The Vegan Chinese Kitchen

JAMES BEARD AND IACP AWARD WINNER • 100+ fresh, plant-based, umami-packed recipes that show the range of traditional and modern Chinese vegan cuisine from the creator of The Plant-Based Wok.

NAMED ONE OF THE TEN BEST COOKBOOKS OF THE YEAR BY The Washington Post and Simply Recipes

NAMED ONE OF THE BEST COOKBOOKS OF THE YEAR BY The New York Times • The National Post • Vice • Epicurious • Food Network • Saveur • Library Journal • Serious Eats

One of Vogue's Best Vegan Cookbooks for Every Pantry

When Hannah Che decided to become a vegan, she was concerned that it would alienate her from the traditions and food that her Chinese family celebrated. But that was before she learned about Zhai cai, or vegetarian cooking, a fascinating subset of Chinese cookery that empasizes umami-rich ingredients and can be traced back over hundreds, if not a thousand, years to Buddhist temple kitchens. 

In The Vegan Chinese Kitchen, Hannah Che shows us the magic of this highly developed and creative tradition in which nearly every dish in the Chinese repertoire can be replicated in a meatless way, such as Sichuan chili-oil wontons, or using spicy mushrooms in dan-dan noodles. In this book, you'll find recipes that are naturally plant-based with a rich culinary history that are as irresistible as they are nourishing, such as flaky scallion pancakes, corn stir fried with peppers and pine nuts, or pea shoots braised in a velvety mushroom broth made with sesame-oil roux.

This book will delight vegans and omnivores alike, inviting you not only to explore a whole new world of flavors and ingredients, but also to create conversations about food, cultural traditions and identity, and wholesome, sustainable cooking.