For food lovers, a meal is rarely just about satisfying hunger; it is a sensory doorway into memory, culture and human connection.
A new exhibition titled “Treasured Recipes” at PMQ Taste Library in Central invites visitors to step away from modern digital recipe apps and discover how physical cookbooks have captured Hong Kong’s rich history and domestic life across generations.
A central highlight of the exhibition, and a nostalgic focal point for local collective memory, is the dedicated feature on Lisa Yam. Affectionately known as Mrs Fong, she was the beloved host of the much-loved cooking television show Mrs Fong’s Kitchen.
Display cases showcase her original, handwritten manuscripts, early reference books and archival television material. Flipping through these records, as well as nostalgic titles like the culinary magazine Lisa Yam’s World, invokes the warmth of retro family dining tables, illustrating how home cooking evolved alongside the city’s post-war development.
“Treasured Recipes” marks the debut of the library’s “Guest Curator” initiative.
The exhibition was co-curated by Michael Lui Ka-chun, publisher of Word by Word Collective, and displays over 20 rare cookbooks, culinary magazines and personal manuscripts categorised into four distinct themes: “The Taste of Home,” “The Witness of History,” “World Master Recipes,” and “Creative Awakenings”.
“A cookbook is far more than a practical manual; it is a record of a region’s [environment] and its people,” Lui said. “Over time, it reflects evolving tastes, preferences, ideologies and craftsmanship. Through a single dish, one can observe microscopic facets of daily life that mirror an entire era.”
Beyond domestic kitchens, the exhibition explores professional culinary mastery through rare historical texts. Visitors can examine titles like The Legacy Of Shunde: Fung Shing Restaurant’s Master Chef Tam Kwok King and vintage out-of-print titles from Central’s famous Yung Kee Restaurant.
These documents record intricate cooking methods, sizzling wok techniques and rare ingredients, preserving traditional Cantonese knowledge that might otherwise vanish.
Personal archives from contemporary local chefs – including Jayson Tang Wai-san, executive Chinese chef of Man Ho Chinese Restaurant; Peter Pang, founder of Big JJ Seafood Hotpot; and ArChan Chan, executive chef of Ho Lee Fook – further demonstrate how culinary traditions are passed down through generations.
The exhibition also features interactive public programming. Upcoming events include a historical tasting workshop with food influencer Melvin Foo, who will attempt to recreate 100-year-old dishes like “melon curry” and “banana candles”, as well as a family recipe archiving workshop led by documentary director Dora Choi.
Established in 2015 as a collaboration between PMQ and writer Craig Au-Yeung, the PMQ Taste Library is Hong Kong’s premier space dedicated to food culture and design. It houses more than 2,000 books, ranging from classic recipe collections to global food literature.
The “Treasured Recipes” exhibition runs from Wednesday to Sunday, 1pm to 6pm, until August 30. Standard adult admission is priced at HK$20, granting entry to both the PMQ Taste Library and the adjacent Picture Book Library.
Ticket holders can also access the “Books Party” section, where they may choose up to two complimentary titles to take home.
