Joyce Chen (chef)
Joyce Chen | |
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Born | Peking (Beijing), China | September 14, 1917
Died | August 23, 1994 | (aged 76)
Culinary career | |
Cooking style | Northern-style Chinese cuisine |
Previous restaurant(s)
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Television show(s)
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Joyce Chen (née Liao Chia-ai
Joyce Chen was credited with popularizing northern-style Chinese cuisine in the United States, coining the name "Peking Raviolis" for potstickers, inventing and holding a design patent for a flat bottom wok with handle (also known as a stir fry pan), and developing the first line of bottled Chinese stir fry sauces for the US market.[1]
Starting in 1958, she operated several popular Chinese restaurants in
Early life
Joyce Chen was born in Peking (now spelled
Chen and husband Thomas (m. 1943; div. 1966) with their children Henry (b. 1944; d. 2007) and Helen (b. 1948) left
Thomas Chen worked as an importer of fine art, while Joyce was a housewife raising two children, a dramatic change from her job in China as an insurance broker (an uncommon vocation for women in China at that time).[5] She gave birth to another son, Stephen, in 1952. In 1957, she first thought that her cooking might be popular when she made pumpkin cookies and Chinese egg rolls for a bake sale fundraiser at the Buckingham School in Cambridge. She was surprised to hear that her then-unfamiliar Chinese snacks had sold out within an hour, and she was encouraged to make more.[5] Chen had already become adept at finding or substituting hard-to-get ingredients, and adapting her recipes to American tastes.[5]
Restaurants
Chen opened her first restaurant, Joyce Chen Restaurant, at 617 Concord Avenue in Cambridge in 1958.
Chen introduced northern Chinese (Mandarin) and Shanghainese dishes to Boston, including
After her divorce in 1966, Chen sold the original restaurant to her ex-husband, who converted it in 1972 to a Japanese eatery called Osaka. It operated for 21 years and closed in 1988.
In 1969, Chen opened her third restaurant,
In 1973, Chen opened her fourth restaurant in an elegant
In 1975, Chen's eldest son Henry opened a fifth Joyce Chen Restaurant on Cape Cod, but it closed after a year and a half.[12] Her other son Stephen managed a downtown branch of Joyce Chen Restaurant, which operated from 1988 until 1994.[12]
Chen was a warm hostess who formed relationships with many guests, including John Kenneth Galbraith, James Beard, Julia Child, Henry Kissinger, Beverly Sills, and Danny Kaye.[20] Nathan Pusey, a former Harvard president, called her eating establishment "not merely a restaurant, but a cultural exchange center".[12][6] She would often mingle with guests, including those with no celebrity.[12]
Career highlights
Following the 1958 opening of her first restaurant, Chen began teaching Chinese cooking at the Cambridge Center for Adult Education and the Boston Center for Adult Education in 1960.[5] There were long waiting lists for her classes. At this time, she introduced many Americans to home style and gourmet Chinese cooking techniques.[citation needed]
In 1962, Chen published her influential
In 1967, Chen starred in her own cooking show called Joyce Chen Cooks, on
Julia Child had already been a regular visitor at Chen's restaurant, and a fan of her cooking.[5][12]
Chen's cooking show aired widely across the US, and eventually in the United Kingdom and Australia; eleven of these original programs can still be seen on the WGBH website.
Chen lacked the informal, casual English-language fluency of Julia Child, and spent hours with voice coaches carefully trying to improve her pronunciation.
In 1971, Chen launched Joyce Chen Products, a line of higher quality Chinese cooking utensils.[7] At that time she helped popularize Chinese cookware, and held the design patent (US$221397S)[25][8] to a flat bottom wok with a handle, also known as a stir fry pan, which she called a "Peking Wok".[3][4][7] She also introduced polyethylene cutting boards, made in Japan by Sumitomo Bakelite.[3][4] In 1982, Joyce Chen Specialty Foods would be formed to sell bottled sauces and other flavorings.
