How Hong Kong’s PMQ is offering fresh perspectives on culinary traditions
The ‘Treasured Recipes’ exhibition by Michael Lui Ka-chun showcases influential cookbooks and other interesting pieces of gastronomic literature
Yet the culinary culture behind this frenzy is often ignored or cynically deployed as fluff (“This dish is inspired by my grandmother…”) in the pursuit of awards or sales. For more than 10 years, PMQ Taste Library has acted as an antidote to the noise.
Located in the PMQ creative hub, the library opened in 2015 and houses more than 2,000 books on global culinary traditions. Now, after more than a decade, the institution is launching a guest curator initiative to help offer fresh perspectives.
With a shared grounding in the printed page, both Lui and PMQ Taste Library founder and writer Craig Au-Yeung emphasise the relevance of this collaboration. In an era when meals can be mere social-media fodder and this morning’s likes are forgotten by lunchtime, they insist that a traditional exhibition like this retains profound meaning.
Reading a cookbook allows us to pause, observe details, and think. A physical book remains an excellent learning tool
“A good cookbook has this very rich content that relates to emotions, memory and our daily lives,” says Au-Yeung. “To me, they are as important as a great movie or a great novel.”