Contact
  • HOME
  • / MEDIA /
  • The Rise of Asian Representation in Food Shows: A Lunar New Year Celebration

News

January 24, 2025

SHARE:

Credits: Patricia Ratulangi Vice President, Global Communications Nielsen

In recent years, food shows featuring Asian chefs and cuisines have seen a surge in popularity, capturing the attention of diverse audiences around the globe. This trend highlights the growing appetite for cultural representation and inclusivity in entertainment. As we celebrate Lunar New Year—a holiday deeply rooted in food traditions—it’s the perfect time to reflect on how Asian representation in food media resonates with viewers and drives mass viewership.

Food shows featuring Asian chefs and cuisines highlight cultural diversity, resonating with audiences and driving viewership, especially during Lunar New Year celebrations.
Food shows featuring Asian chefs and cuisines highlight cultural diversity, resonating with audiences and driving viewership, especially during Lunar New Year celebrations.

Food shows stand out as a medium where culture, tradition, and storytelling intersect seamlessly. Programs like Top Chef, which has featured contestants such as Melissa King and Hung Huynh, and The Great American Recipe, where home cooks celebrate diverse culinary heritages, showcase the rich variety of Asian cuisines and the personal narratives behind them. These stories invite viewers to connect with the cultural roots and contemporary adaptations of dishes they may have never experienced before.

2024 Viewing MinutesAsianTotal U.S.
Top Chef‎‎  ‎ 458.0 million5.7 billion
The Great American Recipe‎ ‎ ‎ 9.8 million84.5 million
Chrissy & Dave Dine Out‎‎  ‎ 9.2 million61.4 million
Dinner Time Live with David Chang‎ ‎ ‎ 67.4 million430.1 million
Source: Nielsen audience measurement: Jan 1 – Nov 30, 2024

Lunar New Year exemplifies the central role food plays in cultural celebration. From dumplings symbolizing wealth to fish representing prosperity, the holiday is a sensory feast steeped in meaning. By spotlighting Asian chefs and their innovative approaches to dishes that represent their heritage, food shows bridge the gap between cultural nuance and modern audiences. 

A Tết (Vietnamese Lunar New Year) tray filled with traditional Vietnamese dishes for Lunar New Year, symbolizing happiness and peace.
A Tết (Vietnamese Lunar New Year) tray filled with traditional Vietnamese dishes for Lunar New Year, symbolizing happiness and peace.

The success of Asian-centered food programming aligns with broader audience preferences for authenticity. Nielsen data reveals that 63% of viewers are more likely to support brands and content creators that authentically represent diverse communities. For mass audiences, this means a greater willingness to engage with shows that go beyond superficial portrayals and offer genuine insights into Asian culinary arts.

The viewership data highlights the significant appeal of food shows among both Asian audiences and the broader U.S. audience, underscroring the growing đemand for authentic, inclusive food shows that celebrate diverse cultures.

Nielsen Chart A
Nielsen Chart B

As Lunar New Year festivities fill homes with the aroma of traditional dishes, the increasing visibility of Asian representation in food shows reminds us of the universal power of food to connect people across cultures—one dish, one story at a time.

Related Articles

Image Source: NBC Sports

News

Dallas Stars Jason Robertson Carves Name in NHL History As Highest Pointer in Latest Season

Jason Robertson made NHL history by playing the second longest-drawn-out game in franchise record and the most lengthy game in Dallas history.

With 22 goals, the most in the NHL, the 23-year-old Filipino-American left winger for the Dallas Stars, made his season a success.

Robertson extended his point streak to 13 games, tying the Dallas Stars record set by Dave Gagner in the early 90s with a point over their opponent Blackhawks on Wednesday.

On Thursday night, he scored three goals, which were assisted by Joel Kiviranta and Wyatt Johnston, as well as Oettinger’s 31 saves in a shutout victory.

His 39 points ranked second in the league, trailing only Connor McDavid and setting himself as the highest-pointer in the 24 games of the season for Dallas Stars. 

Leading the way for the Stars, the victory was the team’s second straight triumph and was the 10th time Dallas had scored points in the previous 11 games.

Additionally, Miro Heiskanen and Roope Hintz also both enjoyed multi-point outings with three and two assists, respectively.

Stars coach Pete DeBoer reportedly claimed that “Robo is a guy that’s honestly hard to defend because he scores in a bunch of different ways,” according to the Dallas Morning News.

“He can score off the rush, he scores kind of lurking around the quiet areas of the ice waiting for the puck to come to him. It always seems to come to him. Tougher to defend a guy like that isn’t predictable,” the coach continued.

Coach Pete also remarked on how amazed he was to see Robertson play such an exceptional game and how incredible the player was for making it seem simple despite the difficulty of the game.

With his nightly exploits, Robertson is starting to catch the attention of the hockey world, which is quite an achievement in a market like Dallas, far from the hockey capital of Toronto. 

He’s outperforming expectations for his $7.75 million cap charge and propelled himself into the early race for the Hart Trophy.

Furthermore, Dallas Stars captain Jamie Benn stated that Robertson is leading the attack with confidence.

