''Recipes to Live By'' (; literally "Peculiar Taste") is a

2017 File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a ser ...

Hong Kong television costume historical period comedy drama produced by

Chong Wai-kin Chong Wai-kin is a Hong Kong television producer and director. He first entered Asia Television (ATV) as a director and producer for the channel's television dramas. In 1989, he moved to Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB) and has stayed in the ...

for TVB, starring

Tony Hung Tony Hung Wing-sing (born 6 December 1985) is a Hong Kong actor and television host currently contracted to TVB. He was formerly a host for Now TV. Biography At the age of 10, Hung studied overseas in New Zealand at the Auckland Grammar School ...

and

Sisley Choi Sisley Choi (; born 6 February 1991) is a Hong Kong actress contracted to TVB. Early life and career Born Choi Sze-pui, she was born in Hong Kong and her ancestry can be traced back to Zhongshan, Guangdong. Her father was a police officer, wh ...

as the main leads, with

Hugo Wong Hugo or HUGO may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Hugo'' (film), a 2011 film directed by Martin Scorsese * Hugo Award, a science fiction and fantasy award named after Hugo Gernsback * Hugo (franchise), a children's media franchise based on a ...

Rebecca Zhu Rebecca Zhu (; born 2 December 1987) is a Hong Kong actress and a beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss Hong Kong 2011. As a result of her pageant win, Zhu was offered a starring role in the 2012 TVB television drama ''Silver Spoon, Ste ...

Stephanie Ho Stephanie Ho ( Chinese; 何雁詩, born 2 November 1992) is a Hong Kong singer, actress and golfer. Early life Stephanie Ho was born in San Jose, California, but she grew up in Hong Kong with her parents. Her father is a businessman. Since a ...

Ram Chiang Ram Chiang Chi-kwong (born 2 July 1961), Although TVB's website lists his birthday as July 1 Ram Chiang has gone on record saying that date is wron is a Hong Kong people, Hong Kong actor and former singer-composer, currently under Television Bro ...

, Joseph Lee,

Mary Hon Mary Hon is an actress from TVB Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB) is a television broadcasting company based in Hong Kong SAR. The Company operates five free-to-air terrestrial television channels in Hong Kong, with TVB Jade as its ...

Maria Cordero Maria Cordero, MH (), nicknamed Fat Mama (), is a singer, actress, TV Host and DJ from Hong Kong. She grew up in Hong Kong. She also has her own cooking show, Maria's Kitchen (肥媽私房菜) on Cable TV. Her fans nicknamed her "Fat Mama" (肥� ...

Toby Leung Toby Leung Ching-kei ( Chinese: 梁靖琪, born 27 February 1983) is Cantopop singer and actress from Hong Kong. She entered the music industry in 2004 when the MusicNationGroup discovered her talent. Together with Macy Chan, Elise Liu (廖� ...

and

William Chak William Chak (; born 29 March 1985) is a Hong Kong actor and presenter who achieved fame through TVB's 2010 Mr. Hong Kong contest. He formerly performed under the stage name Chak Fung (). When Chak was eighteen, he traveled to Tokyo, Japan, as an ...

as the main cast. It premiered on Hong Kong's

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and Malaysia's

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on January 2, 2017 airing Monday through Friday during its 8:30 to 9:30 pm timeslot and concluding February 3, 2017 with a total of 25 episodes. ''Recipes to Live By'' is set in ancient China with a food theme plot. The drama centers on god of cookery with Tony Hung playing Ding Yat-san, a poor village boy who is a foodie. However his true lineage is much more complicated than he knows.

