Heritage In Every Layer: Chef Gary Wong’s Recipe For Preserving Asian Culinary Culture

As Baking & Pastry Chef-Instructor at Vancouver’s Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts, Gary Wong is on a mission to honour the past while inspiring the future. In this special Q&A for Asian Heritage Month, he reflects on childhood memories in Chinatown, the evolving role of culinary education, and how food can be both a bridge to heritage and a platform for creativity. Plus, he shares a personal favourite: a nostalgic, crowd-pleasing recipe for Pineapple Milk Bread straight from his Hong Kong roots. —Noa Nichol

What are some of your earliest food memories growing up in an Asian household?

Chinatown 1990s. Fresh produce, live seafood, specialty meats… and they were all overflowing onto the sidewalks. The aromas and sensations – which honestly can be either good or bad – was part of our weekly family ritual which usually ended with a meal at one of the many quality East Asian eateries in Vancouver. It was a demonstration of how food can be sold elsewhere in the world, which may seem to be from another time and era. Seeing the contrasts of Chinatown with the mainstream supermarkets exemplified the fact that terroir, climate, and seasonality plays a major role in how food cultures evolved, and therefore authenticity is important for each type of cuisine.

How do you see culinary education playing a role in preserving and evolving Asian food traditions?

There are dozens of Asian cuisines with hundreds of years of history, but not all have received the accolades that they deserve. Through professional culinary education, we can appropriately document and replicate these recipes and techniques. Hopefully, the documentation will allow future generations to accurately replicate these cuisines and evolve them through ambition and persistence.

In your role at PICA, how are you helping shape the next generation of Asian Canadian culinary talent?

In professional kitchens, success comes down to knowledge and a desire for excellence. At Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts, we teach our students classic technical knowledge and then allow them to push their boundaries with their own ideas. In Vancouver, we are blessed with a variety of cuisine to inspire, and ethnic communities who provide us with their bounty. Along with our internationally experienced instructors, we hope to assist the next generation of Chefs to achieve their dreams.

Could you share a personal or family recipe that connects you to your heritage

Pineapple Milk Bread

A classic from my heritage of Hong Kong, and perhaps a great example of East meets West, as a typical enriched bread recipe is adjusted to the palate and the tropical climate of the region. Makes 8 pieces.

For the Roux:

• Bread Flour 20g
• Milk 80g
• For the Crust:
• Pastry Flour 73g
• Egg Yolk 13g
• Butter 33g
• Sugar 30g
• Salt 2g
• Milk 7g
• Milk Powder 7g
• Baking Powder 2g

For the Dough:

• Bread Flour 310g
• Roux 100g
• Eggs 50g (1 large egg)
• Instant Yeast 5g
• Cream 70g
• Milk 30g
• Sugar 50g
• Salt 3g
• Butter 30g
• Vanilla Extract 5g

For the roux

1. In a pot, combine all ingredients and whisk until smooth.
2. Cook over low heat, stir constantly until a thick paste has formed.
3. Allow to cool.

For the crust

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl to form a dough.
2. Chill the dough in fridge.
3. Roll out to 3mm thickness
4. Cut into 8pc of 13cm squares, reserve in fridge

For the dough

1. Combine all ingredients except butter in a mixer. Mix on low speed for 5 minutes
2. Scrape down the bowl and mix on medium speed for 2 minutes
3. Scrape down the bowl again then add butter. Mix on low speed until butter is fully incorporated.
4. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and bulk ferment at room temperature for 1 hour, or until dough has doubled in size.
5. Divide dough into 8 pieces, pre-shape roughly into a ball, and rest for 5 minutes
6. Finally shape the dough into a round shape
7. Proof for 1hour, or until double in size
8. Egg wash the crust with a whole egg beaten, and score in a diamond pattern with the back of a paring knife.
9. Lay crust onto the dough, and bake in preheated oven at 180c until golden brown, approximately 24 minutes