MOCA TALKS with Clarissa Wei – Postpartum Recipes for Rest & Recovery

The Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) welcomes award-winning food writer Clarissa Wei for an engaging conversation celebrating her new cookbook, Sitting the Month: Postpartum Recipes for Rest & Recovery. In discussion with second-generation Taiwanese herbalist and recipe collaborator Stella Wang and moderated by food editor Genevieve Yam, the program explores the rich culinary traditions surrounding postpartum recovery in Chinese culture and the enduring wisdom behind the practice of 坐月子 zuò yuè zi, or “sitting the month.” Across Chinese communities, the first month after childbirth has long been regarded as a vital period of healing, supported by rest, herbal remedies, and nourishing meals believed to restore strength and replenish the body. Inspired by her own experience as a new mother in Taiwan, Wei combines 88 nourishing recipes with practical guidance and personal storytelling to illustrate a centuries-old tradition for contemporary home cooks. Together, the speakers will discuss the intersections of food, motherhood, health, and cultural identity while examining how culinary practices preserve family knowledge and connect us to our heritage. Whether you are an expectant or new parent, a caregiver, a food enthusiast, or simply curious about culinary traditions, this conversation offers a thoughtful exploration of care, resilience, and the enduring power of food to nourish both body and community. With generous support from Chiyo, which offers nutrition programs for fertility, pregnancy, and postpartum, attendees can also enjoy complimentary bites of Gingery Chicken Congee, Spiced Goji Berry Brownies, and Astragalus & Jujube Tonic from the cookbook. About Clarissa Wei Clarissa Wei is the author of Made in Taiwan, winner of an IACP Award and finalist for a James Beard Award. Her writing has been published in The New Yorker, The New York Times, and Bon Appétit. The cofounder of single-origin soy sauce brand HEYDOH, she lives in Taiwan with her husband and two children. About Stella Wang Stella Wang is a second-generation Taiwanese herbalist, mom, and owner of EDD Herbs, a herbal dessert and tea shop that she operates out of her father’s Chinese medicine shop in Taipei. About Genevieve Yam Genevieve Yam is a senior editor at Serious Eats. Prior to joining Serious Eats, she was an editor at Epicurious and has contributed to Food52, Bon Appétit, King Arthur Baking, and more. She grew up between Toronto and Hong Kong and is a graduate of the University of St Andrews in Scotland. She currently lives in New York with her husband, two kids, and two cats. You'll often find her at the farmers market with a tote bag full of vegetables or at home burying her nose in a wrinkled copy of Nigella Lawson's How to Eat. About Chiyo At Chiyo, generational wisdom meets modern nutritional science to care for women through life’s most demanding transitions. We offer the first-of-its-kind nutrition program for acute conditions in women’s health, pairing 4–12 week, stage-specific meal programs with personalized 1:1 Registered Dietitian support. Featured in NYT, Bon Appetit, goop, Vogue, and more. About Sitting the Month When Clarissa Wei gave birth to her first child, she was living in Taiwan, where the postpartum period lasts four weeks and is considered one of the most important periods of a woman’s life. The practice of “sitting the month” includes therapeutic herbs and warming meals—stir-fried pork liver, chicken simmered with rice wine and sesame oil, or steamed cod with goji berries—believed to help repair the womb and reenergize the new mom. There isn’t a lot of information in the English-speaking world about this practice, or its cuisine, and she set out to learn more. In Sitting the Month, through gorgeous photography, stories, and recipes, Clarissa Wei offers a holistic outlook on food specifically intended to nurture new mothers back to health. Any partner or relative (or a very tired mom) can navigate these 88 recipes. With guidance from Stella Wang, a second-generation owner of a Chinese medicine shop, she introduces three stages of recovery. Start with light, herbal soups such as Salmon Miso Soup and Egg Drop Seaweed Soup to detox the body. Advance to collagen and protein-rich dishes such as Scallion Oil Chicken and Black Vinegar Pork Knuckle Stew to support tissue repair, and build up to Ten Tonic Supreme Soup, packed with fiery herbs intended to combat deep fatigue and lingering weakness. Each recipe is designed for solo meals or for sharing with a partner. Freezing advice and notes on unique herbs make this ancient tradition accessible and doable for modern moms in the United States. There’s an old folk saying that sums up the East Asian attitude toward postpartum care: During pregnancy, nurture the baby. After pregnancy, nurture your body.