The Food We Eat, the Stories We Carry with Food Ethnographer, June Jo Lee

Written By Deanna Belleny
 
 

After a short winter break, we’re back with a rich conversation alongside food ethnographer and children’s book author June Jo Lee. June Jo studies how we eat, cook, and crave—using food as a lens to understand culture, identity, and belonging. Her work spans Korean kimchi factories to Google canteens, and she is the co-author of Chef Roy Choi and the Street Food Remix and Sandor Katz and the Tiny Wild. June also served as Resident Food Ethnographer for Google’s Global Food Program from 2014–2024 and is a TED Talk speaker on the topic of Our savory, spicy, significant relationship with food.

In this episode of Feed Me the Facts, we explore what food ethnography can offer nutrition and dietetics, and why listening to food stories matters for more inclusive, culturally grounded approaches to health. This episode invites current and future nutrition professionals to think beyond nutrients and toward the people, traditions, and memories that shape how we eat.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

  • June’s Path into Food Ethnography (00:00)
    How her curiosity about how we eat, cook, and crave led her to studying food as culture and lived experience.

  • What Food Ethnography Really Is (04:30)
    An introduction to ethnography and why listening to food stories matters.

  • The Food We Eat as Culture and Memory (09:10)
    How identity, history, and place shape the way communities eat.

  • From Kimchi Factories to Canteens (15:20)
    What June learned studying food systems across communities and institutions.

  • What Nutrition Misses Without Food Stories (21:40)
    Why culture and context are essential to meaningful nutrition and dietetics work.

  • Food, Community, and Care (28:30)
    How honoring community knowledge can strengthen health and nutrition practice.

  • Reflections for Dietitians and Future Practitioners (34:50)
    What June hopes nutrition professionals take away from food ethnography.

    Resources & Links:

📌 Connect with June Jo Lee:
LinkedIn: June Jo Lee

📌 Resource and Publications from June Jo Lee:

🎙️ Stay connected with Feed Me The Facts:

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🎧 Listen now on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube

Deanna Belleny
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