Grace Zia Chu (April 23, 1899 – April 15, 1999) was an

author An author is the writer of a book, article, play, mostly written work. A broader definition of the word "author" states: "''An author is "the person who originated or gave existence to anything" and whose authorship determines responsibility f ...

of Chinese

cookbooks A cookbook or cookery book is a kitchen reference containing recipes. Cookbooks may be general, or may specialize in a particular cuisine or category of food. Recipes in cookbooks are organized in various ways: by course (appetizer, first cours ...

and a major figure in American Chinese culinary world. Chu introduced generations of Americans to

Chinese cooking Chinese cuisine encompasses the numerous cuisines originating from China, as well as overseas cuisines created by the Chinese diaspora. Because of the Chinese diaspora and historical power of the country, Chinese cuisine has influenced many o ...

Personal life

Grace Zia Chu was born in

Shanghai Shanghai (; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River flowin ...

on 23 April 1899. Her parents were Zia Hong-lai and Sochen Sze. Grace Anna Zia attended the

McTyeire School McTyeire School () was a private girls' school in Shanghai. It was established by Young John Allen and Laura Askew Haygood in 1882. Its namesake was Holland Nimmons McTyeire. History The school had seven students in 1855 and more than 100 stu ...

and later Wellesley College in the United States. Upon graduation in 1924, Zia returned to teach in China at McTyeire and

Ginling College Ginling College (), also known by its pinyin romanization as Jinling College or Jinling Women's College, is a women's college of Nanjing Normal University in Nanjing, China. It offers both bachelor's and master's degrees. It offers six underg ...

. In 1928, Zia married Chu Shih-ming, who was appointed military attache to the Chinese Embassy in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

in 1941, representing the Nationalist government. She returned to China after

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, only to resettle in the United States by 1950. Five years later, Zia naturalized as an American citizen, and moved to New York City, where she taught cooking at her home, the China Institute, and the Mandarin House restaurant. Zia moved to Columbus, Ohio after Chu died in 1965. Zia died at the age of 99 in Columbus on April 15, 1999.

Notable works

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

'' called her 1962 cookbook ''The Pleasures of Chinese Cooking''. Chu authored ''Madame Chu's Chinese Cooking School'' in 1975, a detailed cookbook for the beginner to advanced cook.

Awards and honours

Grace Zia Chu was named Grande Dame of Les Dames d'Escoffier, New York Chapter in 1984.

References

External links

Papers of Grace Zia Chu, 1941-1986.Schlesinger Library
Radcliffe Institute, Harvard University. {{DEFAULTSORT:Chu, Grace Zia 1899 births 1999 deaths American food writers American cookbook writers Wellesley College alumni Chinese emigrants to the United States Women cookbook writers Chinese cookbook writers Writers from Shanghai Writers from New York City People from Columbus, Ohio Academic staff of Nanjing Normal University American women non-fiction writers 20th-century American women 20th-century American people American women academics

Personal life

Notable works

Awards and honours

See also

References

External links