New Americans in Bowling Green take pride in cooking delights from their homeland
The American dream is alive and well at Great American Donuts in Bowling Green.
Since arriving in south central Kentucky from Cambodia in 1981, Yong Taing and her husband have been serving up deliciousness at the staple donut shop for nearly 30 years.
"It wasn’t successful at the beginning. It was hard work, 24 hours a day, husband and wife, working, just the two of us working day and night around the clock," said Taing.
Less than two miles away from Great American Donuts, Moti Acharya stirs a large pot of onion sauce at his restaurant, India Oven. He and 10 family members immigrated to Kentucky from Nepal in 2010 and opened the restaurant six years later.
"Sometimes I come here at 7:00 in the morning. I never feel tired because it’s my interest and passion too," said Acharya.
It’s passion that goes into each dish, whether its creamy chicken tikka masala or fluffy naan made in the tandoor oven.
That love for cooking is shared by so many other immigrants in the community. Just over 8% of new Americans in Bowling Green and the surrounding area, own their own business, many of which are restaurants.
As International Communities liaison for the City of Bowling Green, Leyda Becker works one-on- one with new Americans wanting to fry, sauté and grill their native culinary delights.
