Chopping Up Cultural Barriers At Reading Terminal Market

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Reading Terminal Market's "Breaking Bread, Breaking Barriers" series, which unites different ethnic groups in Philadelphia through food, wrapped up Monday night.

Chinese immigrant Wei Chen showed up hoping to learn more about other cultures.

"We'll have food, sit down together and share about our tradition and our struggle," he says.

Before members of the Asian and Mexican communities enjoyed their meal and conversation with one another, they helped prepare each others dishes.

Chen made tacos for the first time ever.

"It wasn't easy to make but it was amazing I got a chance to know how to make a taco," he tells KYW Newsradio. "The one I just made, it tastes awesome. I can't wait to have the second one."

Others got to help make dumplings. Also, members of the Mummers cooked up a New Year's Day favorite with some of the immigrants.

"We are doing a roasted pork loin pin wheel pork stuffed with provolone cheese, spinach and roasted peppers," says chef and Mummer Steve Mastero.

Mayor Kenney stopped by to get a taste of what was happening.

"We have all these different institutions in the city," he says. "A lot of times they don't talk to each other and the best way to talk is to eat together and learn that we're all just the same, we're human beings."

"It's pretty powerful," adds Reading Terminal Market General Manager Anuj Gupta. "You hear it in some of the comments people say at the end of the night that they discover how much they have in common just through their respective cuisines."

This was the sixth dinner in the series, one made possible by the Knight Foundation.

Gupta says all of the pairings will be asked to come back this summer for a second session.

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