Final years and legacy
In 1968, Chen took her then-16-year-old son Stephen, and 20-year-old daughter Helen on a trip around the world on
Chen suffered a serious injury to her right hand in 1976, when she dropped a large glass jar that contained her stir fry sauce. She underwent four to five hours of microsurgery, but never fully recovered the use of her right hand.[5]
In the years following her hand injury, according to her son Stephen, Chen would forget certain phone numbers for food vendors she had been relying on to run her restaurants, and by 1983 she had stopped relying on food vendors entirely. She often blamed her hand injury for her forgetfulness.[5]
From that point on, Chen's memory gradually worsened until she was officially diagnosed in 1985 with multi-infarct dementia, although some accounts of her life state she had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. However, at that time such a conclusion could only be confirmed by an autopsy after death.[27][5] Stephen cared for Chen at home until 1992,[5] when she was moved into the Fairlawn Nursing Home in Lexington, Massachusetts, where she died from cardiac arrest on August 23, 1994, aged 76.[20] She was buried in Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Posthumously in 1998, Chen's contributions to cuisine were described in Beard House, The Magazine of the James Beard Foundation.
Celebrity chef Ming Tsai later said of Chen, "She is the Chinese Julia Child [...] Joyce Chen helped elevate what Chinese food was about. She didn't dumb it down. She opened people's eyes to what good Chinese could taste like."[7]
On September 26, 2014, the US Postal Service issued 20 million copies of the "Celebrity Chefs Forever" stamp series, which featured portraits by Jason Seiler of five American chefs: Chen, Julia Child, James Beard, Edna Lewis, and Felipe Rojas-Lombardi.[33] According to the Postal Service, "Joyce Chen is one of America's most well-known promoters of Chinese food. From her landmark restaurant in the Boston area to her cookbooks and trailblazing PBS television show, Chen invited newcomers to sample unfamiliar dishes in ways that firmly established Chinese cuisine in the United States."[33]
On September 5, 2017, nine days before what would have been Chen's 100th birthday, an illustrated children's book about her life, Dumpling Dreams: How Joyce Chen Brought the Dumpling from Beijing to Cambridge, written by Carrie Clickard and illustrated by Katy Wu, was published.[34][35]
Business legacy
Chen was diagnosed with dementia in 1985, and immediately retired. She was succeeded by daughter Helen Chen, herself a chef and cookbook author, as chief executive officer of the company, Joyce Chen Inc.[36] Youngest son Stephen became in charge in running the restaurant operations, while Helen concentrated on managing the specialty foods and cookware businesses.
Following their mother's death in 1994 [3], Stephen continued to run the restaurant business. However, in 1998 the restaurant at 390 Rindge Avenue closed, thus ending the 40-year run of the Joyce Chen Restaurant chain altogether. The building and site were purchased by Just-A-Start, and underwent a one-year renovation. In 1999, the former restaurant was re-opened, this time as a
After the restaurant business ceased operations, Helen continued to run Joyce Chen Products, but in January 2003 she sold the business to Columbian Home Products in order to provide the company with additional capital.[5][38] Helen has since written and published three cookbooks of her own, and in 2007 she developed her own line of cookware for Harold Import Company (Lakewood, New Jersey), under a new banner "Helen's Asian Kitchen".[21][39][40][41] Helen has also taught cooking at Boston University.[21]
In January 2020, Columbian Home Products, the distributor of the "Joyce Chen", "Keilen" and "Origins" cookware brands since 2003, closed its plant in Terre Haute, Indiana and laid off its remaining 82 employees.[42][43] Prior to the closure, Columbian had sold the three brands to Honey-Can-Do, and the "Granite-Ware" brand to Cinsa USA . "Snow River Products", another former brand of Columbian Home Products, was spun off as a stand-alone company, and transitioned to a custom wood products business and away from selling to retailers.[44][45]
As of 2021[update], Stephen is president of Joyce Chen Foods, Inc., which sells food products inspired by his mother's recipes, including Asian sauces, oils, condiments, and spices. Over time, the line has been expanded to include gluten-free, certified
Eldest son Henry and his wife Barbara (née Castagnoli) owned and managed Joyce Chen Unlimited, a retail store in Acton, Massachusetts, which closed in March 2008, five months after his death.[48][5][21]
Several Chen disciples have gone on to establish restaurants of their own in the Boston area that serve Chinese cuisine.[9] Among them is Pui Chan at "The Wok" in Wellesley, Massachusetts. Chan worked for Chen at the Rindge Avenue location starting in 1973 and, with her encouragement, opened his own restaurant in 1978.[49]
References
- ^ China, U. S. Mission (2021-09-17). "Notable Americans". U.S. Embassy & Consulates in China. Retrieved 2022-12-08.