Synopsis

Village boy Ding Yat-san (Tony Hung) was born with a golden tongue, which makes him able to distinguish bad and good tasting foods with one bite. Yat-san is also gifted at cooking but his father Ding Yat forbids him from cooking as every time he cooks a dish something bad happens to his father. Wanting to show off his skills Yat-san runs away to the city of Yeungchou to enter a cooking contest against famous chef Koi Siu-tin, (Hugo Wong). While lining up to enter the city Yat-san, meets and offends local bandit Sek Yau (Sisley Choi), when he cuts her in line. Sek Yau, who is dressed as a male to disguise herself is a small time bandit and drug dealer. Trying to hide incriminating evidence against her when imperial guards search her, Yau's drugs are accidentally eaten by Yat-san's pet pig. While trying to retrieve his pet pig from Yau, Yat-san gets entangled in Yau's mess and soon Yau gets entangled in Yat-san's mess. With only Yau to help him, Yat-san has Yau enter the cooking contest while he assist her. Yau and Yat-san's contest dish gets them noticed as it is comparable to the former God of Cookery and soon Sui-tin's father wants to know what is the connection between Yat-san and the former disgraced God of Cookery who was found guilty of treason when he was framed for food poisoning imperial officials.

Cast

Ding family

as Ding Yat (丁日) :Ding Yat-san's adoptive father. Originally named Mok Fat-choi (莫發財), a servant of Yat-san's real father Tong Hin-yan, the imperial chef to the Emperor. His job was to guard the dishes but an act of irresponsibility where he sneaked out to save his lover causes dishes prepared for imperial officials to be laced with poison. Being the only survivor of the imperial chef's household he is tasked with hiding Yat-san's real identity and raising him. *

as Ding Yat-san (丁一山) :Ding Yat's adoptive son. He talks with a lisp. Born with a gold tongue he is gifted in food tasting and cooking. Originally named Tong Wan-jo (湯尹祖). His real father Tong Hin-yan, was an imperial chef to the Emperor however to steal his families treasured recipe book his father was framed for treason and killed by imperial guards. Yat-san is not allowed to cook as his dad Yat tells him that they are cursed with bad things to happen to them if he does. Feeling his talent is wasted Yat-san runs away to Yeungchow to show off his talents. He meets small time bandit Sek Yau on his arrival to the city. The two starts off as enemies but Yau seduces Yat-san and he later develops romantic feelings for her.

Sek family

as Mai Gwai (米桂) :Sek Yau's mother. A gambling addict who racked up a huge debt with loan sharks, forcing Sek Yau to do devious things such as conning people, selling drugs and fake prostitution in order to pay off her debt. *

as Sek Yau (石柔) :Mai Gwai's daughter. In order to survive and pay off her mother's gambling debts she pretends to be a man in order to con people and sell drugs. Once the loan sharks find out she is really a female they sell her into prostitution to pay off her mother's debts. Her wits protect her but Yat-san tries to save her and the two end up spending a night together. After their supposed one night together, Yat-san starts to develop romantic feelings for her, which she uses to her advantage.

Koi family

Henry Lo Henry may refer to: People *Henry (given name) *Henry (surname) * Henry Lau, Canadian singer and musician who performs under the mononym Henry Royalty * Portuguese royalty ** King-Cardinal Henry, King of Portugal ** Henry, Count of Portugal, ...

as Koi Bak-chun (蓋百川) :Koi Siu-tin's father. He is owner of the most prestigious restaurant in the city. Obsessed with having his son be the best cook, he underhandedly steals recipe books and takes credit for other cooks creations. Ding Yat-san becomes an instant threat when he arrives at the city because he is aware that Yat-san cooking is up to par with the former god of cooking and is better than his son Siu-tin. *

as Koi Siu-tin (蓋兆天) :Koi Bak-chun's son. He is the most popular and best chef in the city. Seeing potential in Ding Yat-san during a cooking contest, he later befriends him.

