On this episode of Appetites, MPR’s Tom Crann talks with chef Yia Vang about Hmong food and his latest project in a residency at Sociable Cider Werks in northeast Minneapolis. Historically, Hmong people as an indigenous group moved around Southeast Asia to find quality farmlands. Vang says that aspect of the culture and history of the Hmong people is why the food can't be tied to a specific product, technique or style.

Vang, co-founder of Union Kitchen, is known to be an ambassador for Hmong food. He defines it as a "philosophy" more than a style or cuisine.