KIN + Minidoka
A culinary storytelling of history
In 2024, Friends of Minidoka was honored to partner with James Beard Award Winner Chef Kris Komori to create a one-of-a kind event to commemorate the 2024 Day of Remembrance at his restaurant KIN Boise.
For the events, Kris and the KIN team created a special menu to tell the stories of Minidoka and the Japanese American incarceration experience. KIN drew inspiration from the Minidoka site itself, those incarcerated there, as well as Kris' family’s experiences.
Please enjoy this on-line retelling through Kris' words and images of the dishes he and his team created.
Dish One: Amuse
Roots
Gobo, or burdock root, is a thin, long vegetable that grows far down into the soil. It’s often eaten on New Year’s Day as it symbolizes having “deep roots and family stability”. Japanese culture has been embedded in this country since the 19th century. Many families from Minidoka ended up staying in Idaho and Eastern Oregon. That Japanese-American community is now multigenerational, its roots growing ever deeper.
Here is a simple bite of gobo and carrot, kinpira style, which means sauteed and simmered, with a little sesame, tamari, wrapped with chive.
Ingredients:
Gobo
Carrot
Sesame
Tamari
Chive