In St. Louis ‘Chinamen’ is Black Culture

Gooey butter cake, toasted ravioli, and provel cheese topped thin-crust pizza are all St. Louis food staples; but they don’t share the same complicated relationship that has been carved into the local Black community with St. Louis-style Chinese food. Due to the peculiar proximity of the Chinese restaurants that produce the specialty dishes, along with a lack of beneficial community involvement, their positions remain questionable. Recently, a few short minutes after exiting on to highway I-70 west heading towards Columbia, MO, I received a text. “Bring some Chinamen back plz!!” A cardinal sin avoided. Any self-respecting St. Louisan knows if you’re heading out of town to meet any former residents, you’d better have a brown paper bag in-hand carrying orders of Chinese food you can only get in this region. Just as a visit to Chicago would make for a Garrett’s Chicago-style popcorn request, same with barbeque in Kansas City, St. Louis-style Chinese cuisine is one of a kind. <a href="https://medium.com/@relativelywoke/in-st-louis-chinamen-is-black-culture-797413e9ed1">Read More</a>