Breakfast Cure
Permanently Closed
Gourmet slow-cooker congee meals organic gluten-free flavors
Gourmet slow-cooker congee meals organic gluten-free flavors
"Referred to as another venue implicated in racially charged incidents, used to illustrate recurring problems around discriminatory conduct in the industry." - Adam Coghlan
"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
"A small business that sold $15 prepackaged congee kits sparked national backlash after a viral tweet exposed racist, orientalist marketing from its white founder, who self-styled herself the “Congee Queen.” The company posted — then hastily edited — an essay originally titled “How I discovered the miracle of congee and improved it” (the original title still appears in the page metadata), and the founder issued an apology. Asians and allies pushed back on social media, sharing personal testimonies, mocking the brand’s so-called “white lady” ingredients (blueberries, apples, cinnamon) and posting TikTok videos of themselves struggling with the product; many critics argued the problem wasn’t novelty of ingredients — which do appear in some modern Chinese congee recipes and restaurant menus — but the disrespectful framing that claimed Westernized versions were superior. Coverage that flattened the story into a gatekeeping dispute missed the deeper issue: appropriation that links Westernization and whiteness with sophistication, erases the playful and inventive aspects of Chinese food culture, and lets rounds of outrage and insincere contrition become clickbait and profit." - Frankie Huang
Karen Van H.
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