A new exhibition at the PMQ creative hub in Hong Kong seeks to offer a measured counterpoint to the fast-paced, digitally driven food culture that dominates today’s culinary landscape. Since its establishment in 2015, the PMQ Taste Library has served as a repository of culinary knowledge, gathering more than 2,000 books covering global food traditions. Now, the institution has launched a guest curator initiative to introduce fresh perspectives and foster deeper appreciation of culinary heritage.
The current exhibition, titled “Treasure Recipes,” is curated by publisher Michael Lui Ka-chun and will run through August 30. It features over 20 influential cookbooks, magazines, and other gastronomic literature, emphasizing the lasting cultural and emotional significance of printed culinary works. Lui and PMQ Taste Library founder Craig Au-Yeung both stress that cookbooks remain valuable cultural artifacts despite the dominance of social media food trends and fleeting online content.
Au-Yeung highlights that cookbooks offer rich content connecting food to emotions, memory, and everyday life, akin to acclaimed films or novels in their importance. Lui underscores that cookbooks serve not only as instructional guides for chefs but also document shifts in cultural attitudes toward food. He points to the example of softshell turtles, a once-common ingredient in Cantonese cuisine now often viewed with unease or fear, as evidence of how culinary literature can reflect evolving social mindsets.
The exhibition directly challenges the rapid consumption of food media in the digital realm. Lui notes that online videos and posts often move too quickly for meaningful reflection, whereas reading a cookbook encourages readers to pause, observe details, and engage thoughtfully. He sees physical books as enduring educational tools amid a constantly shifting media environment.
Au-Yeung welcomes collaboration and multiple viewpoints within the Taste Library’s work, expressing hope that diverse voices will contribute to a broader conversation about food. “When talking about food, every single person should have their own ideas,” he said, noting the desire to encourage individuals to cultivate their own food histories and personal recipe collections.
Amid the overload of instant and ephemeral food content circulating online, the PMQ Taste Library’s analogue approach offers an appealing alternative. By slowing down and focusing on the tangible heritage contained within cookbooks, the exhibition invites visitors to reconnect with the deeper richness of culinary traditions beyond transient trends.