A beautifully personal cookbook of more than 70 easy and inspiring Chinese and East Asian recipes for every occasion.

Verna Gao is throwing a Chinese dumpling party and everyone is invited—so roll out the dough and learn to pleat like a Hangzhou grandma!

The Hungry Banana Cookbook brings together more than 70 of Verna’s all-time favorite Asian-inspired recipes. Each dish is simple to make and sumptuous to eat, with something for every mood or occasion—whether you want to be slurping spring onion noodles in a matter of minutes, sinking into a comforting bowl of congee, or sharing a round of vegan baos with friends.

More than just a compendium of recipes, this is a personal journey back in time, through words, memories, and photographs, to the people and places that inspired these dishes—from memories of a Shanghai childhood spent with mom and grandma in the kitchen, to impromptu “real Chinese” cooking lessons with college friends and backpacking around the street food hotspots of East Asia.

Super fresh, vegan adaptable, and full of punchy flavors, Verna’s unfussy recipes make Chinese home cooking accessible to everyone.