After 1960, Vancouver's Chinatown underwent extensive redevelopment. Many times, this redevelopment saw the demolition of heritage Chinese buildings and forced relocation of its residents. Click here to read more about Chinatown in the 1960s.
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The 1960s, with all of its political turmoil entrenched in society, changing attitudes towards people of Asian descent are reflected in the oldest Chinese cookbook in this collection. The ‘Fabulous Chinese Cookbook’ by Kam Long, who was one of the best and most well-known Chinese food chefs in Western Canada, released this cookbook in 1965. Nothing remotely ‘multicultural’ or ‘ethnic’ is published on its own before this one in this collection, only included in other cookbooks as an after-thought. Due to its anticipated audience, Kam Long compiled his recipes for the Western Canadian palate (much as Chinese food still is today), but the recipes were compiled together with the local people. The actual traditional recipes are presented in their own separate section. The first step to every recipe in this book is careful preparation of ingredients, as cook times are fast and direct. Actual cooking time, most often prepared in a pre-heated wok with oil, is very minimal. The use of the oven is non-existent in this book, making it a distinct contrast to the meal preparation methods of traditional Western Canadian housewives.
