North American Chinese food queen Jiang Sunyun dies at the age of 100
Today, all mainstream American media are reporting that a hundred-year-old Chinese man, Jiang Sunyun, the queen of Chinese food and the mother of the founder of the famous Chinese food chain PF Chang, passed away yesterday (October 10) at the age of 28.According to her granddaughter, Jiang Sunyun passed away in her sleep in the early morning, and her family stayed with her.
Source: China News Network
From the east coast to the west coast, all major mainstream media in the United States gave Jiang Sunyun the greatest praise and recognition.
The New York Times mentioned that her contribution was to “leave the Chinese cuisine era of stir-fried chop suey and fried noodles far behind”, while the San Francisco Herald believed that her life was “far more meaningful than food, but condensed the 20th century American Chinese. History of immigration".
(Her incredible life, from accidental restaurateur to culinary pioneer, goes beyond food, encapsulating 20th century Chinese-American diaspora, and the subsequent history of Chinese culture in San Francisco.)
CNN directly called it "The Trailblazer" in the title: Cecilia Chiang, the trailblazing chef who brought real Chinese food to the USA, dies at 100
As a junior, Captain Foodie also met some seniors in the American Chinese food industry by fate, and was fortunate to have a relationship with Cecilia.At the time, she was in her 90s and she was very energetic. Although she met me for the first time, she was still enthusiastic about discussing the authentic Beijing cuisine of the Imperial Family Banquet.She speaks slowly, but she can hear a clear melody. Although I am a southerner, I can't help but feel cordial when I hear Beijing movies from an American Chinese food master.
Jiang Sunyun and her Fu Lu Shou restaurant The Mandarin
All Chinese food diners who have been immersed in the San Francisco catering industry for a certain number of years have a certain intersection with Cecilia. From my limited conversation, I feel that everyone respects her. Cecilia has her own insistence on the definition of Chinese food, even stubborn; for example, when I mentioned Chinatown’s new Chinese food "China Live", she shook her head and said, "It’s for Americans!" At the same time, she would talk to a certain dumpling in City. The store has a soft spot.
However, no matter the owner of the dumpling shop or the big boss of China Live, she was helped to some extent back then.
It can be said that she slowly established the whole Chinese food scene in San Francisco.Everything starts with the one she opened in San Francisco in early 1959Mandarin (Fu Lu Shou Restaurant)Speaking.
Photo source: China News Network, taken in 1977
The origin of Fu Lu Shou Restaurant is alsoA story with a little helplessness but full of faith. In 1960, Jiang Sunyun came to San Francisco in the United States, mainly to accompany her husband's recently passed sister.By chance, she gave out $1 to help two friends open a restaurant, but she didn't expect her friends to withdraw halfway through. The plan to open the store was stranded, but the rent could not be refunded. Jiang Sunyun was unwilling to let it go, and decided to open the restaurant by herself.
Source: New York Times
Through newspaper advertisements, she found two excellent Chinese chefs. The restaurant was opened, but the initial days were unsurprisingly difficult.Being embarrassed by the supplier, the restaurant was understaffed, and Jiang Sunyun, who was born as a young lady, had to clean up and do chores by herself... But in the end, she still opened the restaurant firmly.Local Chinese and American diners began to come here regularly for hot and sour soup and fried pot stickers.
Photo source Phoenix Network Jiangsu
After the San Francisco Chronicle’s popular columnist Herb Caen came to this restaurant,He wrote in a column: This "small restaurant" offers "the most delicious Chinese dishes on the east coast of the Pacific."
Source Sina
At that time, Caen's sentence in the column was like today's "Internet celebrity bringing goods". Overnight, the Fu Lu Shou restaurant was completely popular.The restaurant was full and there was a long line outside the door. In 1968, Jiang Sunyun moved the Fu Lu Shou restaurant toGhirardelli SquareA larger storefront that can accommodate 300 diners at the same time and also offers cooking courses.Let the diners on the west coast of the United States finally begin to understand the real deliciousness of Chinese food.
Following the great success of the first store, Jiang Sunyun opened the second Fu Lu Shou restaurant in Los Angeles in 1975. In 1989, she sold the store to her son Jiang Yifan (Philip).He is laterFounder of PF Chang, a well-known Chinese restaurant chain in the United States.
Source: China Food Network
Although the first Fu Lu Shou restaurant opened in San Francisco has ceased operations in 2006, Jiang Sunyun is the well-deserved "Queen of Chinese Food" in the United States.In 2013, the James Beard Foundation (James Beard Award), known as the "Gourmet Oscar", awarded Jiang SunyunLifetime Achievement Award, Thank her for her contribution to the catering industry.