- ^ ISBN 0397002858.
- ^ a b c d e Alexander, Kerri Lee. "Joyce Chen (1917-1994)". National Women's History Museum. Archived from the original on 2020-06-08. Retrieved 2020-03-14.
- ^ ISBN 0-688-14609-0.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Sen, Mayukh (3 October 2017). "America's Forgotten Television Chef". Food52. Archived from the original on 2020-05-09. Retrieved 2020-03-15.
- ^ a b c Robertson, Rain. "Joyce Chen". Culinary Cambridge. Cambridge Historical Society. Archived from the original on April 10, 2015. Retrieved 12 June 2013.
- ^ a b c d Daley, Bill (February 20, 2013). "Taught American palates to speak Chinese". The Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on April 18, 2013. Retrieved June 1, 2013.
- ^ a b c "Savoring the Legacy of Joyce Chen". Joyce Chen Foods. Archived from the original on 2020-06-15. Retrieved 2020-03-16.
- ^ a b Mennies, Leah. "The Story of Peking Ravioli". Lucky Peach. Archived from the original on 2015-03-17. Retrieved 2015-04-15.
- ^ "Contact < Utility | Raytheon BBN Technologies". BBN.com. Archived from the original on 2014-02-20. Retrieved 2013-10-03.
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- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Polan, Dana. "Joyce Chen Cooks and the Upscaling of Chinese Food in America in the 1960s". WGBH Openvault. WGBH Educational Foundation. Archived from the original on 2020-04-01. Retrieved 2020-03-15.
- ^ "40 years of Boston (Phoenix) food". Phoenix. 2006-11-15. Archived from the original on 2013-10-05. Retrieved 2013-10-03.
- ^ Eric S. Raymond The new hacker's dictionary entry for marginal
- ^ "Joyce Chen: Chinese Chef, Restaurateur, Entrepreneur, WGBH Host". joycechenfoods.com. Archived from the original on 2018-03-17. Retrieved 2017-09-14.
- ^ Staff (September 4, 1984). "The Traditional Freshman Quiz is now a contest for new students" (PDF). The Tech. Cambridge, MA. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2016-10-23. Retrieved 2016-02-20.
- ISBN 0-262-53032-5.
- ^ "Joyce Chen (1917-1994) - National Women's History Museum". Archived from the original on October 4, 2013. Retrieved September 5, 2013.
- ^ Miara, Jim (March 30, 1998). "Last pieces of Joyce Chen empire fall to creditors". Boston Business Journal. American City Business Journals. Archived from the original on October 7, 2013. Retrieved June 12, 2013.
- ^ a b c "Joyce Chen, 76, U.S. Popularizer Of Mandarin Cuisine". New York Times. August 26, 1994. Archived from the original on November 5, 2012. Retrieved July 16, 2012.
- ^ a b c d Yue, Niu; Huiquan, Lu (2015-04-17). "Carrying on a Chinese food legacy". Across America. China Daily USA. Archived from the original on 2021-01-18. Retrieved 2020-03-14.
- ^ "Joyce Chen Cooks". Joycechenfoods.com. Archived from the original on 2018-03-18. Retrieved 2013-10-03.
- ^ "The Origins of the Cooking Show". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2018-03-18. Retrieved 2013-10-03.
- ^ "WGBH Openvault Search Results". OpenVault from WGBH. WGBH Educational Foundation. Archived from the original on 2020-02-23. Retrieved 2020-03-14.
- ^ "Cooking Utensil (Des 221397)" (PDF). United States Patent Office. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2022-04-20. Retrieved 2020-03-16.
- ^ "People in the News", The Lewiston Daily Sun, December 17, 1973.
- ISBN 9780674014886. Archivedfrom the original on April 20, 2022. Retrieved April 20, 2022 – via Google Books.
- ^ Pataki, Amy (1998). "Flavors of the Far East". Beard House, the Magazine of the James Beard Foundation.
- ^ Gordon, Jane (September 21, 2012). "Acton Resident Attends Inaugural Dumpling Festival in Honor of His Mother". Acton Patch. Archived from the original on October 25, 2012. Retrieved May 31, 2013.
