Meet Ming-Cheau Lin
Ming-Cheau Lin is a Copywriter and Food Writer living in Cape Town. She does quite a bit of discussion on decolonisation, cultural appropriation, media representation and food on Twitter.
"Embrace all parts that make you unique and remember your roots. Always try better yourself, be thankful for the privilege we have and don't be afraid of your voice."
Read more about why Ming-Cheau is proud to be Chinese and proud to be South African.
Image here by Ilana Sharlin Stone of Finding Umami
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Name: Ming-Cheau Lin (also known in my youth as Sandy)
Occupation: Copywriter and Food Writer
1. Where were you born?
Tainan, Taiwan in 1988, immigrated to SA in 1991.
2. What school/college/university did you attend?
Eunice Girls School in Bloemfontein class 2006, Vega the Brand Communications School in Cape Town, completed in 2009 and Chez Gourmet for Patisserie through IHESA in 2010.
3. What is your fondest childhood memory, growing up as a Chinese child?
Food, as an immigrant family in the early 90s we had so few local Taiwanese and Chinese restaurants that home cooking created the most vivid memories. One of my favourites is sitting in front of the TV, watching Journey to the West while folding dumplings with the my family. Being of a different culture to the norms of our surroundings is not the easiest experience and that's when you lean back on familiarity and comfort of your family and your community.
4. What is your favourite Chinese food?
This is a hard one. My papa's Sacha Lamb with Chinese Spinach and rice.
5. Where do you live?
Cape Town
6. What work do you do?
I freelance as a copywriter. I also blog about Taiwanese and Chinese food with recipes, using seasonal and locally available ingredients. I share stories on Taiwanese food, embracing ethnicity and cultural appropriation. Now, I'm working towards a food stories and recipes book, to be published in May 2018 with Quivertree Publishing. I believe, the first of its kind in South Africa.
7. What do you love about your job?
That I continuously learn about food and how to communicate effectively. I also meet many interesting people through food media and advertising. My cultural appropriation work isn't big but it's meaningful allowing me to learn and unlearn as I go along. There are so many individuals I admire that are working towards a better South African society and I want to play a part in its ongoing transformation.
8. What is your proudest achievement?
Being approached for a book contract, I thought this would only happen when I'm around 50.
9. Why are you proud to be South African?
South Africa is such a diverse country with a beautifully multicultural society, a space that's still developing.
10. Why are you proud to be Chinese?
It's an ancient culture with such a rich history and promotes peace and balance as a way of living. And I love our food variety.
11. Name one Chinese tradition that you’d like future generations to continue with?
Chinese New Year and all the food that goes with it.
12. What advice would you give to the Chinese youth today in South Africa?
Embrace all parts that make you unique and remember your roots. Always try better yourself, be thankful for the privilege we have and don't be afraid of your voice.
Want to contact Ming-Cheau Lin?
Visit Ming-Cheau's food blog www.butterfingers.co.za, or find her on Instagram/Twitter @mingcheau. She does quite a bit of discussion on decolonisation, cultural appropriation, media representation and food on Twitter.
