Friday, October 13, 2017

IluminAsia: Beyond egg rolls and sushi - a fesitival of Asian art, food and cultures this weekend


IF YOU'RE in the Washington D.C. area this weekend and you're tired of all the fast food outlets and nondescript food franchises, you should drop by the Washington Mall to get a taste of Asia.

"It's really important that we broaden the definition [of Asia]," says Simone Jacobson, food curator of the Smithsonian Institution's IlluminAsia festival. "All these different regions show the great diversity in Asian food, so it's really 'cultures,' in plural."

She's asking us to think outside of the box of the east Asian, south Asian and southeast Asian cuisines that American foodies are familiar with - beyond egg rolls and sushi.

Asia is the Earth's largest continent, extending from the Pacific Ocean to the Indian Ocean and from the Suez Peninsula to the Ural Mountains to the Black Sea. With 48 sovereign states, including Armenia, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan and Sri Lanka, plus six states not recognized by the United Nations, such as Northern Cyprus and Taiwan, the region is far more vast than many Americans might realize.

Even for Jacobson, whose mother is Burmese, there was a learning curve. "I'd never even heard of Uighur cuisine," she admits.

The food offerings are part of IluminAsia, an event organized by the folks from the Smithsonian Folklife Festival to mark the reopening of the Freer/Sackler museums. 

Following a nearly two-year renovation of the Smithsonian's Asian art museums — the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery and the Freer Gallery of Art — director Julian Raby wanted to highlight the culture of food in the grand reopening event.


lluminAsia: A Festival of Asian Art, Food, and Cultures


Saturday, October 14, 5 pm–12 am
Sunday, October 15, 11 am–5 pm

Museums will be open 6 pm - 12 am on Saturday, October 14 and 10 am-5:30 pm on Sunday, October 15

Freer|Sackler, National Mall, and Haupt Garden | Free and open to the public

A festival of Asian art, food, and cultures to celebrate the grand reopening of the Freer|Sackler. The IlluminAsia festival will transform the museums’ grounds with an Asian food market, interactive cooking and art demonstrations, live music by members of the Silkroad Ensemble, and creations by local and international artists. Inside, visitors can experience the reimagined galleries and innovative exhibitions, as well as performances, conversations, and other immersive activities.



IlluminAsia kicks off on Saturday, October 14, with a night market featuring food and art and a stunning animated projection on the Freer Gallery façade. On Sunday, October 15, the food market will continue alongside cultural programming for all ages throughout the museums and outdoor gardens.

IlluminAsia is cop resented with the Smithsonian Folklife Festival.


Registration: No tickets are required – just show up. This event is open to the public and all are welcome including children, families and groups.
Weather: The event is both indoors and outdoors and will take place rain or shine. If it’s on the calendar, then we’re proceeding as scheduled.
Metro Station: Smithsonian
Parking: There is parking throughout the area.
Stroll through an open-air food market to discover new and familiar culinary treasures. Created locally and inspired by Asian and Middle Eastern recipes, each delicious bite will transport visitors to destinations around the world. Come hungry to experience a wide variety of fragrant spices and handcrafted eats, and peek inside the kitchen during exclusive food talks and demonstrations.
Representing diverse traditions, DC-based chefs will each bring something special to share and taste. These food vendors will offer small, curated menus that tell a story about how their families have cooked and eaten for generations. In this lively atmosphere, IlluminAsia food stalls pay homage to bustling street markets worldwide.


Besides the culinary adventure, there will be live performances, demonstrations and tours of the renovated museums.

For a more complete schedule of all the activities, click here. Did I mention that the exhibits, entertainment and demonstrations are all free? Food needs to be purchased though.
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