Arts & International Affairs: Volume 2, Number 2 | Page 182

Earlier this year, I travelled to London to experience its cosmopolitan food
scene and meet the cooks behind them. Appreciation of foreign food is often
seen as the height of positive cultural interaction in cities like London where
multiculturalism is embraced. However, the high demand for Asian food
in Britain is also responsible for the entrance of numerous illegal workers
who labour to cook native cuisines for people who feel self-assured by their
multicultural palate. It is not very easy to find qualified and experienced
cooks in Britain to satisfy this palate. Furthermore, owners also encounter
ever rising operational costs. The simplest way to cut these costs is to transfer
the burden onto the cooks themselves.
Despite authorities’ routine checks, the illegal hiring of foreign workers
without work visas continues. These workers will arrive in Britain under a
tourist visa and simply stay on to cook. Most of them will have to remain in
one workplace for a long time. It is not easy for these workers to change their
job, no matter the working conditions. Most of these cooks are often abused,
receive low salaries, and cannot afford decent living conditions. Overtime
is not always compensated and there is no access to free healthcare or
insurance. They live under the radar, unable to partake in the cosmopolitan
experience of London, even though they directly contribute to its diverse
culture.
Who we cook for matters more than we think. Being “paid” to cook for
cosmopolitan citizens in a foreign land can be far riskier than cooking for
free for the homeless.
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