A Hmong Family Feast with Chef Yia Vang | On the Road

Travel alongside Cook's Country's Editorial Director Bryan Roof as he explores the communities and cuisines that make up the great American dinner table. In this episode, he visits Union Hmong Kitchen in Minneapolis.
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[@abeyromero8250]

How can you not love when people are proud of their own culture and are willing to share with others. That is just so beautiful. Lucky man.

[@heidid5275]

I have a Hmong nephew, (my nieces better half). He makes the most unbelievable foods I have ever tasted. His egg rolls are to die for! I love Hmong food. I wish I could have it more often.

[@danibee]

Hmong egg rolls are the best I have ever had. No other egg rolls even come close. I went to school with several Hmong classmates, and we would have annual multicultural festivals at our high school. Families of the students would cook a ton of their cultural foods and bring them to the festival for everyone to eat. It was a paid ticketed event (as a way to repay the families for the food cost). Our school was very diverse. We had Hmong, Brazilian, Venezuelan, Colombian, Japanese, and Mexican students to name a few. We also had Hmong dance, and Mexican dance student clubs who would perform routines in cultural dress for this event. It was such an incredible experience.

[@jonslg240]

This video doesn't have near enough views and likes for how amazing it is. I wish they did an entire series like this. Restaurant first, then a home cooked feast that that culture/family considered the best dishes. This is truly an amazing video.

[@asnsnsation]

@@danibeeyou need to try more then. That is not even their native food in laos, only discovered as refugees in thailand or at vietnamese restaurants in america in the 1980s

[@ProGoHERO]

Just marry one then you’ll get more food lol

[@danibee]

@@ProGoHERO lol I am already married. He's as white as you can get. 😂😂 My husband is wonderful.

[@marijkeschellenbach2680]

Not only is their food so incredibly delicious, but their needle work is absolutely exquisite! I am very fortunate to have a few pieces of their intricate hand work. I love these people.

[@gracehsiung6298]

Love his dad’s prayer! Amen!

[@Hyper88]

These are such beautiful segments, love to have more of these

[@jfitch25]

What an incredible experience. Thank you for taking the time to highlight the cuisine of less known immigrant groups.

[@DottieNPeace]

I worked with Lao Hmong people at Lao Family Community in Santa Ana, CA in about 1980-82. There were frequent Baci's (a couple with General Vang Pao in attendance) and I loved the food. The hot sauce was frequently beyond any hot that I had ever tasted! This was my introduction to Vietnamese food and Thai food at that time as well. So grateful for the many wonderful memories of the Hmong people I worked for and with.

[@robineggblue6999]

How lovely. 😌 Nice to get a glimpse of the family behind the food, and inspiring from a cooking perspective. 💓💓💓🥬🍗

[@rickloginname]

That looks so awesome. Reason 54 we need to continue welcome immigrants.

[@lifuranph.d.9440]

The Hmong earned their place in America.

[@n.listeeb1955]

America is our reward. we don't rest on our laurels as we continue to build up this great nation. God sent us here legally nearly 50 years ago. How many American Generations are you?

[@SE013]

@@lifuranph.d.9440 Yes, and the idea is that we have to welcome immigrants to give them that chance. "Welcome" being the operative word. Discriminations and treating them like sub-humans will only set them up for failure.

[@Lmuas]

Hmongs came to the US as refugees and not immigrants.

[@alanporter5662]

Ntev kuv tsis tau noj mov mog Hmoob. Kuv nco nws. I served a mission for my church and learned the Hmong language and loved spending time with them. Their food is amazing!

[@riseechandler3719]

I love the Hmong community and their food!

[@ruthm8931]

What a beautiful opportunity to share this meal with this wonderful family! Incredible to have learned something about Hmong culture, I hope for many,many more of these!

[@LastRODbender]

Love love this! Thanks for teaching us some Hmong culture.

[@pearlvang5689]

This is actually a wholesome video! I’m so happy to see this!

[@magsxoa4519]

I gotta make some of that scrapped cucumber. Sooo good and refreshing. Loved it when mom used to make it back in the day. ❤

[@lynalo4884]

How is it seasoned??

