Feed your mind, body and soul with these homegrown Hong Kong cookbooks from local chefs and nutritionists. By Tanya Parmanand
Anti-Aging by Althea and Tansy Tan
Sisters Althea and Tansy Tan launched Hong Kong’s first whole-foods, plant-based vegan cookbook in 2016, and it is an absolute trove of great, healthy recipes. Unlike other cookbooks on the market, this one has been carefully curated using evidence-based nutritional info and ingredients with therapeutic properties to naturally counter the ageing process.
STAR DISH: Tomato-Lentil Soup, a soup mega-rich in the powerful antioxidant lycopene.
USD$9.99, available for purchase on Google Play
A Spark of Madness by Simran Savlani
A vegetarian and vegan cookbook with 116 pan-Asian recipes from Singapore to Seoul, Taiwan to Thailand, and India to Indonesia! While many recipes stay true to their cultural roots, others are a fusion of comfort food favourites, such as green curry gnocchi and beer bread made with ema datshi, a Bhutanese cheese and chili dish.
STAR DISH: Pho with Charred Vegetables, Crispy Tofu and Spices (vegan AND gluten-free!)
$240 from asparkofmadness.co
Provenance by Peggy Chan
If you’ve been missing Grassroots Pantry and Nectar, two of the city’s most beloved and sorely missed plant-based restaurants, then check this one out! Chef Peggy Chan, the creative mind behind both eateries, launched this digital cookbook earlier this year. Find new dishes alongside some of the star recipes from both restaurants’ menus. A large portion of the proceeds will also go towards Chan’s impact venture, Zero Foodprint Asia.
STAR DISH: Celery Root and Burdock Fries
Available for free on Issuu
Cook with Ease: Tips and Recipes for Small Families
Specially designed for Hong Kong’s elderly citizens, Cook with Ease provides healthy and simple recipes for household sizes of one to two. This book also provides a model one-week healthy menu to follow, and shares information about the impact of poor eating habits on general health and wellbeing.
STAR DISH: Thai Fish Cakes, complete with an individualised nutrient analysis!
Available for free on the Department of Health’s Elderly Health Service page
The Recipe Collection by Feeding HK
Hong Kong charity Feeding HK has published several volumes of cookbooks available in both Chinese and English, each with a special theme depending on your needs and personal tastes. For those living on a budget, Volume 1 offers recipes that are quick, maximise the nutritional value of ingredients, and can easily be prepared even with limited culinary equipment. Volume 3 features healthy versions of fast food; rather than instant noodles, opt for the Healthy Pot Noodles!
STAR DISH: Barley and Vegetable Stir-Fry by Sally Poon, a personal dietician who also provides nutritional advice.
$100 from feedinghk.org/store
Hong Kong House Cookbook by Amelia Leung
Chef Amelia Leung was raised in Hong Kong, before moving stateside and opening her own restaurant, Hong Kong House in Greensboro, North Carolina. The restaurant has since shut down, but the book pays homage to its made-with-love ethos and loyal clientele – and the crowd-pleasing recipes aren’t half bad either!
STAR DISH: The Wok Chicken
USD$99 from Amazon
Baba’s Bites by Rebecca and Matthew Teague
Inspired by Ayurveda, this cookbook goes beyond your stomach and straight to your energetic alignment! All of the recipes aim to balance our three Doshas – vata, pitta and kapha – which are believed in Ayurvedic practice to contribute to our physical, mental and emotional wellbeing.
STAR DISH: Cacao Paradise Bowl, made with coconut, almond milk, coconut, bananas, and raw cacao powder.
$200 from babas.life
Read more: The Best Plant Based Proteins Available in Hong Kong Supermarkets
