Illegible Multiculturalisms: Making, Digesting, and Translating Empanadas and Doenjang-jjigae within Digital Monolingualism

In this essay, we draw parallels between the processes of cooking and writing, emphasizing our personal investment as authors and cooks. Reflecting on our experiences cooking empanadas and doenjang-jjigae, we delve into the challenges of translating multicultural food experiences into publishable forms. We develop the concept of “illegible multiculturalisms,” and center the power of remaining unidentifiable within digital mono-lingualism, reimagining multiculturalism pluralistically. We advocate for alternative narra-tive forms and more inclusive futures for publishing while recognizing the embodied nature of food practices and critiquing reliance on imperialized infrastructures in scholarly work.