Hall of Fame Award | 2020

Stephen Yan, known for his humourous personality and for being the first Chinese-Canadian host of a televised cooking show, devoted his career to making cooking fun. He immigrated from Hong Kong in the 1960s and became a restaurateur in British Columbia. Of the five bestselling cookbooks that he has authored, Wok With Yan: Television Cookbook, on display here, is unique for including many of the recipes that he made on his popular CBC show between the later 1970s and 1990s. Yan liked to entertain audiences with puns about woks, and many of the dishes are prepared using this traditional Chinese cooking pan. His upbeat and engaging style drew followers from across North America and Asia. The delicious and easy dishes found in Yan’s cookbook encouraged more Canadians to integrate Chinese flavours and cooking techniques into their weekly meal rotation.