Induction Cooking: A Suggestion From a Popular TikTok Chef

Chef Jon Kung utilizes his popular cooking videos to establish connections between the food we consume and its impact on the climate emergency. According to him, transitioning to induction cooking is not only beneficial for the environment but also for our well-being and safety. Currently, his main focus is on finding ways to inspire change and maintain hope, as he believes there is still a chance to reverse the current situation. On October 31, the renowned Detroit chef will release his debut cookbook titled Kung Food: Chinese American Recipes from a Third-Culture Kitchen. This information was shared during an interview with Kendra Pierre-Louis.

I am a big believer in the electrification of kitchens, especially the advent of induction technology. For me, it’s not just sustainability, but also employee comfort, health and safety. Gas stoves don’t just heat pans; they heat up the kitchen with their extra heat. As a result, commercial kitchens are hot—very, very hot. When I was working in the kitchen, I had to run downstairs to the basement, take off my apron and put on a shirt that wasn’t wet with sweat from all the wasted heat.

We are now on WhatsApp. Click to join.

We have to use towels to grab the handles of every pot on the stove, or you’d literally be peeling the skin off your hands from the waste heat that instead of cooking heats the handles. And, of course, these product lines become fumes. It’s a dangerous place to work and just removing the flame would make everything much nicer and safer. It also has a very good effect on the environment.

I started cooking on video during the pandemic because we were all stuck in quarantine. It was my way of doing my part, finding a way to be useful to everyone who was stuck at home. So I started sharing easy cooking techniques, almost survival techniques, related to stretching food. How to use up the stuff in the fridge, stuff like that. And as my platform grew, I just thought, “Why not try to use this platform that I’ve acquired to do something good?” So I quietly began to incorporate environmental communication.

Some of them show how good the induction is. It’s better than gas. It also looks at what we eat. I’m pretty much an omnivore, but I don’t need meat at every meal. And that means eating more vegetables and being more open about plant-based food sources. Keeping an open mind about what to eat can help many people live healthier lives while also benefiting the environment, as the agricultural sector, especially the meat industry, is a major producer of greenhouse gases.

But using my platform in this way makes me a bit polarizing because somehow we’ve managed to politicize the world for the better for generations to come. I’m just mentioning induction, I’m not even touching on the climate messages, I’m just saying that this is actually faster than a gas stove before, and for some people it will get a personal response, like I’m attacking personally. them. It’s not based on logic, it’s based on emotion. I’m not trying to argue with these people. I’m just presenting the kitchen I built for myself, which I think as a chef and a professional chef is the aspiration of the home. They’re always trying to think they’re doing something when they say, “You have induction, but where does your electricity come from?” This forces me to explain that I am part of my local utility’s program to purchase solar and wind energy in Michigan. I also have solar panels on my roof.

What keeps me up at night is trying to give myself the grace that all is not lost. There’s just so much doom and gloom, like the end of a row of coastal countries or island nations disappearing. I operate under this constant worry and pressure. A lot of people in my generation, and certainly the younger generation, Gen Z, have it on their heads. But really, I try not to stay up at night. I’m trying to get some sleep. So I can focus on making the world better the next day.

One more thing! ReturnByte is now on WhatsApp channels! Follow us by clicking the link to never miss any updates from the world of technology. Click here to join now!