Introducing Grace Young, the wok expert dedicated to preserving the vibrancy of America’s Chinatowns

If you’ve never owned a wok—or are thinking about getting one—you’ll likely change your mind after hearing Grace Young’s passionate pitch.

Like the thousands who have attended her wok workshops or devoured her award-winning books over the past 20 years, you won’t regret adding a wok to your kitchen.

This year, the respected food writer, historian, and ‘wok therapist’ Grace Young has been honored with two of the culinary world’s highest accolades: the 8th annual Julia Child Award and the 2022 James Beard Humanitarian of the Year Award.

These prestigious awards not only celebrate Young’s advocacy for Chinese culinary traditions, but also recognize her tireless work supporting small businesses in Chinatowns across the U.S., which were hit hard by the pandemic and rising anti-Asian hate crimes.

A champion for Chinatown

On March 15, 2020, as New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio was weighing a city-wide lockdown due to the escalating pandemic, Young found herself in Chinatown, alongside videographer Dan Ahn, capturing the community’s struggles and fears for their livelihoods.

This footage was part of a project titled “Coronavirus: Chinatown Stories.”

“Being in the heart of history during one of Chinatown’s darkest hours was incredibly moving. It pushed me to do everything I could to help,” Young shares with Dinogo Travel.

While businesses across New York City faced challenges during the pandemic, Chinatown’s small enterprises were hit especially hard as people avoided the area, even though no Covid-19 cases had been reported from there at the time,” Young explains.

“Misinformation and xenophobia fueled fear, causing people to avoid Chinatown,” she explains.

The situation worsened as anti-Asian hate crimes surged in the months that followed. In 2020, incidents targeting Asian Americans rose from 161 to 279. According to the NYPD Hate Crimes Dashboard, between March 31, 2021, and March 31, 2022, 110 out of 577 hate crime reports were aimed at Asians.

As the number of attacks grew, businesses began shutting down earlier in the evening, allowing staff to leave before dark—a pattern that persists today.

“Before the pandemic, Chinatown buzzed with life until 10 or 11 at night. Now, it’s heartbreaking to see many shops and markets closing their doors by 5 PM. Weeknights can feel eerily quiet,” says Young.

Chinatown is home to mostly family-owned businesses, many of which lack an online presence. Young used her platform to advocate for these small shops.

She redirected funds to support four iconic businesses in Manhattan’s Chinatown—Hop Lee, Hop Kee, Wo Hop Upstairs, and Wo Hop Downstairs. In return, these establishments provided meals for those struggling with food insecurity.

The Wisdom of the Chinese Kitchen

The Julia Child Award is a recognition that goes beyond Young’s advocacy for Chinatown. It holds deep personal significance.

“Without Julia Child’s influence, I don’t think I would have pursued a career in food. She sparked my passion and curiosity for cooking,” shares Young, who first fell in love with Child’s culinary world as a teenager.

Raised in San Francisco, Young enjoyed a rich array of delicious Cantonese home-cooked meals.

In college, Young attempted to recreate her favorite dishes from home using Chinese cookbooks, but struggled to capture the authentic taste. It wasn’t until her 30s that she asked her parents to teach her how to cook the Cantonese classics—from stir-fried tomato with beef to cashew chicken.

The journey led to her debut cookbook, 'The Wisdom of the Chinese Kitchen,' which was released in 1999.

“When I wrote my first cookbook, my goal was to do for Chinese cuisine what Julia Child had done for French cuisine,” says Young. Her aim was to demystify Chinese cooking, just as Child had worked to show that French cooking was not only achievable but followed clear, structured techniques.

Young’s book has received widespread praise. It was a finalist for the James Beard Foundation’s International Cookbook Award, nominated for the IACP Julia Child First Cookbook Award, and won the IACP Best International Cookbook Award.

The almost forgotten delicacy of tender chicken on rice

Working on the book turned out to be far more rewarding than Young had ever anticipated.

After nearly two years of documenting the everyday happenings in her family kitchen, Young believed they had captured all the dishes she wanted to include.

That is, until her father reminded her, “But we haven’t taught you how to make ‘waat gai faan.’”

