Grace Young (author)

Grace Young is an American cookbook author, activist, and food historian specializing in Chinese cuisine and wok cookery. She received the Julia Child Award from The Julia Child Foundation for Gastronomy and the Culinary Arts and James Beard Humanitarian of the Year award from the James Beard Foundation, both in 2022, for her culinary achievements.

Young has authored cookbooks focused on American Chinese cuisine with her books The Wisdom of the Chinese Kitchen and The Breath of a Wok being influential in highlighting the use of the Chinese wok to a new generation of cooks. Both books have won the Best International Cookbook Award from the International Association of Culinary Professionals.

As an activist, Young began advocating for greater patronage of New York City's Chinatown during the COVID-19 pandemic. In March 2020, she interviewed several Chinatown business and restaurant owners as part of the Coronavirus: Chinatown Stories video series and, in 2021, launched the Grace Young Support Chinatown Fund, raising $40,000 for four Chinatown businesses.