[@vang1990]

​@@lynalo4884It's just Cucumber 🥒 and ice+ Sugar. Use a spoon to scrape the cucumber. Keep all the juices, add crushed ice and add sugar to your liking. Simplist dish out there

[@MegaMan111]

Thank you big bro for putting peb Hmoob on the map! So many of us vauv 10ks out here who's putting it down in the kitchen & grill 🫡🙌

[@asianassassin1900]

Hmong people don’t even have their own foods or country…make it into their dish,:they mostly cook Lao & Vietnamese dishes and called their own which is sad

[@wegotit2587]

Most of these dishes should be reclassified as Hmong Style, cause essentially that’s what they are. Taking an ingredient out or substituting it doesn’t mean it automatically changes the entire dish to become something “original” and new.

[@NoobGamer-mh4gj]

We do. It's just not pretty or exotic in a sense. If you want authentic hmong food, just boiled some plain veggies, no salt or spices. And you got yourself a hmong dish lol. Our authentic dishes are boiled and smoked. Everything else we derived from other cultures. Oh, cant forget the stand alone chili peppers that we eat as is with rice lol

[@user-7I9gdym4j]

hmong people do have their own food. this is it. we are creating hmong food for the next 100 years.

[@hanaandnutrition]

Omg! So glad ATK have Hmong food on here! 🥰❤️

[@FishareFriendsNotFood972]

Lovely video, I found the food mouthwatering, I'm excited to visit

[@craigmiller752]

Traditional Hmong Turkey sausage! I love it!

[@sandraengstrand2784]

Oh what a beautiful feast!! Best enjoyed with beautiful friends! 💕😋🥳

[@musicgirl8152]

Interesting! All of the different grilled meat, and sides. ❤❤ thanks ATK, I love this series.

[@simonsavelyev7399]

I love this story--the food looks amazing!

[@MarshBrik]

love the hospitality

[@ricknico2577]

Sweet family, would love to visit them 🙂

[@ollkorrect4353]

I truly hope the hmong community and culture adjust well with the American life. More education and family cohesiveness.

[@jomercer21113]

This is great. I hope we soon see some Hmong recipes in a CC edition !

[@droptopp3479]

Ive never seen the skewer sausage before and really want to try it. All of these dishes hit home so much. My mom always makes same dishes every other day. The boiled mustard green with chicken is delicious, super simple yet so good and healthy.

[@ClockworkAvatar]

this all looked fantastic

[@CoreenDearstone]

Food looks so delicious ❤

[@7106jazz]

Wow! This is the first time I've seen someone on KZbin cooking and prepping food while wearing a hair net, just the way it should be done.

[@mistabone3899]

20 years working in a USDA inspected food plant, I'm used to wearing a hair net. When I went to help in a kitchen (they were swamped busy) I asked for a hair net and beard guard, they thought I had 5 heads! They found one. as a treat for my help, I was treated to a family dinner such as above, and it was humbling. Also I knew it was asian and I couldn't get enough mama (grandama) laugh when I tried the hot sauce and I regretted it. "brave man" she said. Respect other cultures and try the food,- A Bourdain

[@moocowdad]

brings back memories of the clint eastwood movie gran torino where clint isnt eating well and gets invited to his hmong neighbours and he coudnt stop eating

[@kenmore01]

Just leave my dog alone. 😂

[@moneal99801]

You have the world’s best job!

[@evelynyang8289]

Yummyyyyyyy. This makes me miss my grandma!

[@Adnancancook]

I had good hmong friends when i lived in California ❤Lets hope david chang doesn't copyright the hot sauce 😂

[@Teresa-B]

This looks so amazing!

[@westlee1626]

Being away for the military makes me really miss my families food. I really miss my parents food

[@SevensDran]

This video is good on coverage of Hmong people, however id apprecaite it if America's Test Kitchen break away from *speaking in foreign language* and go right down an specify what language they are speaking in the *in video* translated sections on youtube

[@PM-oe5mk]

