Revered Chinese food writers Kei-Lum Chan and wife Diora Fong share their insight distilled from decades of travel and kitchen adventures.
When The China Cookbook was published in late 2016, Kei-Lum Chan and partner Diora Fong, celebrated Hong Kong food writers and authorities of the Chinese cuisine, were fast to follow up with a whirlwind trip around the world to promote the sizable volume, printing 660 recipes ranged from 33 of the country’s provinces and special regions. At a point where different versions of Chinese cuisines are seen everywhere in the world, the couple were in high spirits to share a lesson or two on their culinary expertise, as well as the significance and future of Chinese cuisine.
Born in a food-loving household to Mong-Yan Chan, the former chief editor of Sing Tao newspaper and author of the definitive Chinese ‘The Food Bible’, Kei-Lum Chan took after his father’s knack for good food and fine cooking. Throughout childhood Chan gained independence in the home by making breakfast starting from a young age, followed by helping out in the kitchen as his father threw family banquets. “My father loved throwing parties at home, and with my curiosity towards food and cooking, I was in and out of the kitchen offering a hand to our Shunde helper who was an excellent cook. I’d help in turning snake meat from fresh snakes during winter, and mixing marinades for meats,” Chan vividly recalled. “My father also took me out to eat every chance he gets. Eating at restaurants has always been an exciting yet educational experience for me.”
Chan later married Diora Fong, and immediately Fong discovered the wonders of good food in the Chan family. “My father-in-law would test my kitchen skills by offering me only a main ingredient before dinner time, allowing me only hours to prepare the best dish based on my understanding of the ingredient and cooking,” Fong recalled. Celebrated as a food connoisseur of his generation, Mong-Yan Chan’s deep understanding of the customs and traditions in Chinese cuisines were reflected in his expectations for his son and daughter-in-law. Aside from influence coming from within the family, the Chan duo also studied volumes of classics from ancient Chinese literature to history, allowing them to investigate further on their exposure to different dishes from all over the country.
