ASIA324 Literature of Hong Kong – Creative Project
Shrimp and Egg, Tofu Soup, and Bubble Waffle: A Creative Response to Hon Lai Chu’s “Notes on an Epidemic”
By Mazin Ahmed, Aidan Chan, Gillian Lai, Kevin Yu, and Justin Wang
“Hon Lai Chu’s ‘Notes on an Epidemic’ is an ode to Hong Kong’s experience during SARS in 2003. […] Using Hon’s mention of Tofu Soup and Shrimp and Egg, and playing on the importance of family roles, we designed three recipe sheets and added details as if the recipes had been plucked from the story and brought to life. The designs of each recipe point to how food is used to convey the absurdity of this new life. Take-out menus play on the theme of isolation, as it is often eaten at home. This idea of isolation is subverted by the government by placing a recipe on the takeout menu and asking that the dish only be eaten with family. Likewise, printing a recipe onto everyday items, such as a bubble waffle wrapper, as a handout, presents an opportunity to take the recipe home for the family to participate in familial activities such as cooking together for the family to share.” — Project Rationale