I'm a 51 yr old Hmong woman who grew up eating extremely traditional Hmong food, and as an adult I grew to love learning about and cooking other cuisines. I'm also a cook who cares about the history of food, and when I see Hmong people (whether a professional chef or a home cook) appropriate other cuisine's dishes and call it a Hmong dish without giving credit to the cuisine it came from, it's rather embarrassing and disappointing. The only things I saw on that table that is true Hmong cuisine are the boiled greens (although traditionally, fatty & bony pork chunks are cooked with it for flavor) and the scraped cucumbers. The rice and pepper sauces are staples in every Asian meal so they are a given, although every Asian family does their own version of pepper sauce(s). The other dishes are Chef Yia's family's version of Laotian (maybe even Thai) dishes! Chef Yia is either ignorant of the history of the food he grew up eating, or he thinks it's okay to appropriate certain dishes from another culture's cuisine and calling them Hmong dishes. Either way, being a professional chef, he really should know better! As a long time fan (since 1998) and purchaser of many of their publications, I hope that in the future ATK staff get better informed on little known cuisines before putting it out there for the general public.

[@svang1991]

I’ll have to agree with your assessment.

[@wegotit2587]

You are very brave to state the obvious and a lot of Hmongs will either come after you or scream you are a self-hating Hmong. If younger Hmong Chefs want to emphasize something that stands out with Hmong Foods, why not emphasize Farm to Table? Every other Asians know Hmongs are GREAT at cultivating and perfecting farming techniques. Heck most Asian produce grown in America has ties to Hmong Farmers, so why not build on traditional Hmong recipes and modernize it? It can still be influenced by incorporating other ingredients, but at least those original Hmong foods will be given new life!

[@PM-oe5mk]

@@wegotit2587 I am far from self-hating; in fact, the complete opposite and that's why I am not afraid to speak the truth. If any Hmong has a problem with what I stated, then he/she is ignorant. Ignorance is no excuse when it comes to appropriating something that belongs to another culture. I have no problem with the Hmong people loving dishes (I love them too and make my own versions, but I give credit where credit is due) from other cuisines and incorporating those beloved dishes into their own repertoire, but they should NEVER claim those dishes as theirs just because they tweaked it a little to fit their palate. Putting the word Hmong in front of a dish name does NOT make it Hmong. Now, if a chef/cook were to take inspiration from such dishes and create new dishes from them, then it's okay to call them Hmong dishes since the newly created dishes are different enough to stand on their own; however, I have yet to see this happen. I have only seen additions or subtractions of ingredients to the appropriated dishes (I'm sure you know which ones I speak of)----this does NOT automatically make them Hmong dishes, not even close. To claim something as Hmong, it should be originally created by them. I completely agree with you on how Hmong chefs need to take many, if not all, of the true traditional Hmong food and give them new life by modernizing them. I would spend good money to eat them if done well.

[@bakad5458]

⁠​⁠Yes it’s very sad too because Lao food is heavily underrepresented! Even today people eat some Lao food and think it’s from Thailand or Vietnam… ​​⁠​⁠ It is also unfair for the Hmong people to not be truthful about the real Hmong cuisine because then the world won’t know about it! Which makes this video pointless and does the opposite of what it’s trying to do…

[@PM-oe5mk]

@@bakad5458 It is a shame that the true traditional Hmong food doesn't get the proper exposure it deserves because many Hmong food vendors prefer to sell more Lao/Thai/Vietnamese style dishes. I suspect it's because traditional Hmong food is simple and country, not fancy enough for commercialization. Although simple in looks and flavor profile, traditional Hmong food is delicious and nutritious. I will continue to eat these traditional dishes but would love it if Hmong chefs would take the initiative to modernize some of these dishes for a restaurant setting.

[@michaelmckinley6510]

This was awesome, Bryan!

[@MallPeaMallCow]

Narrator said his dad performed a “blessing”. Cmon now it’s called a prayer, my gosh.

[@OlettaAurie]

yes

[@jeffreywhitaker5154]

At first when I seen Hmong I got excited because I thought you were coming to Fresno. But I figured you'd go to Minn.

[@erikfreitas9288]

the food looks so good!

[@KJ4RMZ]

I have friends in GA that raise water buffalo and have a lot of Hmong customers.

[@PowerLiesToParalyze]

That looks amazing!