"I think I changed ordinary people's perception of Chinese food," Jiang Sunyun told the Chronicle in 2007. "None of them knew that China is such a big country."
Partially compiled from the New York Times Chinese website
https://cn.nytimes.com/obits/20201029/cecilia-chiang-dead/
Jiang Sunyun's continuous contribution to North American Chinese cuisine
Jiang Sunyun's insistence on the concept of Chinese food can be traced back to when she was young.It is precisely because of this experience that she has a deeper understanding of Chinese food.
Looking back at Jiang Sun Yun's life, it is quite legendary.She was born in a big family in Wuxi. Her father was a railway engineer who had returned from abroad. Her mother was civilized, well-knowing, and good at cooking.Later, the family moved to Beijing and lived in "an old palace with 7 courtyards" with 52 rooms.
Photo source Phoenix Network Jiangsu
The parents in the family have always been very particular about food. The two chefs hired by the family are good at southern and northern cuisine respectively. Jiang Sunyun, who grew up in such a family, has a wealth of knowledge about food since she was a child, and her taste buds also have memories. What kind of taste is the most authentic.
In 1949, Jiang Sunyun lived in Tokyo with Mr. Jiang Liang.Can't find a delicious Chinese restaurant, so she just opened her own, Jiang Sunyun opened the first "Fu Lu Shou" Chinese restaurant in Tokyo, which is also the first step in her future dining road.
Jiang Sunyun has the most persistent insistence on authentic Chinese food taste. In the United States in the 1960s, it was very difficult to restore the most orthodox Chinese taste, whether it was raw materials or cooking equipment. She worked with the chefs to restore her memories little by little. The most missed taste of hometown.
Picture source Beijing Radio and Television News
Her method is simple and direct: you do it, I eat it.Only when Jiang Sunyun has been able to understand the taste buds of China's north and south cuisines from an early age can she know to what extent this dish is right.She copied the delicacies that big Chinese families are used to snacking on the other side of the ocean.
Fu Lu Shou Restaurant is recommended by many local media as one of the best high-end Chinese restaurants.Famous celebrities have come here in admiration. The US Secretary of State Kissinger, the King of Denmark, and the tenor Pavarotti... are all regular customers in the restaurant.In various senses, it was her insistence on her own efforts to bring the most orthodox Chinese flavor to the other side of the ocean.
Source: China Overseas Chinese Network
The world-famous tenor Pavarotti and Jiang Sunyun took a group photo. (Provided by Jiang Sunyun)
Jiang Sunyun has always spared no effort to promote Chinese food culture, and she is very supportive of young Chinese food entrepreneurs.Including New York's new creative Chinese food chain brand "Junzi Canteen".
"Cecilia created the most self-confident brand in the United States in the most self-doubt era of Chinese food and Chinese culture. This self-confidence never faded as she entered her old age, but passed on to many younger generations like us like fire. We are lucky. I have known her for four years and have made several bowls of fried noodles together, and the dishes I have been talking about have not had time to learn, but I am very happy."
——Founder of Junzi Canteen: Zhao Yong
I miss my old friend and look forward to the present
The team is fortunate to witness the rapid development of Chinese cuisine in the United States in recent years. Every time I look back on the history of Chinese cuisine in the United States for less than a hundred years with curiosity, I am deeply impressed by the predecessors.The older generation of Chinese desire to bring a little taste of hometown in the new land, and to integrate more into the local society. The compromises, modifications, and abandonment they have made are that they can order milk tea, Peking duck, and Xiaolong on n take-out platforms today. We can't imagine the package.
Thank you Cecilia Chiang for being fearlessly overcoming obstacles on this road, leaving us with a broad way forward.We will continue to move forward, with the taste and culture we love, firmly and proudly.
Source: New York Times
Ref:
https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/cecilia-chiang-chef-obit/index.html
https://www.sfchronicle.com/food/article/Cecilia-Chiang-an-S-F-legend-and-the-matriarch-15681915.php
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/28/dining/cecilia-chiang-dead.html?smid=tw-nytfood&smtyp=cur
Part of the content is organized from:
Parrot kitchen
https://www.bilibili.com/read/cv123961/
Beijing Radio and Television News
http://www.bgtv.com.cn/bgrw/zq/15465.htm
China News Network
http://www.chinanews.com/hr/2020/10-29/9325387.shtml
New York Times Chinese Website
https://cn.nytimes.com/obits/20201029/cecilia-chiang-dead/
China Overseas Network
http://www.chinaqw.com/news/2006/0531/68/30612.shtml
Written by | Foodie Unit
Picture | From the Internet, the copyright belongs to the original author
Edit | A Chu
*This article is an original article about food and does not involve any commercial interests
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