Episode 21: Jet Tila + The Philosophy of "Yum"

Jet Tila, Celebrity Chef, Culinary Ambassador of Thai Cuisine, and cookbook author of 101 Asian Dishes You Need To Cook Before You Die, joined Lynda in the studio to talk about the Philosophy of “Yum”, and how you can incorporate this concept into your cooking.

Jet Tila starts the show by announcing he's been inspired by the HRN Summer Drive and is planning on signing up to become a member! Join Jet and many others in supporting the world's only food radio network by heading on over to heritageradionetwork.org/donate to help keep your favorite shows on the air.

Lynda asks Jet about his background. He talks about growing up in Los Angeles in the first Thai food family in the country, how he tried to resist working in food and following in his family's footsteps (but failed), and the different cultural influences that shaped the way he ate growing up in LA.

Jet then explains the concept of "Yum" and how it's the balance of five flavors and how it's a great way to explain why certain Asian cuisines taste the way that they do. He then gives examples of how different Asian cuisines hit the "Yum" balance and the different key ingredients they use. He then tells us about Sriracha, the area in Thailand, and his issue with what we associate Sriracha with here in the US. He also gives his "hot tips on how to achieve maximum Yum"!

Finally, Lynda asks Jet about what else he has been working on and how he manages his time with so many projects. They talk about kids and cooking (and Lynda calls Jet a tiger mom/dragon dad). Lynda also asks Jet what he wants to be known for in the industry.

28:52 "I see all these young chefs in the industry and all the attitude. It's so much energy to be a jerk. It's so much easier and it bears fruit to be nice."

Make sure you pick up a copy of Jet Tila's book, 101 Asian Dishes You Need to Cook Before You Die!