Hannah Che Explained

Hannah Che
Birth Place:Ann Arbor, Michigan, U.S.
Alma Mater:B.M, M.M. Shepherd School of Music, Rice University
Subject:Plant-based/Vegan cookbooks
Notable Works:The Vegan Chinese Kitchen
Awards:James Beard Foundation Award

Hannah Che is an American plant-based/vegan writer, chef, and author, as well as a pianist. Her cookbook, The Vegan Chinese Kitchen, won the 2023 James Beard Foundation Award.

Early life and education

Che was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan, to immigrant parents from China.[1] [2] When she was 9, her father's work took them to Shenzhen, China for three years before returning to the United States.[2] She trained as a pianist at Shepherd School of Music, Rice University, receiving both a B.M. and M.M.[3] She then studied vegetarian cooking at the Guangzhou Vegetarian Culinary School in China.[4]

Career

Che states that after reading Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer, she "chose to shift to plant-based eating for health, environmental, and ethical reasons."[5] She then began to study "other culinary traditions, like plant-based Thai and Mediterranean cuisine."[5] She states that she learned that "plant-based eating is a long-standing tradition in Chinese cuisine."[5] [6] She started the blog, "The Plant-Based Wok," as a result of these changes.[7]

Book

The New York Times and The Washington Post named her first cookbook, The Vegan Chinese Kitchen (2022), one of the Best Cookbooks of 2022,[8] [9] and the Food Network listed it as one of the “10 Best New Vegan Cookbooks” for 2023.[10] VegNews listed it as one of the "Top 100 Vegan Cookbooks of All Time" in 2024.[11]

It won the 2023 James Beard Foundation Award and 2023 International Association of Culinary Professionals Julia Child First Book Award.

Awards and honors

Year Awards and Honors Event
2023 James Beard Foundation Award: Vegetable Focused Cooking[12]
2023IACPJulia Child First Book Award, Presented By The Julia Child Foundation for Gastronomy and the Culinary Arts[13]

Cookbook

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 'This was my heritage I'd underappreciated': vegan Chinese cookbook author Hannah Che on an epiphany in China. November 20, 2023. Mok. Charmaine. October 9, 2022. South China Morning Post.
  2. Web site: Hananh Che: Our Cover Girl Was Nominated for a James Beard Award. November 20, 2023. April 27, 2023. Elite Gen Magazine.
  3. Web site: Biography. November 20, 2023. Che. Hannah. Hannahche.com.
  4. Web site: about. November 20, 2023. Che. Hannah. theplantbasedwok.com.
  5. Web site: A fresh look at traditional Chinese cuisine. December 31, 2023. Roy. Paula. September 30, 2022. Ottawa At Home.
  6. Web site: This Vegan Cookbook Celebrates Chinese Home Cooking. December 31, 2023. Yam. Genevieve. September 12, 2022. Epicurious.
  7. Web site: Cookbook review: Plant-based dishes inspired by Buddhist traditions. December 31, 2023. Puckett. Susan. October 5, 2022. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
  8. Web site: The Best Cookbooks of 2022. November 20, 2023. December 12, 2022. The New York Times.
  9. News: Our Favorite Cookbooks of 2022. November 20, 2023. The Washington Post.
  10. Web site: 10 Best New Vegan Cookbooks. 2023-12-28. Khoury-Hanold. Layla. 2023-01-03. Food Network.
  11. Web site: The Top 100 Vegan Cookbooks of All Time. January 16, 2024. Pointing. Charlotte. January 10, 2024. VegNews.
  12. Web site: James Beard Awards: Hannah Che. November 20, 2023. James Beard Foundation Award.
  13. Web site: Hecht . Lisa . 2023 IACP Awards Winners . 2023-11-23 . IACP . en-US.