“you are what you eat” is a food-centric digital zine by Asians, for Asians, about how we connect to & celebrate cultural heritage through ethnic cuisine.It’s about the many ways food can remind us of traditions, customs, and generational values—by gathering with family, cooking, eating, etc.It is now available for purchase through our shop, with all proceeds going to The Palestine Children's Relief Fund (PCRF). Donations will be made periodically.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a zine?
- A zine is a term used to describe unofficial or independent publications which usually contain written fiction and artworks. This zine will be a collaborative project by multiple contributors.How much of Asia is this project referring to? Is it for specific like East Asia, Southeast Asia, etc?
- This project will showcase the cuisines and cultures of any country that is within Asia!Will you be requiring pieces that showcase food for portfolio?
- Yes, we will be looking for pieces that showcase food, eating, or cooking!How will international shipping of physical goods and merchandise be handled?
- This is a digital zine so the product will be a PDF and zipped digital merchandise! I will likely release it through ko-fi store, itch.io or a Google Drive folder.Would you consider adding recipes into the zine?
- There will be recipes in the zine!Will this project be for profit or for charity?
- This project is for charity. As of now, all proceeds will be donated to The Palestine Children's Relief Fund.I am a mix of Asian and non-Asian, is it ok to incorporate some non-Asian foods I've grown up with?
- That should be fine, but the focus should be on how Asian (fusion?) foods help you connect with your Asian heritage, traditions, or values!I hope this is open for all participants?
- First and foremost, this is a zine made by Asians for Asians to showcase our cultures! Whether you are Asian living in Asia, Asian diaspora in another another country, or just living in Asia currently, you are welcome to apply! We will be running contributor applications so that the project doesn't get too big for the mods to handle.Will this zine be a space for creators who are underrepresented (South/Central Asian, etc) in "Asian projects" like this (not just East Asian)?
- The zine aims to have as many countries represented as possible, but it will depend entirely on the applicants to represent!Who is modding?
- This project is being modded by Cate, with Rui learning about running zines as the intern!* For other questions, please ask in our Twitter DMs!

Contributor Applications

Applications are now closed.

Contributor Guidelines

General
- Applicants should be at least 15 years old by the end of the application period (19 March, 2022).
- Applicants should be Asian as the zine is celebrating our cultures and heritage. This includes all people of Asian descent or living in Asia (or both)!
- Make sure samples and portfolios are easy to access! If using a Google Drive folder, it should be set so “Anyone with the link” can view. Provide passwords to any password-locked portfolio sites.
- Online portfolios, Google Drive folders, Twitter moments, art-only Instagram accounts, tagged Tumblr posts, Carrds with a gallery are allowed as art portfolios. Twitter media tabs and general Tumblrs with works of others are not allowed. Google Drive folder and AO3 is allowed for writer portfolios.
- Plagiarism is strictly prohibited and applications will be void if suspected.
- All submitted works must be SFW. Applications with NSFW samples will be disregarded excluding properly tagged content in AO3 writer portfolios.
- Prior experience is not required as page, merch and writer templates will be provided.
- Must have or be willing to make a Discord account for zine communications and announcements.
- Failure to follow these guidelines will result in disqualification.

Contributor Guidelines

Chef
- Submit a portfolio of 3-5 recipes that best represent your work. Recipes should not from online published sources, but created by you or passed down to you.
- At least 1 recipe should be for an Asian dish.
- We are mainly looking for clarity of instructions. Images demonstrating the process are beneficial.
- Expectations: 1-3 recipes (your choice). Recipe template will be provided upon acceptance.

Contributor Guidelines

Writer
- Submit 3 separate samples that best represent your work, whether it is short stories, articles, poetry, journals, blogs, etc. Total word count across all samples should not exceed 6000 words.
- At least 2 pieces should be about food, culture, or have people preparing or eating food.
- We are mainly looking for grammar, flow, expression of theme, and syntax.
- Expectations: 1 fictional story, 1 personal anecdote, or 1-3 poems (depending on length). Word limit will be 2000 words. Writing template will be provided upon acceptance.

Contributor Guidelines

Merch Artist
- Submit a visual portfolio of 5-20 pieces that best represent your work. At least 2 pieces should be of food, or have people preparing or eating food.
- We are mainly looking for consistency, lighting and engaging composition. For profile icons and emotes, we are looking at the ability to draw an image in small sizes.
- Expectations: 1 mobile/desktop wallpaper, 1 icon, 4 static emotes (3 sizes) or 2 animated emotes (3 sizes). Template will be provided upon acceptance.

Contributor Guidelines

Page Artist
- Submit a visual portfolio of 5-20 pieces that best represent your work. At least 2 pieces should be of food, or have people preparing or eating food.
- We are mainly looking for consistency, lighting and engaging composition.
- Expectations: 1 coloured illustration (can be multiple smaller illustrations arranged), photograph, or traditional artwork scan. Template will be provided upon acceptance.

Schedule

* All dates are subject to change at any time