A newsletter about cooking and culture from the author of The Vegan Chinese Kitchen. Exploring the abundance and diversity of plant-based ingredients in regional Chinese foodways.

Hi, I’m Hannah! Welcome to Little Soybean.

I’m a Chinese-American writer and author. My first cookbook, The Vegan Chinese Kitchen (2022, Clarkson Potter) won a James Beard Award and IACP First Book Award from the Julia Child Foundation, and has been featured in The New York Times, The New Yorker, The Washington Post, Vogue, The National Post, NPR, Eater, South China Morning Post, Vice, Epicurious, and Saveur, among others.

I’m ex-line cook; from my first job as a wok chef at Din Tai Fung to Michelin-starred fine-dining, I’ve worked in the kitchens of restaurants across the United States. In Portland, I ran a vegan Chinese tasting menu pop-up called Surong (read more about my restaurant industry journey in this post).

I’m currently based in Dali (大理) in Yunnan Province.

Why “Little Soybean”?

China contains a wealth of regional foods and ingredients that are still little known outside of the country. I’m a soy milk and tofu aficionado, and I’ve yet to explore beyond the surface of regional transformations of the soybean, particularly fermented products. Exploring and documenting these, as well as the grains, legumes, fruits, and vegetables grown in China’s twenty plus provinces is an endless but rewarding journey. In just the last few weeks I’ve eaten rice tofu, pea porridge, fish mint, burnt ground chiles, fermented rice griddle cakes, mulberry rice wine, and fried tree bark.

Little Soybean is also a personal missive. I’ll be writing about things I’m currently cooking and eating, reflections on family, identity, and culture, and a glimpse into the current food and restaurant scene in China.

What’s in the newsletter:

Weekly dispatches on regional Chinese cooking and culture, and new recipes.

• Vegetables, fruits, and mushrooms of Yunnan province

• Tofu and all transformations of the soybean

• An exploration of plant-based traditions in regional cuisines

• Regional fermentation practices

• Chinese breads

• Clay pot and steaming recipes

Why subscribe?

If you’ve enjoyed my cookbook, like reading stories about food, and are interested in Chinese culture, I think you’ll enjoy this newsletter. Writing and long-form are my preferred form of communication, and newsletters are a cozy, quiet corner of the internet, away from the hyperactivity and algorithms of social media. This weekly missive will be an intimate and focused medium to connect, explore, and learn together.

I’ll be announcing book news and events first on Substack, as well.

There are two versions of Little Soybean.

Free subscribers get:

• Occasional dispatches on Chinese food, cooking, and culture

Paid subscribers ($6/month or $60 annually) also get:

• Weekly dispatches plus recipes when applicable

• Full access to the entire archive

• Ability to comment and ask questions, and engage with other people in the community

• You’ll also be supporting my work. If you value this publication, please consider subscribing for the cost of a cup of coffee ($6) per month. Writing is my full-time work and your support allows me to keep investing the time into research, exploration, writing and recipe development.

FAQ

Where else can I find you?

I’m on Instagram @hannah.che, or via email at hannahche@substack.com.

Who did the illustrations?

My sister Elizabeth Che. The sketches were originally for the cookbook!