Ching He Huang

Ching-He Huang (; born ), often known in English-language merely as Ching, is a Taiwanese-born food writer and TV chef. She has appeared in a variety of television cooking programmes, and is the author of nine best-selling cookbooks. Ching is recognised as a foodie entrepreneur, having created her own food businesses. She has become known for Chinese cookery internationally through her TV programmes, books, noodle range, tableware range, and involvement in many campaigns and causes.
Early life.
Born in Tainan, Taiwan, Free area of the Republic of China, Ching spent most of her early childhood (up to age six) in South Africa, before her parents moved to London, England, when she was 11 years old. Educated at Queen Mary and Westfield College of the University of London, England, and Bocconi Business School in Milan, Italy, Ching graduated with a first class economics degree and set up her own food businesses, Fuge Foods, which was dissolved in 2014 with final abbreviated accounts for the year ended 30 June 2008.
Broadcasting career.
Ching is known for her appearances on various cookery programmes, including ITV's "Saturday Cooks" and "Daily Cooks", and UKTV's "Great Food Live".. She is a regular guest on the BBC's "Saturday Kitchen" hosted by Matt Tebbutt (and previously hosted by James Martin). Ching has also hosted "Saturday Kitchen" in 2016. She makes regular guest appearances on ITV's "This Morning" and "Lorraine". She has also appeared on "Food and Drink" hosted by Tom Kerridge, ITV's "John and Lisa's Weekend Kitchen", Channel 4's "Sunday Brunch", CBBC's "The Munch Box", BBC's "Christmas Kitchen" and "Spring Kitchen", Channel 4's "Weekend Kitchen with Waitrose", UK Food's "Market Kitchen", as well as guest appearances on "Ready Steady Cook" and "Cooking the Books". Ching has cooked live for Melanie Sykes on "Grand Designs Live". She appeared as an occasional guest on Sky Television food show "Taste", hosted by Beverley Turner.
In the USA, Ching is a regular guest on the NBC's "The Today Show", as well as a guest on "The Rachael Ray Show" on CBS. She has been a judge on "Iron Chef America" on the Food Network primetime. She has also been a guest judge on Poland's "".
Ching has hosted eleven international television programmes. Her first being "Ching's Kitchen", which was originally shown on UKTV Food in 2006.
In 2008, Ching hosted the thirteen part series "Chinese Food Made Easy" for BBC2. This television series was subsequently licensed into The Cooking Channel (USA), New Zealand, Germany, Iceland, Poland, Australia, and Belgium, and was also allocated to the BBC's Lifestyle channel for all its Asian feeds, including China, Hong Kong SAR, Republic of China, Singapore, and Korea.
In 2010, Ching hosted a new thirteen part cookery series on Five. The series "Chinese Food in Minutes" was based on her book 'Ching's Chinese Food in Minutes', published by HarperCollins in September 2009. It included a branded microsite, with video, recipes, episode guides, and competitions, plus additional exclusive content websites.
In 2011, her thirteen-episode series "Easy Chinese San Francisco by Ching He Huang" debuted on the Cooking Channel.
Ching returned to BBC2 in 2012 for "", which showed her travelling and exploring China's culinary culture with Cantonese chef, Ken Hom. There is an accompanying book to the series. Ching has described this as her most enjoyable television production.
On 2 June 2012, "Easy Chinese: New York and LA", another thirteen-part series premiered on the Cooking Channel. It was for this series that she was nominated for the Daytime Emmy Awards for best culinary TV host (USA).
"Easy Chinese: New Year Special San Francisco", a one-hour special about the Ultimate Chinese Feast aired on 10 February 2013 on Cooking Channel.
In autumn 2013, Ching filmed her fourth television series in partnership with the Cooking Channel. This new series titled "Restaurant Redemption" saw, over the course of twenty-five (25) half-hour episodes, Ching travelling across the USA to meet failing restaurateurs who own Asian restaurants, and help them save the businesses they love. This TV series has been aired in the United States, United Kingdom, and across the Asian Food Channel, including Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines.
Following the first series in autumn 2014, the second series of the "Restaurant Redemption" premiered in the United States.
Ching also appeared briefly in one episode of a six-episode documentary: "", for National Geographic Channel in the United States, alongside unknown chefs in November 2014.
