You should learn more about food writing or be a new writer. We spoke with food and travel writer Natasha Ali, the Guest Judge of our Food Writing Competition, to get some tips for young writers.
Here are some tips on how to select an interesting subject and include all the details in your food story.
Through food writing, one can explore anything from culture and history to social justice and the environment. You focus, in particular, on the intersection between food and diaspora or communities that have left their homeland. What advice would you give to young writers on choosing a topic?
Writing about what you’re passionate about is the best way to express yourself. Please also take the time to talk with older people – their stories contain more wisdom than you realize. Ask them to share their stories and capture them on paper or in digital format. Listening to the stories of earlier waves of immigrants in Canada has greatly influenced my storytelling style. They talked about their struggles with integrating into a culture that was often very different from the one they were used to and how these challenges were overcome. These stories made me humble and forced me to question privileges that I had never asked before. We have all experienced hardships as immigrants, both visible and invisible. I found out that many of the struggles I had, which I believed were unique to me, were universal. This included cultures that were very different from mine.
What do you look for in an entry that is going to win? Do you have any tips for our young authors?
Write about little things, even if they don’t seem important at first. Detail is everything, even when writing about food! Show, don’t just tell. As much as possible, gather information about the way a food product or beverage is produced, harvested, processed, and sold, as well as how it’s cooked and consumed in the home or communal settings, such as restaurants and community gatherings. The 5 Ws in journalism are a guide to gathering this information. Asking the questions What, Where and When, Who and Why, as well as How about the food or beverage you want to write about, will help. After you’ve collected this information, you can think of many different ways to tell your story. This is how I find that stories often begin to unfold.
You can also anchor your writing by interviewing someone who can inspire you or serve as your “main character”. Food stories are incomplete without people. They are the ones who transform raw ingredients into delicious dishes and foods.
What is your favourite thing to cook at the moment? What is your favourite thing to eat right now?
In the last eight months, I’ve been travelling across the Philippines in order to document and research regional culinary tourism experiences. This is something I have dreamed of for a long time, and I try to make the best of each day, every experience and conversation I have with people I meet. I have been given the opportunity to see aspects of Filipino culture interpreted by food and shared meals. When I’m alone, I like to make simple omelettes. I use local ingredients and fold them into fluffy eggs that have slightly crisp edges. Fresh seafood is rare in Toronto, so I take advantage of any opportunity to try regional specialities. I love grilled fish and squid, but I will also try anything with coconut milk or “Quintana” – simple and delicious dishes to enjoy the best of the Philippines.
About Guest Judge: Natasha is a writer and tourism professional who was born in Manila, Philippines. She is based in Toronto and writes about food, diaspora, and communities. Natasha received a Food Sustainability Media Award from the Thomson Reuters Foundation in recognition of an article that she wrote about how the climate change crisis has affected a Filipino staple breakfast food. Her work was featured on Canadian Broadcasting Corporation Radio, Toronto Star and The Filipino Channel, Inquirer Lifestyle and Rappler. It also appeared in The New Filipino Kitchen – a San Francisco Chronicle top cookbook for 2018.
