Not An Outsider EP16 | Hot chili flavor, please: American blogger finds another home in Chengdu
Jonathan Kott, who grew up in Seattle, Washington, has been living in Chengdu, Sichuan, for 26 years. Here, Jonathan speaks fluent Sichuan dialect, enjoys a variety of spicy Sichuan cuisine, and loves spending time in traditional teahouses. He is also known by his Chinese name, "Jiang Nan."
A recent interview with Kott took place in his favorite Chengdu teahouse, the Daci Temple's teahouse. The historic temple, situated in a bustling commercial area of Chengdu, features a teahouse in its side hall, with hundreds of bamboo tables and chairs arranged in a spacious outdoor courtyard.
Kott's connection to Chengdu dates back to a study abroad experience in 1998. While studying Chinese culture, anthropology, and religion at a university in Seattle, he received an opportunity to continue his studies in China. Due to his love for spicy food, he chose Sichuan University without hesitation.
After completing his six-month exchange program, Kott returned to the US to finish his degree but returned to Chengdu in 1999 to take more photos and continue learning about Chinese culture and the Sichuan dialect. Unexpectedly, he put down roots, gradually becoming a part of the city.
To learn the Sichuan dialect, Kott often visited teahouses to chat with locals. In the beginning, he struggled to understand, but like a child learning to speak, he quietly repeated what he heard. After six months, he was finally able to comprehend the conversations around him.
When Kott first came to China, he was studying Taoism and Chinese philosophy, which have many elements related to 'water.' Thus, he wanted a name related to water. Kott chose the surname "Jiang" ("river" in Chinese) based on the phonetic translation of his name, Jonathan. The name "Nan", which is the combination of the Chinese characters "mouth" and "south", implies whispering or speaking softly.
In 2005, as a spicy food enthusiast, Kott entered the Chengdu International Food Festival's spicy challenge. He excelled among over 2,000 participants and ate 50 chili peppers in the finals. This ability to handle spice attracted media attention, leading him to appear on television shows. Although he describes himself as somewhat "introverted," Kott became a host for a food talk show, deepening his understanding of food and food culture.
As Kott spent more time in Chengdu, his affection for the city grew. He opened a hot pot restaurant, promoted food culture, participated in marathons, and engaged in community service, enjoying tea and leisure in teahouses like a local.
In his spare time, Kott loves cycling through the streets and alleys of Chengdu, experiencing the city's development and changes firsthand. Now, as a social media influencer, he enjoys taking his camera and exploring broader China and various countries, documenting beautiful moments and sharing his travel stories on social platforms.
According to Kott, he hopes to use an art and cultural exchange space he is developing as a starting point to continue promoting Chengdu culture and even Chinese culture, building bridges for cultural exchange and integration among different countries and regions.
(Reporter: Xiang Yun, Ella Qu\ Cameraman: Sammi, Xing Ming, Judith\ Editor: Ella Qu\ Producer: Tracy\ Translator: Darius)
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