TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Tucson’s culinary history is getting a spotlight this month as the Chinese Chorizo Festival returns for its fifth year, bringing together local restaurants to celebrate a food born from the connections between Chinese and Mexican immigrant communities.
The festival, founded by chef and multidisciplinary artist Feng-Feng Yeh, invites participating restaurants to create their own dishes using Chinese chorizo, a historic Tucson specialty that blends Chinese and Mexican culinary traditions.
“The Chinese Chorizo Project started because I was having a mid-life crisis during the pandemic,” Yeh said, with a laugh.
What began as a personal effort to reconnect with her heritage has grown into a community-wide culinary project. Yeh said the project has produced about 3,000 pounds of Chinese chorizo, which has been donated to more than 85 restaurants and food vendors.
“We’ve made like 3,000 pounds of Chinese chorizo,” Yeh said. “Donated it to over 85 different restaurants and food vendors.”
Chinese chorizo traces its roots to Chinese-owned grocery stores that once served neighborhoods throughout Tucson. Chinese immigrants operated hundreds of markets over the decades, many of which became important gathering places for Mexican American residents and other members of the community.
“Five-hundred and eighty-two Chinese grocery stores existed in Tucson for a span of 100 years,” Yeh said. “From 1881 to 1991 and they played this pivotal role in our daily lives.”
Historical records compiled by the Pima County Public Library and the Arizona Historical Society document 582 Chinese-owned grocery stores in Tucson between 1881 and 1991. By 1950, at least 114 Chinese grocery stores operated in the city, according to the Arizona Historical Society.
These businesses helped sustain neighborhood economies and foster relationships across cultural lines. Chinese chorizo became one example of that exchange, combining ingredients and techniques associated with both Chinese and Mexican cooking.
Tucson was designated the first UNESCO City of Gastronomy in the United States in 2015, recognizing the region’s long agricultural history and diverse culinary traditions.
For the festival, Yeh works with Carniceria Wild West (and where you can buy Chinese Chorizo yourself) at 4825 N 1st Ave., to produce the chorizo, then distributes it to chefs who develop their own recipes.
Anthony “Rocco” DiGrazia, owner of Rocco’s Little Chicago Pizzeria, said the ingredient gives restaurants an opportunity to experiment.
“It’s always fun to bring new ingredients in and mess with stuff … mix it up a little bit,” DiGrazia said.
For Donovan Bamba, owner of Bamba Filipino Street Diner, the project also represents a way to share family traditions with the next generation.
“This whole project is a love story,” Bamba said. “Like this is just me showcasing everything I want her and my kids to grow up eating.”
Yeh said the festival has also shaped how people recognize her in the community.
“After the first festival, I had some young people come upon to me, and they said ‘Oh, you’re the chorizo lady.’ I’m the chorizo lady now,” she said.
The work has earned support from other Tucson food professionals, including Don Guerra, owner of Barrio Bread, who praised Yeh’s efforts to bring people together through food.
“You gotta check this out, Chinese chorizo fest!” Guerra said. “This one right here” — pointing to Yeh — “She’s doing good things for the community. Feng-Feng, we’re really proud of you.”
The 2026 festival began Oct. 9 and will feature rotating groups of restaurants on weekends through Nov. 22. Participating chefs are free to develop their own dishes, giving diners an opportunity to experience the ingredient in different culinary styles. More than 1,000 pounds of Chinese chorizo is being donated to restaurants and food vendors for this year’s festival, according to the Arizona Daily Star.
Restaurants participating in the 2026 Chinese Chorizo Festival
The following restaurants are participating during the opening weekend, Oct. 9-11:
- Anello
- Bamba!
- BATA
- Barrio Bread
- BOCA by Chef Maria Mazon
- Ceres
- Muncheez
- Rocco’s Little Chicago
- Rosebud Bakery
- Sawmill Run
- Zerai’s International Bar
The full festival schedule includes additional participating restaurants on subsequent weekends. For the latest dates, menus and participating locations, visit the Chinese Chorizo Project’s official website.
For Yeh, the festival is about more than introducing diners to an unusual ingredient. It is also an effort to preserve a piece of Tucson’s history and highlight the relationships that helped shape the city’s food culture.
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Eddie Celaya is a multimedia journalist at KGUN 9. Born in Tucson and raised in the Phoenix area, Eddie is a life-long Arizonan and graduate of the University of Arizona who loves the desert and mountains and hates the cold. Previously, Eddie worked in print media at the Arizona Daily Star. Share your story ideas with Eddie at edward.celaya@kgun9.com, or by connecting on Facebook or Instagram.
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