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About The Asian reporter. (Portland, Or.) 1991-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 6, 2017)
ASIA / PACIFIC Page 16 n THE ASIAN REPORTER February 6, 2017 Silk, steam, and slogans: Inside a North Korean factory By Wong Maye-E The Associated Press YONGYANG, North Korea — As the morning light poured through large windows, women wearing olive- colored overalls, pink aprons, and headscarves stood at stations where silkworms were being boiled. Some used their bare hands to pull silk thread from the boilers and winced as the steam rose toward their faces. But the heat didn’t seem to slow them down. The Kim Jong Suk Silk Mill, named after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s grandmother, is where 1,600 workers — mostly women — sort and process silk- worms. The worms, from the country- side in South Pyongan province, ultimately produce silk thread that officials at the Pyongyang factory say is made into roughly 200 tons of silk a year. Seen prominently on a red-and-white sign hanging above a main corridor was a propaganda slogan: “Let us step up the victorious advancement of socialism through self-development!” Lining the walkway were names of supervisors and workers that were leading teams, placed as a form of encouragement for the workers. In his New Year’s address, leader Kim Jong Un called on the North Korean people to step up production P STAPLE SNACK. Owner Leung Kin-kung tastes chicken feet at his snack shop in Hong Kong. January 28 marked the start of the lunar Year of the Rooster and families in China reunited for festivities, fireworks, and food. While tradition calls for feasting on “auspicious” foods, many also munched on staple snacks like “phoenix claws,” the Chinese name for chicken feet. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu) ‘Phoenix claws’ grace menus welcoming the Year of the Rooster By Kelvin Chan The Associated Press H ONG KONG — January 28 marked the start of the lunar Year of the Rooster and families in China reunited for festivities, fireworks, and food. While tradition calls for feasting on “auspicious” foods, many also munched on staple snacks like “phoenix claws,” the Chinese name for chicken feet. With reptilian looks and lowly status from scratching around farmyards and coops, humble chicken paws are considered a throwaway in the west, where farmers often grind them into feed for pets and livestock. But across much of Asia, where diners prefer eating meat on the bone, they’re considered a delicacy. “Not only are they tasty, but it’s believed they have a lot of collagen so if you eat them it’s good for your skin and makes you look beautiful,” said Liza Chu, author of a guidebook to Hong Kong dim sum dishes including chicken feet. At this time of year, Chinese like to eat foods considered lucky, like dumplings and fish. Chicken feet don’t actually have any special meaning for the Year of the Rooster, though that doesn’t mean it’s not a good excuse to eat them, Chu said. “We all need some rooster energy. Roosters are energetic. They can be very aggressive. They are not shy,” said Chu. Those born in the Year of the Rooster are “very outgoing people.” Chicken feet are of such culinary importance in China that they have even played a role in trade tensions between the U.S. and China, which imports poultry because of production shortfalls. In 2009, the Obama administration slapped tariffs on Chinese tires and Beijing retaliated by imposing taxes of up to 105 percent on U.S. chicken feet. Two years ago, China banned poultry imports from the U.S. over bird flu, sending chicken-paw producers in other countries racing to fill the gap. For the uninitiated, chicken feet have a chewy, fatty, and succulent texture, bordering on the gelatinous. In Hong Kong, they’re served at dim sum teahouses with garlic, chili, and black bean sauce. Or they can be paired with a beer while watching football matches, said Leung Kin-keung, who runs a chicken feet stall. “I grew up eating chicken feet,” said Leung. “We were not wealthy,” so the family used every part of the chicken, he said. In Manila, the Philippines, street vendors grill skewers of them over charcoal. “They taste different from ordinary chicken parts. I like eating the bony parts,” said Jacklyn Sun. “Chicken feet are delicious to eat.” Associated Press video journalists Josie Wong in Hong Kong and Joeal Calupitan in Manila, the Philippines contributed to this report. SILK, STEAM & SLOGANS. A North Korean woman sorts silkworm cocoons to be boiled later at the Kim Jong Suk Silk Mill in Pyongyang, North Korea. In his New Year’s address, leader Kim Jong Un called on the North Korean people to step up production in order to raise the nation’s stan- dard of living, which is among the lowest in Asia. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E) in order to raise the nation’s standard before heavy machinery along the of living, which is among the lowest in processing line, sorting out Asia. Kim himself visited the silk mill silkworms as they were washed and in early January. later boiled. In another room, women The Associated Press also toured examined sheets of unfinished silk the factory in early January. Though with tweezers, looking for impurities the temperature outside was minus as a glowing tabletop illuminated 6º Celsius (21º Fahrenheit), there was their faces. little heating in the high-ceilinged The mill was proud to showcase its building. And though it was noisy — “sci-tech center,” where workers both from the machinery and from could take classes conducted via an loudspeakers blasting propaganda intranet system. It also boasted a music — no one seemed to be wearing childcare facility where 200 children are enrolled while their mothers work ear plugs. Groups of eight to 10 women stood at the factory. HEALTHY FAMILIES, HEALTHY HOMES ¡Clases en inglés y español! FREE • Over 60 Exibitors • Lunch provided • Hourly workshops • On-site childcare • Great giveaways • Raffles Sa t ur da y 9 :3 0 a m - 2 :3 0 Pm NOV 19, 2016 — Ron Russell Middle School — 3955 SE 112th Ave JAN 28, 2017 — George Middle School — 10000 N Burr Ave FEB 25, 2017 — Madison High School — 2735 NE 82nd Ave w w w .por t l a ndor egon.gov/bps /f i f | 5 0 3 -8 2 3 -4 3 0 9 Presented by the City of Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability Read The AR – exactly as it’s printed here – online at <www.asianreporter.com>!