[@MarshaMarsha885]

Interesting! Never heard of Hmong food before

[@asnsnsation]

No one has because it’s not sold in restaurants

[@NoobGamer-mh4gj]

The subject of hmong food is a rather lengthy one. Short version, most hmong folks in the west immigrated from southeast asia after the vietnam war. The food you see hmong people selling are mostly derived from southeast asia. Authentic food, i guess you can say, is simple; boiled veggies and meat and smoked meat. 3 dishes i can name, as far as i know, that is authentic to us hmong are boiled pork with mustard greens, boiled chicken with herbs, and plain, boiled veggies.

[@user-7I9gdym4j]

​@@NoobGamer-mh4gjnot true. thats food we eat back in laos. now we are in america and want to create our own hmong american cuisine. this is our time to shine.

[@Levup_XP_Outdoors]

@@user-7I9gdym4j and what we ate in Laos may be not what our ancestors ate in China... we relocate we learn we adapt we create..

[@DDRWakaLaka]

mmm, hmong food. Laab is so good

[@lancechanthirath2348]

😂😂😂😂 Laab is a lao national dish 😂😂😂

[@deadmanwalking5744]

So is the sausages 😂

[@user-7I9gdym4j]

Why are you on every Hmong food video? Racist. @@lancechanthirath2348

[@lancechanthirath2348]

@gUd433 sorry I am not racist but based on facts..

[@Levup_XP_Outdoors]

@@deadmanwalking5744 , I think its ok to call it Hmong sausage or Hmong style... maybe learned from Laos/Thai but we not gonna argue who created the sausage cuz there is to many in the world.. Italian, Polish.. the flavor is very South East Asian but who says we can't or don't borrow things we like... some people call it Hmong sausage cuz Hmong's freaking popularized it and made it part of their Hmong American culture.. one ingredient that Hmong's are using more now but didn't much before that other SE Asians use a lot of was sugar.. I use to look at ingredients in sausage and the Hmong version didn't have sugar but now I see some with it... so well technically everyone should have the right to name a sausage after them... lmao

[@LoneStar96]

congrat to his success but this guy lied too much. No one dare to call him out but I will. White people and ATK does not know better. They just take a word of some hmong peprson. The only thing I will say is "hmong food" is that vegetable soup. You can even call it a LAOS food because your parents are from LAOS. Khmu, Tai Dam or Lao never call it their food. They just call it LAOs food. We are all LAOS its just we are from different ethnic but came from LAOS.

[@user-7I9gdym4j]

I see a lot of lao haters on these videos.

[@philoctetes_wordsworth]

Another thing I miss about SoCal. I am not aware of any Hmong communities in houston.

[@Levup_XP_Outdoors]

maybe Fort Worth/Dallas

[@dextersmithbsee]

🙏🙏

[@gthoj8867]

I'm hmong and grew up eating my parents' food, but i feel like our hmong food is so different from the other hmong food i see on tv or KZbin. I guess my parents are just basic. Nothing is wrong with that, though

[@bakad5458]

Because you ate real Hmong food. The “Hmong” food you see on tv/yt are from Laos/Thai/Vietname lol

[@jerrythao9321]

Hmong soul food is simple n hearty

[@bigmikes2140]

I have never been to a Hmong meal that didn’t have alcohol. Maybe it’s just the South Carolina Hmong’s

[@NoobGamer-mh4gj]

No. That's hmong people everywhere lol. You occasionally will go to one where the drinking isnt as heavy as others or nonexistant at all. But those are rare

[@ehartnett00]

You’re way behind Sonny who took him to his homeland

[@ashton8878]

I would use the spoon, not the end of the spoon to scrap the cucumber. Ain’t nobody got time for tedious work.

[@TheAlmighty.Z]

Hmong food on the map 💯

[@hmoob-dab-tsi7572]

The greens is nothing without pork bones and ribs

[@kousterx]

Don't forget to add pork belly...

[@mboykin6047]

The Hmong say that they taught the Thai how to cook!

[@lancechanthirath2348]

😂😂😂😂 LMAO 😂😂😂

[@Silpy48]

Lol oh no! We love our Thai and Lao peoples. Thai and Laos taught us a lot. Whoever told you that doesn't know their history. I've always tell them our history that when we migrated to Laos and Thailand we adapted and made the Laos and Thai food to our taste. Hmong food is their take on the regions they migrate to. But yes! A lot is Laos and Thai dishes. Besides whose food is what, America see us all as one.