Ching hosted a ten times 30-minute series: "The Big Eat", for the Food Network UK, which aired on 16 February 2015.
In May 2015, Ching filmed a new ten-part series "Ching's Amazing Asia" for Scripps Networks LLC. Produced by Sentient Films, and co-produced by Ching and Jamie Cho, the ten times 30-minute series aired in over 100 countries around the world, and premiered primetime in EMEA, Asia, and USA in 2016.
Ching-He Huang was appointed Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2020 Birthday Honours for services to the culinary arts.
Publications.
Ching-He Huang launched "Click & Cook", an online video recipe library, offering exclusive step-by-step nutritious Chinese fusion recipes for people to cook themselves at home.
In 2006, she published her first recipe book, "China Modern: 100 cutting-edge, fusion-style recipes for the 21st century" (pub: Kyle Cathie), which contained a variety of Chinese influenced recipes.
In 2008, she published a second recipe book to accompany a six-part peak time television series "Chinese Food Made Easy", commissioned and shown by BBC Two and BBC HD. "Chinese Food Made Easy" aired in June 2008, and was an instant success, attracting millions of viewers. Her book, also called "Chinese Food Made Easy", was published alongside the series, and was a number one best-seller for six weeks.
Chings's third book, "Ching's Chinese Food in Minutes", was published on 3 September 2009.
In 2011, "Ching's Fast Food" (UK edition), and the US version "Ching's Everyday Easy Chinese" were released featuring her most memorable childhood experiences, intertwined with Chinese superstition, etiquette, and original suggestions for exciting variations on classic recipes.
In 2012, "" was published. The book accompanied the BBC TV series, following Ching and 'godfather' of Cantonese cooking, Ken Hom, as they travelled and explored China’s culinary culture.
In March 2015, Ching released "Eat Clean: Wok Yourself to Health" for Harper Thorsons, promising simple, nutritious dishes that will detoxify and nourish your body.
In September 2017, Ching released "Stir Crazy: 100 deliciously healthy wok recipes" for Kyle Books. Promising simple, nutritious dishes, it won best UK Chinese Cookery Book at the Gourmand Awards 2018.
In September 2019, Ching released "Wok On: deliciously balanced Asian meals in 30 minutes or less" for Kyle Books, containing delicious balanced Asian meals in 30 minutes or less. Again winning best UK Chinese Cookery book at the Gourmand Awards 2020.
In January 2021, Ching is due to release her tenth book, "Asian Green" for Kyle Books. The book contains everyday plant-based recipes inspired from across Asia to create delicious simple, healthy, vegan dishes that everyone can enjoy.
Other writing.
Ching has also written for several food magazines; such as "Olive", and "Delicious". Her magazine contributions include a red carpet report from the Emmy’s for "Grazia", "BBC Good Food", "Women's Health", "BA Highlife", "Jamie", "OK!", "Hello!", "Sainsbury’s", "Stella" at The Sunday Telegraph, "The Sun TV", "Metropolitan Global Times", "Chinese Weekly", "Vegetarian Living", "Which?", "Healthy Living Magazine", and "The Mayfair Times".
Ching has also contributed to online publications including; "BBC World Service (Chinese)", "LoveFood.com", "BA digital", "Sous Chef", "Bloomberg.com", "Business World", as well as websites such as "Good Food Channel" and "Food Network".
Notable appearances.
In 2015, she was asked to demonstrate to the HRH Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall the art of dumpling making on their royal visit to Chinatown in London in celebration of Chinese New Year on 19 February 2015. In 2007, she was also asked to conduct the food tour of Chinatown, London, for the Duke and Duchess's first visit together.
Also passionate about her charity work, Ching regularly supports a number of organisations, including: Mothers' Bridge of Love – Help Chinese Children, the international charity "Tzu Chi", "Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals" (RSPCA), "British Lung Foundation", "World Wide Fund for Nature" (WWF), "Macmillan Cancer Support", and "Sense" a charity for deaf-blind children. Ching is also an Ambassador for "Centrepoint".
Personal life.
Ching-He Huang lives with her husband, actor Jamie Cho, in Surrey.
She is also an avid supporter of Traditional Chinese Medicine. On 5 October 2010, she signed an online petition against the impending European Directive on Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products, adding the comment: "This is absurd! I grew up using herbal medicine. More money into research and let the people decide."