Elizabeth Chong facts for kids
| Born | Yut Yi Chong 27 May 1931 Guangzhou, China |
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| Cooking style | Traditional chinese |
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Current restaurant(s)
Wing Lees (Melbourne)
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Television show(s)
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Award(s) won
Prix de la Mazille for Cookbook of the Year (1994)
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Elizabeth Chong (born 27 May 1931), whose original Chinese name is Yut Yi Chong, is a famous Australian chef. She was born in China and became well-known as a TV star, author, and cooking teacher.
Elizabeth Chong is famous for her TV show Elizabeth Chong's Tiny Delights. She was also a regular guest on the morning show Good Morning Australia. She is seen as a pioneer because she helped introduce traditional Chinese food to Australia.
Early Life and Family History
Elizabeth Chong was born in Guangzhou, China. Her family has a long history in Australia, going back to the 1850s. That's when her grandfather first moved there. Elizabeth's mother was Chinese, and her father, William Yen Wing Young, was an Australian citizen of Chinese background.
Her mother had to leave Australia for a while because of a rule called the White Australia Policy. This rule made it difficult for people who were not white to live in Australia. Because of this, Elizabeth didn't learn about the Lunar New Year celebrations until she was in her twenties.
Elizabeth's father is thought to have created the popular modern recipe for dim sim in 1945. Dim sim is a type of dumpling, similar to a Siu Mai. He made these at his food company in Melbourne called "Wing Lee." Elizabeth also says her father started Australia's first bean sprout factory.
When Elizabeth was three years old, she came to Australia with her parents, grandmother, and three other children. They settled near the Queen Victoria Markets in Melbourne. She went to school at Presbyterian Ladies' College, Melbourne.
Career Highlights
Elizabeth Chong didn't originally plan to work in the restaurant business like her family. She wanted to be a concert pianist or a journalist. After teaching primary school for a year, she decided she wanted to teach cooking instead.
In 1994, her cookbook called The Heritage of Chinese Cooking won a big award. It was named the International Cookbook of the Year, which is a huge achievement!
Elizabeth is most famous for her TV appearances. She was a regular on Good Morning Australia. She also ran her own Chinese Cooking School from the 1960s until 2016. She has written several Chinese cookbooks, including The First Happiness, first published in 1982.
Elizabeth's cooking school began in the late 1950s. She started by teaching mothers from her children's school in Melbourne. Her first recipes were even published by the school's Mothers' Club. The Cooking School celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2011.
Besides cooking, Elizabeth is also an ambassador for Chinese culture. She gives guided tours of the Chinatown area in Melbourne. This helps people learn more about Chinese traditions and food.
In 2003, her TV series Elizabeth Chong's Tiny Delights aired. A book with the same name was also released.
In 2017, Elizabeth Chong appeared on the TV show Studio 10. This show brought together many of the original cast members from Good Morning Australia. It was a fun reunion for everyone!