[@lancechanthirath2348]

@Silpy48 lol many simply don't knowledge that.

[@NoobGamer-mh4gj]

Lol nah. We learned to cook from them. Who is telling you this lie?

[@lancechanthirath2348]

Chef yia vang is misleading and lie about hmong foods to the world's 😂😂😂​@NoobGamer-mh4gj

[@Mister_Y]

You went really easy on him. Where’s the squirrel stew? Where’s the deer poop?😂

[@user-7I9gdym4j]

hmong food is the best

[@lancechanthirath2348]

😂😂😂😂

[@wegotit2587]

Good introduction to Mainland Southeast Asian foods from Thailand and Laos, but far from the best. Most Hmong variations of other people’s foods are either too salty or kind of bland…not the full experience, but good beginner course for Whites to get into.

[@user-7I9gdym4j]

Why is this racist on every Hmong food video ​@@lancechanthirath2348

[@lancechanthirath2348]

​@@user-7I9gdym4jfirst of all, you do not called someone racist because they expressed their opinion and 2nd of all is based on facts 💯 🤷

[@user-7I9gdym4j]

​@@lancechanthirath2348based on what facts? do you not know hmong history and their diaspora? hmong food is asian fusion. we cook chinese food, lao and thai and vietnamese and we make our own versions of it. youre just being a hater and want to take away our shine. historically, lao people have always been racist towards hmong people. thats a fact.

[@k00ey]

Hmong mustard greens and hmong cucumber? I love Hmong people but just because you eat it and grow doesn't make it "Hmong". Those are Chinese mustard greens lol. Just because I grow japaleno chili peppers doesn't make them "American Chilis"

[@lancechanthirath2348]

😂😂😂😂

[@lavida8543]

Even koreans do it with their sweet potatoes, lots of asian people eat it but if u talk to a korean, they refer it to as korean sweet potatoes and thats ok, its what they know and experience. Stop being petty.

[@Go4Broke247]

It's grown by Hmong people, therefore, it's Hmong, my boy

[@lancechanthirath2348]

@@Go4Broke247 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@RiceBowl14]

Hmong are rice farmers, so you Chinese steal rice from Hmong? 😂 Ok bro, you literally sound stupid at this point... Imagine going to Korea and call everything Chinese food in their menu, you getting back handed 😂

[@andrewkue7895]

Go to a Hmong cook out, the food can look tasty but if they forget the hot pepper sauce people will complain that the food will Not taste good!

[@kawakiyang7049]

i tried this and ill admit its good homie...........

[@Hemperzzzz]

Hmong sausages are not authentic Hmong food 😂 🤦🏻‍♂️..that’s commercialized Laos/thai food

[@NoobGamer-mh4gj]

Derived from them, yes. But if you were to compare, hmong sausages incorporate more of the pork fat than the others

[@xavclee]

Sausages are found in the foods of many cultures, not just Lao or Thai.

[@user-7I9gdym4j]

italians have sausages too, so does that mean lao copied italian sausage? you sound like an idiot. this is 100% hmong sausage.

[@Levup_XP_Outdoors]

yes the history of its popularity only goes back to the early 2000s

[@Hemperzzzz]

@@xavclee I’m 42 years old and my parents and grandparents had never cooked “Hmong sausage”… nor had I seen it at other Hmong people’s house.. it would only be store bought from the Hmong store… we just have boiled pork with green veggies… and boiled chicken 😂.. don’t lie to yourself now

[@kyibobpeb]

I'm so happy to see ATK feature Hmong food on their channel.

[@william8217]

The food honestly looks incredible.

[@shellyrobertson988]

wow! just how much it brings family together. this warms my heart! making me tear up!

[@vessie528]

What an amazing video with gracious hosts and their guest. The food looks amazing. I will have to learn more about the Hmong culture. Thank you.

[@bparrish517]

My fav Hmong creator based in California on KZbin, youtube.com/@chercreations?feature=shared Cindy and her family all participate with cooking, gardening and culture. At the moment she is off to Laos and will be posting some of her experiences there.

[@philoctetes_wordsworth]

4:29 I grew up with a huge, ceramic smoker/grill, just like that one. I am Gen X.🤗From San Diego.

[@eye2eye949]

I'm proud to Hmong