The Breath of a Wok: Unlocking the Spirit of Chinese Wok Cooking Through Recipes and Lore

Award-winning author Grace Young invites you into the rich tradition of Chinese wok cooking in The Breath of a Wok—a deeply personal and visually stunning cookbook that celebrates the elusive magic of wok hay and the timeless art of stir-frying.

As a child, Young was introduced to wok hay—the uniquely prized flavor and aroma achieved when food is stir-fried to perfection. Her lifelong quest to understand and recreate that essence took her on a journey across the United States, Hong Kong, and mainland China, where she learned from revered culinary icons such as Cecilia Chiang, Florence Lin, and Ken Hom. Together with award-winning photographer Alan Richardson, Young captures the spirit, stories, and secrets of authentic Chinese cooking.

With 125 mouthwatering recipes, The Breath of a Wok teaches home cooks how to master a range of traditional Chinese techniques, from stir-frying and steaming to deep-frying, smoking, and braising. Discover classics like Kung Pao Chicken and Moo Shoo Pork, alongside regional specialties such as Sizzling Pepper and Salt Shrimp, Three Teacup Chicken, and Scallion and Ginger Lo Mein.

This beautifully designed cookbook is far more than a recipe collection—it’s a culinary memoir and cultural travelogue, featuring:

• Practical guidance on choosing, seasoning, and maintaining a wok
• Personal stories and family traditions shared through cooking
• Vivid photography of artisan wok makers, bustling Hong Kong markets, and family gatherings
• A special visit with author Amy Tan preparing New Year’s dumplings
• Menus for Chinese New Year and family-style meals
• An illustrated glossary and source guide for ingredients and cookware

The Breath of a Wok brings the flavors, techniques, and soul of traditional Chinese home cooking into the modern kitchen, empowering readers to cook with confidence—and with all their senses.

Grace Young is an award-winning food writer and the author of Stir-Frying to the Sky’s Edge, The Wisdom of the Chinese Kitchen and The Breath of a Wok. Her work has appeared in Gourmet, Metropolitan Home, Copia, Gastronomica, Eating Well, More, Fitness, Home, and Health magazine. For seventeen years, Young was the Test Kitchen Director and Director for Food Photography for over forty cookbooks published by Time-Life Books. She is now a consulting editor at Saveur.

Alan Richardson is an award-winning photographer and designer whose work has appeared in Bon Appétit, Gourmet, Saveur, Food & Wine, and The New York Times Magazine. He has done the photography for countless cookbooks and is the co-author of The Four Seasons of Italian Cooking. He lives in New York City.