In traditional Chinese culture, the kitchen is often intertwined with women’s identities. For those who migrate across borders, food becomes not only a means of survival but also a vessel for memory, culture, and belonging. Through questions such as Why do I cook? and For whom do I cook?, the event invited Chinese women living in Italy to reflect on how gendered roles in the kitchen are continued or reshaped in migrant life, and how cooking becomes a medium for identity, emotion, and self-expression.

Participants watched A Taste of Belonging, a documentary short by filmmaker Lola Lee, followed by a co-creative food design workshop exploring women’s migration experiences through culinary practice. Attendees brought kitchen objects and foods to share, while I prepared plant-based ingredients to collectively create our “migrant women’s table.” The evening concluded with an online conversation with the director, Lola, discussing food, migration, and storytelling.

Photo by Guowei
2025