Chala June

Chala is a professional food fanatic with nearly a decade of experience cooking and writing about global cuisines. Their career in food began as a sophomore in college working in cafés and on food trucks. Chala landed their first job as a line cook in 2017, inspiring them to deepen their food knowledge base and write about the subject. After getting their degree, Chala moved to Brooklyn and continued to work in food service as a prep cook and cheesemonger while occasionally submitting articles to publications like Culture Cheese Magazine. Chala landed their career-shaping role as Bon Appétit in 2021, where they served as an associate print editor for two years. Since leaving BA in spring 2023, Chala has been working as a full-time freelancer, covering the intersections of culinary and popular culture. Their words have appeared in prominent food and lifestyle publications such as Cherry Bombe, Condé Nast Traveler, New York Magazine, Edible Manhattan, and Wine Enthusiast. Chala is also a prolific public speaker on the topics of food and identity and has participated in panels curated by the James Beard Foundation, Queer Food Conference, Specialty Food Association, and more.

Chala holds a bachelor's degree in writing, literature, and publishing from Emerson College (class of 2018).