A White Woman From Oregon Is Getting Called Out For Claiming to ‘Improve’ Congee | Eater Portland

"Launched in 2017 by white Eugene-based acupuncturist and business owner Karen (yes, Karen) Taylor, Breakfast Cure sells pre-packaged packs of flavored rice that customers make into slow-cooker congee. I noted the company marketed its congees as designed to “delight the western palate,” and Taylor’s blog language about “modernizing it for the western pallet… making a congee you can eat and find delicious and that doesn’t seem foreign” prompted viral criticism that the brand had appropriated congee and otherized communities who have eaten it for centuries. Social media users amplified screenshots and called out the culture-centered marketing as the main problem; in response Taylor publicly apologized, substantially edited the website, posted a statement saying the company “fell short of supporting and honoring the Asian American community,” and said it would work to become a better ally for the AAPI community, while declining to speak on-record to Eater Portland." - Brooke Jackson-Glidden