neighborhood, which was first settled by
Jewish and Middle Eastern immigrants
who established a garment trade and
tanneries. In the late 19th century the
neighborhood morphed when hundreds
of Chinese immigrants were brought in
from the West Coast to break a manufacturing strike. Today, the four or five
blocks that were originally waterfront
property (Beach Street, one of the main
streets, was indeed along the beach prior
to landfill) are predominately Asian, with
residents from China, Thailand, Vietnam,
Malaysia and Japan operating thriving
businesses—mostly food related.
Ng stops first at what appears to be
a small grocery store. Inside, it unfolds
into a large market burgeoning with
fresh produce, canned goods, noodles,
spices and jarred sauces that to a Western eye are indecipherable. Ng guides
eager culinarians up and down the aisles,
explaining each noodle (fresh and dried)
and how it is used, as well as the differences in the hundreds of shelved sauces
and the intriguing vegetables piled high,
row after row. She passes around bites
of chives, greens, roots and fruits for the
group to taste for a better understanding
of the subtle differences between the
offerings of Asian and Western markets.
A quick stop inside a medicinal herb
shop offers a glimpse into a bustling and
aromatic world of ancient homeopathic
remedies, where trained herbalists dole
out doses of dried barks, roots, fungi
and herbs made into tinctures and teas.
Ng points out a vendor in a red van who
parks in the same spot every day, selling
fresh shrimp to local restaurants, and
a tailor who can fix broken zippers and
re-create designer fashions.
The final stop is the China Pearl restaurant for a dim sum meal, which makes
good use of most of the ingredients
shown during the tour, including fried
rice, noodle lo mein, open-faced shumai
dumplings and sautéed garlicky greens.
Boston University Seminar in the Culinary
Arts; ; 617-353-9852; bu.edu/foodandwine.
Providence
As a cooking instructor at Johnson &
Wales, Providence’s highly acclaimed
culinary school, pastry chef Cindy Salvato
often brought her students to the city’s
great Italian neighborhood, Federal Hill,
for hands-on market tours. (In case there
is any confusion about the neighborhood’s Italian color, the lane divider on