  • 2 min read
Image Source: South China Morning Post

Stories

Earthquake Victim With Amputated Legs Masters Dancing With Husband’s Self-Made Prosthetic Limbs

Nothing is impossible to 30-year-old Liao Zhi of Sichuan, China who lost her legs during an earthquake in 2008 but now mastered the art of dancing while wearing high heels with her now husband’s self-made prosthetic legs.

The Chinese former dance teacher caught the online community’s attention with her talent and story being an epitome of hope and faithfulness.

“It’s like she dances with life,” a netizen commented.

During the tragic incident in Sichuan where Zhi was trapped in the ruins of a building for 30 hours, she not only lost her legs but the most important persons in her life, her 10-month-old daughter who died in the disaster and her husband who divorced her seven months after the tragedy.

Being the only one to survive in the devastated building, the brave woman neither shed a tear nor complained of everything she went through including her legs being amputated.

Instead, Zhi said that “The earthquake gave me rebirth.”

After learning to walk with her artificial limbs, Zhi moved on from the nightmare by continuing and staging her passion in different places.

Although the training had been difficult and painful, Zhi was determined in doing what she loves. 

According to the South China Morning Post, she and her husband-dance partner defeated competitors in China and won as first runner-up in the reality show Dance Out My Life in 2013. 

Her husband became her strong support in recovering from her downfall.

Despite having been through a lot, Zhi remained optimistic. “Dance is my ray of sunshine, and while I would also be fine if I didn’t dance, I would not feel the same sense of joy that it gives me when I do,” she said.

Being an inspiration to many, Zhi’s life story was turned into a play entitled Angel’s Psalm that was staged at Kwai Tsing Theatre in 2015.

In an article by CCTGN, it was said that Liao is currently a happy wife as well as a proud mother. However, she is still fighting for a higher ambition – helping more people like her to recover their life value.

  • 2 min read
Image Source: Stephen Lovekin/Shutterstock

News

‘Raya and the Last Dragon’ Actress and Director Unveils New Production Company To Uplift Marginalized Community’s Emerging Filmmakers

Kelly Marie Tran and Carlos López Estrada, the lead character and co-director of the latest Walt Disney film Raya and the Last Dragon, have created a new production company, Antigravity Academy (AGA) dedicated to developing and producing movies, television, theater, and short-form material from and about individuals from traditionally marginalized communities.

AGA appointed Jared Stern’s “A Stern Talking To” former vice president of cinema and television Winsor Yuan to lead its film and television section.

As for the short form, such as music videos, advertisements, and branded content, Doug Klinger, co-founder of Internet Music Video Database and Reprobates agent and executive producer, will be in charge.

The Antigravity Academy will also serve as a training ground for new filmmakers entering the production industry.

The novice filmmakers’ movies will be chosen, produced, and packaged under the direction of former Sundance Institute head of Artist Community and AGA founding partner Abiram Brizuela.

Tran and Estrada were quoted in the Hollywood Reporter as saying, “We couldn’t be happier about providing a creative home for emerging filmmakers looking for a window into this often insular industry.” 

The two also stated they had learned from their experiences how crucial it is to establish a network that can assist with starting up.

“We are looking forward to partnering up with the most inspiring independent voices coming from communities that have been historically overlooked and helping them usher their stories into the world,” the two added.

  • 2 min read
Image Source: Lifestyle Asia Hong Kong

Blogs, Development, Ideas

Son of Restaurant Owners Now CEO of Multi-Million Dollar Company Casetify Imparts Tips To Successful Entrepreneurship

With a feeling of discontent towards the smartphone case designs available in the market, Hongkong native Wesley Ng co-founded Casetify, a multi-million dollar company that manufactures and produces cool smartphone cases.

The 41-year-old CEO takes his business-mindedness from his parents who own a restaurant in their region.

Ng established the business in 2011 together with his friend Ronald Yeung which has now reached over 15 million phone case sales around the world.

As an entrepreneur-grown man, Ng’s mindset is to make profits. According to him, it’s the most important thing to survive, as quoted in CNBC Make It.

“It comes down to one thing — being profitable. Being profitable was super underrated until recently,” he said in a virtual interview. 

Ng proudly shared that Casetify will be attaining $300 million in returns for this year alone.

Furthermore, he advised others to venture into businesses that make fortune and are cost-effective and to learn from other entrepreneurs just like how he learned from his mom and dad.

With his success in the chosen industry, Ng imparts hints to be a self-made millionaire in business:

1.Bootstrapping. Starting with $200,000 capital, Ng shared that he and Ronald always did things and operated out of the interests of the company and not of the stakeholders.

2. Overshare your problems. Business is a give-and-take process, it’s surprising how we can learn from others. Although it may seem a weakness for others to know your struggles as an entrepreneur, it is still fundamental to share and learn from them.

3. Entrepreneurship ‘not for everyone.’ Ng shared that knowing if “it’s for you” is important and to discover if it really is, you should “work closely with a founder” or link with beginners to know how hard it will be.

The successful CEO said that being a producer of a product he is really fond of is what keeps him on the move.

  • 2 min read