The Fifth family

Rosanne Lui Roseanne, Rosanne, Roseann or Rose Ann is a feminine given name, and may refer to: Topics * Roseanne Barr (born 1952), also known to use the mononym Roseanne, an American performer with several eponymous TV shows: ** '' Roseanne'', sitcom ** '' ...

as The Fifth Lin (第五蓮) :Yuen's mother and Ding Yat's former lover. She is the owner of a vegetarian restaurant that is managed by an all female staff. She has a hatred for men as she said she was abandoned by Yuen's father and had to raise Yuen all by herself. *

as The Fifth Yuen (第五緣) :Lin's daughter and maybe Ding Yat's daughter. She is a talented chef at her mother's vegetarian restaurant, however she is unhappy with life at the vegetarian restaurant and looks for an escape. Ding Yat-san befriends her when Ding Yat lies to him that she is his birth younger sister. * Helen Ng as Man Chun-fai (孟春花) * Samantha Chuk as Lo Lai-giu (魯來嬌)

Dung family & household

* Joseph Lee as Dung Hon-yik (董瀚億) :The richest man in the city. He owns and is in charge of the food distribution companies in the city which makes him able to set prices and gets the best ingredients. Dung Eng-kit and Ming-yuet's father. *

as Dung Eng-kit (董英傑) :Dung Hon-yik's son and Dung Ming-yuet's older brother. He is an Imperial Constable who is in cohorts with his father's plans. The Dung family maid Chau Yee is his love interest. *

as Dung Ming-yuet (董明玥) :Dung Hon-yik's daughter and Dung Eng-kit's younger sister. She is always seeking her father's acceptance which get Yat-san to noticed that she is not very bright. * Aurora Li as Chau Yee (秋兒) :Dung Ming-yuet's personal maid and Dung Eng-kit's love interest.

Extended cast

as Ah Chau (阿丑), a mole sent by Dung Hon-yik for a secret mission. Her face is disfigured due to a large birthmark. *

as Ho Tai-lei (何大莉), a Persian princess that have stayed in Yeungchow for love reasons within decades. * Sam Tsang as Tong Hin-yan (湯顯仁), Ding Yat-san's biological father who died 20 years ago. He was called the God of Kitchen and was framed for food poisoning and imperial government official. * Leo Lee as Chuk But-fan (卓不凡) *

KK Cheung KK, K.K., kK, k.k., or other sequences of two k's with or without punctuation may refer to: Arts and media *KK, the production code for the 1967 ''Doctor Who'' serial ''The Faceless Ones'' * "KK" (song), a 2014 song by Wiz Khalifa * Kk. or Kirk ...

as Ko Tian-li (高千里) * Steve Lee as Yim Lo-wong (閻羅王) *

Savio Tsang Savio may refer to: People ; Surname * Carlos Fernando Savio (born 1978), Uruguayan footballer * Daniel Savio (born 1978), Swedish musician * Dominic Savio (1842–1857), Italian saint * Ernesto Savio (1899–1945), Italian partisan * Edit Romanos ...

as Governor (王爺) *

Lily Leung Lily Leung Shun-Yin (; 7 January 1929 – 13 August 2019) was a Hong Kong actress. Born in Hong Kong Leung attended Belilios Public School. Career Leung started her acting career in 1957. Leung appeared for Rediffusion Television (1957 to 1 ...

as Senior Lady Cai Ng (齊五娘) * Anderson Junior as Lee Bun (李斌) * Chan Wing-chun as Siu Hai-chung (蕭孝祥)

Development and production

*The costume fitting ceremony was held on September 21, 2015 12:30 pm at Tseung Kwan O TVB City Studio One Common Room. *The blessing ceremony was held on October 21, 2015 3:00 pm at Tseung Kwan O TVB City Studio Twelve. *Filming took place from September 2015 till February 2016, entirely on location in Hong Kong. Majority of filming took place at TVB studios for interior scenes and the newly built TVB Ancient City back lot for exterior setting.

Awards and nominations

Viewership Ratings

References

External links

''Recipes to Live By'' Official TVB website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Recipes to Live By TVB dramas Hong Kong television series 2017 Hong Kong television series debuts 2017 Hong Kong television series endings