2024 San Mateo County History Maker Announced

The San Mateo County Historical Association will honor Celebrity Chef and Culinary Ambassador Martin Yan as its 2024 San Mateo County History Maker.

Yan is a legendary television icon, a James Beard Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, a highly respected event host and food hospitality consultant. He has coauthored more than 30 books, among which are award winning Martin Yan’s Feast, Martin Yan’s Chinatown Cooking (with an introduction by Julia Child), Martin Yan’s Quick & Easy, Martin Yan’s China and Martin Yan’s Best of Asia.? ?

Born in Guangzhou, China, from a restaurant and grocery family, Chef Yan acquired his passion for cooking at an early age, apprenticed in a popular restaurant in Hong Kong and further honed his skills at the Overseas Institute of Cooking in Hong Kong. He received a Master of Food Science degree at U.C. Davis where he also discovered a flair for teaching and later established the Chef Martin Yan Archive at U.C. Davis.? ?

What began as a small cooking school in Foster City soon evolved into the award-winning television series Yan Can Cook in 1978, and he has gone on to host over 3,500 cooking shows around the world.? ? Now based in San Mateo, Chef Yan is the recipient of numerous prestigious national and international awards. His most notable recognitions include: James Beard Foundation Awards, Antonin Careme Medal, Asian American Pacific Islanders Heritage Award, Global Leadership Awards, American Culinary Federation Awards and The American Academy of Chefs Awards.? ?

Chef Yan has chosen to participate in the San Mateo County History Makers Dinner and to support the San Mateo County Historical Association because of its work in preserving the Peninsula’s past and providing hands-on learning experiences for 20,000 school children every year. The Historical Association is best known for operating the San Mateo County History Museum in Redwood City and two historic sites, the Sanchez Adobe and Woodside Store.? ?

The San Mateo County History Makers Dinner will take place at the Merriott Waterfront Hotel in Burlingame. For information go to www.historysmc.org/history-makers/ or call 650-299-0104.