Adam Liaw Weighs In on TikTok Cooking Trends and the Importance of Culinary Heritage

In a serene part of Sydney’s north shore, renowned chef Adam Liaw reflects on the burgeoning trend of TikTok recipe videos and the implications they have on culinary expertise and tradition.

“You’ve got millions of people who tune in to learn how to cook something from somebody on social media who is literally making it for the first time. So it’s the blind leading the blind a bit there,” he observes, expressing his reservations about the trend.

Liaw emphasizes the significance of food’s cultural context, asserting that mastering a dish goes beyond technique and combines with an understanding of its origins and traditions.

A Career Begins with a Chat Show

Liaw’s journey into professional cooking wasn’t a direct path. His interest in food began with watching his grandmother prepare meals in their Singaporean-Malay household and deeply rooting his sense of culinary identity.

Following a stint on the popular cooking competition show MasterChef in 2010, Liaw’s career took a pivotal turn. However, it was an appearance on SBS’s Destination Flavour in 2012 that established him as a media personality.

Liaw reflects on his decision to return to Australia following his time as an in-house lawyer at Disney Japan. Nudging from friends and his own ambitions, he took the plunge and auditioned for MasterChef, marking the beginning of a new chapter.

From Lawyer to Chef: A New Career Path

Before his cooking career, Liaw had a strong foundation in law. He worked as an in-house lawyer and even wrote a dissertation on the moral imperatives in criminal punishment. His legal background has given him a unique perspective on his work.

The transition from law to cooking might seem drastic, but Liaw sees all careers as a series of emails to respond to, despite the subject matter varying widely.

“They’re all the same,” he laughs. “Honestly, everyone’s career is answering emails at this point, and it’s just the subject matter of those emails that has changed.”

The Importance of Cooking for Family

For Liaw, the essence of cooking is deeply tied to family and love. He believes that cooking should be an enjoyable experience rather than a chore perpetuated by the convenience food industry.

“Cooking is and has been, for the entire history of humanity, the most normal thing in the world to do,” he asserts. “And then as soon as convenience foods started to come to prominence in the 1950s, there became this entire industry around telling you that cooking was too hard and that you need all these products and things to make your life easier.”

Liaw’s career as a chef is driven by his passion for cooking for his family. He believes that this act of shared mealtimes is fundamental to domestic life and is a stark contrast to the current societal trend of prioritizing work over personal life.

Liaw notes, “Cooking for my family is vastly more important [than my career]. It’s the most important thing that I do.” This sentiment underscores his dedication to his family and his belief in the transformative power of shared meals.

Conclusion: The Bliss of Cooking

Adam Liaw’s journey from a lawyer to a celebrated chef underscores the importance of following one’s passions and the power of culinary tradition. His criticism of current cooking trends and his advocacy for family-centered food preparation serve as a reminder of the fundamental joy and necessity of cooking.

If Liaw’s career is any indication, the future of cooking is vibrant, deeply rooted in heritage, and ultimately about love and family.

As we navigate the increasingly digital landscape of cooking, it’s worth remembering Adam Liaw’s perspective: cooking should be about connection, tradition, and above all, joy.

We invite you to share your thoughts on the future of cooking and the importance of culinary heritage in the comments below. Subscribe to our newsletter for more insightful articles and join the conversation on social media to stay updated on the latest trends and insights.