Students from Mt. Hebron Middle School in Montclair learn the history of China through its cuisine at T.S. Ma Chinese Cuisine in Montclair. A few years ago, the school began a field trip to the restaurant for children to try authentic Chinese food. Owner Thomas Ma, however, wanted the students to have something to remember the trip by, which led him to begin his healthy eating workshops. When his idea first began, a chef would visit each child’s table to demonstrate how vegetable dumplings are made and then explain the ingredients. They also discussed other ways to eat healthy. He has recently changed the workshop to be more hands-on by having each child make two vegetable spring rolls —one to eat at the restaurant and one to bring home. The program has been a huge success and has become the favorite among students, whose feedback each year ranks this school trip the highest among others. Many students now dine at T.S. Ma Chinese Cuisine with their families.
Healthy Eating Workshops at T.S. Ma
