THE HKU SCHOOL OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES PARTNERS WITH FOOD-SAVING APP CHOMP AND GREEN HOSPITALITY TO LAUNCH COOKBOOK: ‘CONSCIOUS COOKING – ASIAN DELIGHTS’
The University of Hong Kong (HKU) School of Biological Sciences has partnered with GREEN Hospitality and food-saving app CHOMP to launch the third iteration of Food Waste to Good Taste. Funded by Knowledge Exchange, the initiative aims to reduce food waste by showcasing the potential of often overlooked food scraps that still hold nutritional value, culminating in an Asian-inspired cookbook titled ‘Conscious Cooking – Asian Delights’. Alongside insight into the food waste problem in Hong Kong and information about how to harness the nutritional benefits of food scraps, the book features nine exclusive recipes that have been contributed by a number of Hong Kong’s leading chefs, as well as recipes from CHOMP’s CEO & Founder Carla Martinesi and HKU students.
Professor Jetty Chung-Yung Lee MPhil, PhD, SFHEA Specialising in Food & Nutritional Science shares, “Food waste is one of the most pressing issues of our time. This cookbook serves as an invitation to rethink how we view food waste, to see potential where others see trash, and to savour the delicious possibilities that lie within. Since discovering that much of the food so regularly discarded from Hong Kong households is brimming with potential, we’ve been determined to find ways in which these overlooked ingredients can be repurposed – not just to reduce waste, but to create something meaningful and beneficial for human health.”
About the Cookbook
Food waste audits by GREEN Hospitality and food scrap analysis by HKU revealed nine often-discarded kitchen scraps that can boost the nutritional value of a meal, including: cucumber peels, leek tops, leftover cooked pasta and rice, lemon peels, onion skins, overripe cherry tomatoes, potato peels and tea leaves. These food items are central to the cookbook’s twenty recipes. Nine of the recipes have been thoughtfully crafted and shared by a selection of Hong Kong’s most respected chefs, who are passionate about reducing food waste, including: Barry Quek (Whey), Jen Balisi (Indulgent Eats; Barkada), Joey Chan (Yurakucho), John Nguyen (Soho Bánh Mì), Krzysztof Czerwinski (Soho House Hong Kong), May Chow (Little Bao), Samaira Kavatkar (The Bombay East Indian Girl), Tiff Lo (jean may) and Zinc Leung (Sushi Zinc). Example dishes featured in the book include Dragon Well Tea Shrimp by May Chow, Dry Assam Lemon Noodles by Barry Quek, and Filipino Chicken Bistek by Chef Jen Balisi. Behind the scenes content with the chefs can be viewed on the Food Waste to Good Taste Instagram page.
Raising Money for Foodlink Foundation through Cookbook Sales
From today, ‘Conscious Cooking – Asian Delights’ can be downloaded as an ebook (HKD100) or a hard cover book (HKD300) can be pre-ordered from the Foodlink Foundation website: https://donorbox.org/food-waste-to-good-taste-2025. All profits from the sale of the cookbook will be donated to Foodlink Foundation - a registered Hong Kong charity dedicated to fighting hunger, building self-sufficiency, and fostering nutritional wellness among those in need, while simultaneously reducing food wastage in hotels and F&B outlets in Hong Kong.
Hong Kong’s Food Waste Problem
Food waste is a significant global issue with far-reaching environmental and social impacts. Globally, over one third of food produced ends up as trash. In Hong Kong alone, a staggering 3,437 tonnes goes to landfill everyday and makes up 30% of Hong Kong’s total waste. The hospitality industry plays a big role in this mounting problem, contributing 778 tonnes of food waste daily. But there is hope – by making small changes in the way people shop, preserve, cook and eat, food waste can be reduced.
The Food Waste to Good Taste Project
Food Waste to Good Taste began in 2022 with educational and student innovation seminars to raise awareness about Hong Kong’s food waste problem. In time, the project has evolved to include hands-on workshops for F&B practitioners, providing them with practical skills and knowledge to minimise waste in their operations. The ‘Conscious Cooking – Asian Delights’ cookbook marks a milestone that hopes to make more of the general public aware of Hong Kong’s food waste problem, and inspire them to take action at home, work and when dining out.