#ChineseFoodiesofIG: Susur Lee

Susur Lee

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 was born and raised in Hong Kong but usually when someone asks now while I’m travelling, I say Canada because it’s been my home for so many years.

What does home taste like?

The taste of home is almost indescribable. I sometimes get a waft of a specific smell that takes me right back there. It’s like I’m walking through the markets and food stalls of Hong Kong and I’m a kid all over again. In a way, home tastes like family.

Rice or noodles?

Both are so versatile and such great staples in Asian cooking but I think noodles are so interesting for their long history and the fine craft of noodle making that in some cases can take years to master.

Share a food memory:

My fondest food memories are the ones of eating dim sum with my father. I would eat while he read the newspaper, sometimes I would eat so much I would throw up!

How did you learn to cook?

Technically I learned to cook in a French kitchen as a young man in Hong Kong but I really think my love of cooking started with my love of eating. I had to learn how to eat before I could learn how to cook, sort of like crawling before walking!

A Chinese recipe everyone should learn:

Fried rice. It’s not the most technical but you can do so much with it and it’s so comforting. It’s great because you can use luxurious and fresh ingredients or you can use affordable ingredients or leftovers. It’s a great generational recipe too; the older generation teaching the youth.

The secret to Chinese cooking is:

Definitely learning to use and master the wok.

Ultimate comfort food:

Wonton noodle soup.

Dream dinner party guests:

My family. Always. My mum passed away last year and it would be so nice to have a family dinner with everyone in my family past and present.

What does Chinese food mean to you?

Chinese food isn’t chow mein and chicken balls. I think a lot of people think of American Chinese when they think of Chinese food and assume it’s unhealthy. A lot of Chinese cooking is actually very good for you, a lot of vegan and dairy free options, using the whole animal. It’s very holistic and very healthy.