Detroit-based chef Jon Kung has garnered a massive following on TikTok with his unique approach to cooking and storytelling. Despite being an influencer in an age bracket not typically associated with social media stardom, Kung has managed to amass 1.7 million followers on the platform. As a self-taught cook, Kung’s videos often explore his third-culture identity through his innovative dishes, blending traditional Chinese flavors with unconventional ingredients like pasta. His immense popularity has led to the release of his debut cookbook, Kung Food: Recipes from a Third-Culture Chinese Kitchen, which showcases his nostalgic and eclectic recipes.
Some of the standout recipes featured in Kung’s cookbook include Thanksgiving turkey congee, beef and broccoli pot pie inspired by his mother’s microwaveable pies, and his own take on popular dishes like the SELT (pan-seared spam, egg, lettuce, and tomato sandwiches) and dan dan lasagne. The book also includes fresh interpretations of traditional Chinese recipes such as pork chop buns, Hong Kong borscht, and chao nian gao, as well as fusion dishes like Persian tahdig clay pots, chipotle mango sweet-and-sour pork, jerk chow mein, and mapo paneer.
Kung’s recipes often draw inspiration from popular culture, such as Pokémon or online spats. One of his viral videos featured a clapback to a negative comment, resulting in the creation of a honey-torched brie on toast dish combined with a narrative calling out the critic. Another recipe seeks to reconcile Chinese and Korean netizens in response to a Reddit flame war over the cultural ownership of kimchi. Kung’s mapo tofu kimchi jjigae combines elements from both cuisines, symbolizing harmony.
In his cookbook, Kung also emphasizes the importance of building blocks in Chinese-American cuisine, including flavoured oils, master stocks, and spice mixes. He encourages cooks from various diasporas to incorporate these elements into their own third-culture dishes, aiming to expand the conversation beyond the dominance of white, male chefs and foster communication among different ethnic groups.
As Kung defines third-culture cuisine within the realm of Chinese food, he hopes to see similar explorations in other cuisines as well. By showcasing his third-culture sensibility and culinary creativity, Kung has captured the attention of food lovers worldwide, inviting them to embrace their own unique identities through the universal language of food.
