The most substantial obstacle to Chin Foin’s culinary success was not competition but rather intense xenophobia. He strove to raise the standards for Chinese restaurants in Chicago amidst the citywide sentiment that “chop suey places” were an affront to American “morality, health, police regulations and other protective measures”, alongside various anti-Asian restaurant laws. One way he succeeded was by showcasing the open-air kitchen of the Mandarin Inn—his most opulent and famous restaurant yet—to prove to his upper-class clientele that his staff adhered to the strictest hygienic protocols. Read full article here
Science
An Eerie Poisonous Fog
If you’re visiting a farm, keep an eye out for an ominous-looking bronze fog. Nitrogen tetroxide, a red-orange gas, is made by certain bacteria during fermentation when oxygen is lacking in the crop. The lack of oxygen causes the bacteria to use the nitrate within the crops, which then produces nitrogen tetroxide. Inhalation of the gas is known to cause permanent lung damage or kill people and livestock. To prevent this, farmers have started performing nitrate tests after four weeks of fermentation. Read full article here
Merv
November 30, 2022
