On this episode of The Recipe Box, we’re chatting with Will and Keesha Lo about the journey of noodles, from a 4,000‑year‑old Chinese noodle to the Americanized dish we call Asian spaghetti.

We talk about the popular Chinese noodle dish Zha Jiang Mian and how fusion foods evolve as cultures and kitchens meet. Along the way, we all learn a lot about each other, find out some tidbits from our pasts that make us giggle, and get very hungry!

Most importantly, we reconnect with our local history of welcoming international students and their families, and how those influences have encouraged us all to try new flavors.

Will and Keesha Lo are local food celebrities. Opening in the early 1990s, Will’s family restaurant, New Kahala Chinese Cuisine, quickly became a local staple. Together, they work diligently to build awareness of locally owned restaurants through their Southern Illinois Eats platform.

Find Will and Keesha online at

New Kahala Chinese Cuisine - https://newkahala.com/

Bake Me Happy Food Co. - https://www.facebook.com/bakemehappyfoodco

Southern Illinois Eats - https://www.facebook.com/southernillinoiseats

Production: Benjy Jeffords, SIU School of Journalism and Advertising

Marketing: Emma Thompson, Salukis AdLab

Music: MisunderStudios https://www.misunderstudios.com/

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The Recipe Box on Instagram: @TheRecipeBoxPodcast