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Arts Feb 04, 2022
L.A. County Museum of Natural History | Photo courtesy Stephanie Kemna/Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0)
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The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County (NHM) launched the innovative new initiative “Kneaded: L.A. Bread Stories,” a digital-first multimedia series that highlights L.A.’s history of breadmaking and celebrates a selection of the diverse, trailblazing, and resilient bakers and community builders who call the city home.
Throughout the year, “Kneaded L.A.” will premiere videos, stories, and photo essays with these bakers, sharing how their delicious bread facilitates important cultural heritages and traditions. As a part of its mission, NHM celebrates and illuminates L.A.’s diverse rich natural and cultural history.
Lori Bettison-Varga, NHMLAC President and Director said, “This new initiative honors the diversity of our city and gets to the heart of what makes L.A. so special. We are so excited to work together with bakers across the County to launch ‘Kneaded: L.A. Bread Stories’ and showcase the multilayered stories that celebrate the rich heritage of L.A.”
“Kneaded L.A.” serves as a unifying theme to celebrate the range of experiences, traditions and identities in L.A., rather than a competition to uncover the best of the city. The storefronts of featured bread makers are found in a variety of locations, from mini-malls to pop-up restaurants, food trucks, and corner bakeries. For many of them, not only does bread nourish communities, but also brings people together to build communities. Throughout the initiative, audiences will be encouraged to learn about the history and culture of each type of bread and bakery in order to deepen their relationship and appreciation of Los Angeles.
LA County Board of Supervisors Chair Holly J. Mitchell said, “’Kneaded L.A.’ spotlights the diverse communities that make our city such a vibrant and interesting place to live. Learning more about the bakers and traditions behind each piece of delicious bread makes every bite more enjoyable and deepens our connections to the small businesses and people in our neighborhoods. I want to thank the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County for continuing to provide educational and impactful programs like this for the residents of the Second District and throughout L.A. County.”
This month spotlights Marlene Beckford’s Jamaican Fry Dumplings from Leimert Park’s Ackee Bamboo Jamaican Cuisine. Highlights from following months include: Frogtown’s Just What I Kneaded in March; Glendale’s Zhengyalov Hatz in April; Santa Monica’s DK Donuts & Bakery in May; Downtown LA’s Nickel Diner in June; The Original Hawowshi pop-up in July; an exploration of L.A’s bread history in August; Guatemalteca Bakery in September; Long Beach’s San & Wolves Bake Shop in October; and Lucy Hale’s Indian Tacos & Frybread pop-up in November.
The full list of participants include:
- 786 Degrees
- Ackee Bamboo Jamaican Cuisine
- African Chop Truck
- Al-Noor
- Anarkali Indian Restaurant
- Apron Strings Community Bake Shop
- Big Boi
- Cake and Art
- Chia Cafe Collective
- DK’s Donuts & Bakery
- Dulan’s Soul Food Kitchen
- Guatemalteca Bakery
- Huckleberry Cafe
- Just What I Kneaded
- Kien Giang Bakery
- La Monarca Bakery & Cafe
- La Princesita Tortilleria
- Liberation Coffee House
- Lucy Hale’s Indian Tacos & Frybread
- Nickel Diner
- Paratta
- Porto’s Bakery and Cafe
- Roji Bakery
- Rose + Rye
- San & Wolves Bakeshop
- Sasoun Bakery
- The Original Hawowshi
- Zhengyalov Hatz
Visit NHM.ORG/KneadedLA to explore the appetizing nooks and cultural crannies of L.A. bread and follow the carbohydrate-fueled stories that let culture bloom.