One of her father’s favorite dishes, it became the final recipe Young learned from her parents to feature in 'Wisdom of the Chinese Kitchen.'

Waat gai faan is a comforting dish made by stir-frying chicken and shiitake mushrooms, then finishing it off by placing it over hot rice in a sandpot. This method ensures the chicken becomes incredibly tender—hence the name 'waat,' meaning 'slippery' in Cantonese—and the rice absorbs all the savory chicken flavors. The dish is called 'Tender Chicken on Rice' in her cookbook.

“'The Wisdom of the Chinese Kitchen' was published in 1999, and about a decade later, I received a call informing me that my mom had suffered a stroke,” Young shares.

She flew back to San Francisco to be by her mother’s side in the hospital.

“She couldn’t speak. I sat with her while they brought in the hospital meal. It was something like meatloaf and mashed potatoes. She poked at the food with her fork but didn’t take a bite,” Young recalls.

Worried for her mother, Young went back to her family home and prepared a small pot of tender chicken on rice.

“I brought the pot to the hospital with me. It was still warm when I entered her room. The moment I stepped in, she smelled the aroma and looked up. I uncovered the pot, and she ate the whole thing,” recalls Young.

As her mother aged, Young continued to cook for her. Even with dementia, her mother always recognized her cooking. It became a way for Young to connect with her.

“When I wrote 'The Wisdom of the Chinese Kitchen,' I thought I was doing it for my generation and those to come, so we wouldn’t lose the old recipes,” she reflects. “But I never imagined it would become a way for me to comfort my parents during their toughest moments.”

“Now both of my parents are gone. One of the greatest gifts in my life was taking the time to cook with them. When I make waat gai faan now, it carries even deeper meaning. I nearly missed learning that recipe,” Young says.

A wok therapist

Over the years, Young recognized that many Chinese Americans, herself included when she was younger, had little understanding of how to properly use a wok.

In an effort to preserve this culinary tradition, she devoted her next two books to the wok and stir-frying: 'The Breath of a Wok' and 'Stir-frying to the Sky’s Edge.'

“In America, many people refer to the wok as just a stir-fry pan,” she explains. “They don’t realize it can do so much more—steaming, boiling, poaching, pan-frying, stir-frying, deep-frying, smoking, and braising. I use my wok to scramble eggs, pan-fry steaks, and even make popcorn.”

“Making popcorn in the wok is actually great for enhancing the wok's patina,” she adds.

For those unfamiliar with the term, patina refers to the brownish layer that forms on metal surfaces after prolonged use. It acts as a natural non-stick coating for the wok.

Among the many woks in her collection—Young refuses to disclose the exact number, as she doesn’t want her husband to know—there’s a 14-inch flat-bottomed carbon-steel wok she affectionately calls 'wok man,' which she always takes with her when traveling for work.

“Wok man has racked up countless frequent flyer miles. If only it could earn its own free ticket,” says Young.

A key to Young’s success is her ability to articulate complex Chinese culinary concepts in English, a challenge her books have managed to overcome, earning the gratitude of generations of Chinese food lovers and writers.

Today, she considers herself a wok therapist, helping anxious new wok owners through email and co-hosting 'Wok Wednesdays,' an online stir-frying group she helped create.

Preserving an essential part of American culinary culture

After publishing three cookbooks, Young still doesn’t consider herself a chef.

However, she is deeply committed to preserving and unraveling the complexities of Chinese culture, particularly through its cuisine.

Whether she’s writing wok recipes or advocating for Chinatowns, she says her efforts are not just for Chinese communities in the U.S.

To her, Chinese cuisine and the culture of Chinatown are fundamental to the broader American culture and history.

“People often forget that Chinese food has been a part of American history since the 1840s, and it remains a vital element of the American culinary landscape,” says Young.

“To me, Chinatown is a sacred part of America’s identity. It embodies the American story, taking you to a different time and place. It’s like stepping into a piece of history that feels a little lost,” says Young.

Top image: Esteemed food writer, historian, and 'wok therapist' Grace Young. Credit: Dan Ahn.