吃得菜,小时候读书经历, 后娘做饭 Born in Fuzhou, China in 1936, her hometown was invaded by the Japanese, mother died, living in rural China with father as farmer, rural diet growing up (fish, sweet potato), children over there started working early, father’s cooking, what they ate at home, going to school, stepmother cooking

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8:52 - 福州菜,过节吃得菜(鱼丸,鱼饺),日本战争导致流离失所,大饥荒时的饮食(地瓜,野菜,等等),父亲做得菜 Fuzhou cuisine, food during the holidays (fish balls, fish dumplings), war w/ Japan causes displacement, diet during the Great Famine (sweet potato, wild veggies, etc.), father’s cooking

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17:12 - 福建家常菜的做法(牛肉糯米饭,煎粽子,等等),端午节吃得菜,1981年迁至美国的加州,在加州八年后搬至纽约,在纽约打工(保姆),做保姆时给雇主做的菜,学会做广东菜 Fujianese home cooking methods (beef and sticky rice, fried zongzi, etc.), food during the Dragon Boat Festival, moving to California in the US in 1981, moved to new York after 8 years in California, working in New York (nanny), cooking for her employers as nanny, learning Cantonese cooking

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25:50 - 美国厨房和中国厨房的区别,在美国学会做的菜,带孩子来到美国,儿子女儿来后的生活,在纽约的家中做福州菜,纽约做菜的配料 Differences between an American and Chinese kitchens, dishes she learned to cook in the US, bring her children to the US, life after her son and daughter came, cooking Fujianese cuisine at home in New York, ingredients for cooking in New York

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33:19 - 刚来美国时对纽约唐人街的印象,纽约的海鲜与家乡的海鲜,在美国吃得中餐,福建菜(甜酸肉,荔枝肉),姐夫做得菜 First impression of New York’s Chinatown, New York’s seafood vs. seafood of her hometown, Chinese food in the US, Fujianese food (sweet and spicy meat, lychee meat), food cooked by her brother-in-law

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42:06 - 给家人朋友做菜,歌舞团里跳舞唱歌,在纽约的朋友,在纽约吃的中餐厅,吃过的西餐,主要在家里做饭 Cooking for family and friends, dancing and singing in a Song and Dance Ensemble, friends in New York, eating Chinese food in New York, Western food she’s eaten, mainly cooks at home.

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50:20 - 回中国探望,福州的变化,家中吃饭与在外面吃饭的不同, 喜欢在家里吃的原因 Going back to visit China, Fuzhou’s changes, food eaten at home is different from food when eating out, reasons she likes eating at home

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52:20 - 福州春卷,拿手菜,在哪里学做菜,不同的菜,红糟 Fuzhou’s spring rolls, signature dish, where she learned to cook, different dishes, red vinasse

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60:19 - 如何用白丸子做菜 How to use Fujianese dried rice pearls in cooking

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