#ChineseFoodiesofIG: Zoey Gong of Five Seasons TCM

Zoey Gong of Five Seasons TCM

This is part of an ongoing series of interviews I’m doing with my favourite Chinese foodies that I follow on Instagram. Come and follow the #ChineseFoodiesofIG hashtag on Instagram and leave a comment showing your support for these talented folk!

Where are you from? Where are you really from?

I'm from Shanghai, China, like really 100% born and raised. However, I have lived in New York City for 5 years.

What does home taste like?

Sticky rice, sweet soy braised pork belly, fresh stir fried shanghai bokchoy, steamed red bean buns.

Rice or noodles?

Most definitely RICE.

Share a food memory:

On my Jeep road trip from Shanghai to Shangri La with my parents, we stopped at a local village. They were very traditional and down-to-earth Tibetan people who warmly welcomed us with their traditional drink: Su You Cha (yak-butter tea). I almost threw up. It was so oily and salty and sweet and bitter at the same time. But that was one of my favorite food memories!

Who's your Chinese food legend?

Martin Yan, Susur Lee, Cecilia Chang, Florence Lin, Irene Kuo, Grace Young, Peter Chang, Jowett Yu, Dan Hong.

Who’s your Chinese food legend?

My grandparents.

How did you learn to cook?

By watching my grandparents when I was little, then by watching chefs in NYC, then by experimenting on my own.

The most important Chinese ingredient is…

Soy sauce. Good, fermented, old-school soy sauce that doesn't have all the artificial colors and additives!

Dream dinner party guests:

Michelle Obama (I guess we have to bring Obama too), Michael Pollan, Trevor Noah, Leslie Zhang, Marie Viljoen.

What's in your fridge at home?

Currently (early October): homemade osmanthus rice wine, bokchoy, lily bulb, cashew yogurt, miso, fermented tofu with red koji, corn, delicata squash, chinese yam, fresh mushrooms, ginger, bean sprouts, kombucha, fresh whole fish that I'm about to make a yin-nourishing broth with tomorrow.

What does Chinese food mean to you?

Chinese food is really everything for me: home, career, passion, and endless learning. It’s such a rich and diverse cuisine that just keeps surprising me. I really want to share with people my knowledge on it, its regionality, its medicinal benefit, and its incredible connection with cuisines all over the world.