- ^ "Cambridge celebrates Joyce Chen's birthday with Festival of Dumplings". Wicked Local Cambridge. GateHouse Media, Inc. September 20, 2012. Archived from the original on November 11, 2013. Retrieved June 12, 2013.
- ^ Schweitzer, Sarah. "Dumpling festival a tribute to Joyce Chen". Boston Globe. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved September 29, 2014.
- ^ "Chinese American: Exclusion/Inclusion". New-York Historical Society. Archived from the original on October 1, 2014. Retrieved October 1, 2014.
- ^ a b "Five Celebrity Chefs Immortalized on Limited Edition Forever Stamps". United States Postal Service. Archived from the original on October 2, 2014. Retrieved September 30, 2014.
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- ^ "Children's Book Review: Dumpling Dreams: How Joyce Chen Brought the Dumpling from Beijing to Cambridge by Carrie Clickard, illus. by Katy Wu. S&S/Wiseman, $17.99 (48p) ISBN 978-1-4814-6707-0". PublishersWeekly.com. Archived from the original on 2019-12-05. Retrieved 2019-12-05.
- ^ "Chen, Joyce". January 9, 2020. Archived from the original on February 16, 2020. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
- ^ "Modern Monday and Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month: Joyce Chen's Restaurant, 390 Rindge Avenue". May 20, 2019. Archived from the original on October 31, 2019. Retrieved October 31, 2019.
- ^ "Columbian Home Products Buys Joyce Chen". January 15, 2003. Archived from the original on November 16, 2019. Retrieved November 16, 2019.
- ^ "Helen's Asian Kitchen Asian Cuisine Products by Helen Chen and Harold Import Company". Helensasiankitchen.com. Archived from the original on 2013-10-04. Retrieved 2013-10-03.
- ^ Julian, Sheryl (February 10, 2010). "She uses her noodle". Boston Globe. Archived from the original on August 6, 2013. Retrieved June 12, 2013.
- ^ Seltzer, Anne-Marie (September 3, 2010). "Helen Chen Remembers Her Mother". Lexington Patch. Patch. Archived from the original on 3 November 2011. Retrieved 12 June 2013.
- ^ Modesitt, Alex (2019-10-16). "Columbian Home Products up for sale". Tribune-Star. Archived from the original on 2020-03-03. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
- ^ Modesitt, Alex (2020-01-03). "Columbian Home Products to shut doors". Tribune-Star. Archived from the original on 2020-03-03. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
- ^ Lillo, Andrea (2020-01-29). "Honey-Can-Do Acquires Assets from Columbian Home Products". HFN. Archived from the original on 2020-03-03. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
- ^ "Columbian Home Products". Archived from the original on 2021-02-11. Retrieved 2020-12-19.
- ^ "Healthier Asian Products - FAQ". Joyce Chen Foods. Archived from the original on 2020-06-15. Retrieved 2020-03-14.
- ^ "Joyce Chen brand seeks boost from new product". Boston.bizjournals.com. 2006-05-01. Archived from the original on 2009-04-17. Retrieved 2013-10-03.
- ^ Schiavone, Christian (Mar 19, 2008). "Joyce Chen Unlimited closing". Wicked Local Acton (The Beacon). Gannett Co., Inc. Archived from the original on 2022-04-20. Retrieved 2020-03-14.
- ^ "The Wok: About Pui and Carol Chan". Wokwellesley.com. Archived from the original on 2014-07-22. Retrieved 2013-05-31.
External Resources
Further reading
- Ardnt, Alice (2006). Culinary biographies : a dictionary of the world's great historic chefs, cookbook authors and collectors, farmers, gourmets, home economists, nutritionists, restaurateurs, philosophers, physicians, scientists, writers, and others who influenced the way we eat today. Houston: YES Press. OCLC 69172659.
- Chen, Joyce; White, foreword by Paul Dudley (1962). Joyce Chen cook book. Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott Co. ISBN 978-0397002856.
- Chen, Joyce; White, foreword by Paul Dudley (1978). Joyce Chen cook book (paperback). Harper Collins. ISBN 978-0397012787.
- Chen, Joyce (1982). Joyce Chen Cook Book (2nd ed.). Joyce Chen Gourmet Products.
- Chen, Helen; Davis, illustrated by Earl C. (1994). Helen Chen's Chinese home cooking. New York: Hearst Books. ISBN 978-0688127565.
External links
- Joyce Chen Foods, Inc.