For assistant librarian and curatorial assistant Magdalene Linck, Chinese food holds a special place in her heart. It goes back to what she ate as a kid growing up in St. Louis.
“My mother was good friends with the owner of Hunan Wok, which was in Brentwood [and] was a place we frequented for special occasions and all sorts of things. I had one of my favorite Chinese restaurants cater my high school graduation party,” she said. “During the pandemic, I learned how to make hand-pulled noodles. I went all in with my passion for Chinese cuisine.”
Sharing that passion has been a primary force in Linck’s developing “A History of Chinese Restaurants in St. Louis,” a presentation Linck has given at the Missouri Botanical Garden and will share again on Tuesday at the Missouri History Museum.
She told St. Louis on the Air that using historical documents — including menus and stories people have contributed to the Missouri Historical Society’s Chinese American Collecting Initiative — helps her show the important role St. Louis Chinese restaurants like Orient Chop Suey and Asia Cafe played in supporting local and regional commerce.
“A lot of the restaurants, especially the ones in the really early days located in St Louis' Chinatown, catered to American audiences [and] the Chinese community. The Asia Cafe had a really extensive and expansive import business,” Linck said. “I believe they grew bean sprouts [and] imported items that people couldn't get elsewhere.”
“The On Leong Chinese Merchants Association had a really strong membership,” she added. “They did a lot of fundraising, not only for their own [immigrant] community, but during war times, they led war bond efforts [and] promoted rationing.”
Linck said she likes to leave folks who hear her talks with food for thought about what constitutes American food.
“People are always thinking about hot dogs and apple pie. But I like to ask, ’When was the last time you actually ate that? And when was the last time you had Chinese food … or Vietnamese, or Mexican or any other type of cuisine?’ Usually their answer is, ‘Oh, well, I had that last week, and I had apple pie, like, six months ago at a party,’” she said. “I think that helps people realize that [Chinese food] is an integral part of American culture.”
Related Event
What: “A History of Chinese Restaurants in St. Louis”
When: 11 a.m. Nov. 12
Where: Lee Auditorium at Missouri History Museum, 5700 Lindell Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63112
To hear why Thanksgiving dinner was on the Orient Chop Suey’s menu, how U.S. immigration policy affected options for Chinese cuisine in St. Louis and what Mizzou students trekked from Columbia to St. Louis to get, listen to the full St. Louis on the Air conversation on Apple Podcast, Spotify and YouTube, or click the play button below.
“St. Louis on the Air” brings you the stories of St. Louis and the people who live, work and create in our region. The show is produced by Ulaa Kuziez, Miya Norfleet, Emily Woodbury, Danny Wicentowski, Elaine Cha and Alex Heuer. Jada Jones is our production assistant. The audio engineer is Aaron Doerr.
