In this fun, flavour-packed episode, Shanghai-born home cook, content creator and influencer Verna Gao shares her journey from growing up in China to becoming a full-time recipe creator with over 900k followers on TikTok and Instagram. She reflects on how her love for teaching others to cook Chinese food began at university and flourished during the pandemic, leading to her debut cookbook Have You Eaten?, which celebrates nostalgic recipes from different stages of her life.

Verna talks about the rise of Asian cuisine in mainstream culture, her fascination with sweet and spicy flavour pairings, and her creative use of pure Canadian maple syrup as a versatile ingredient. She also shares insights into content creation, from building an engaged audience to balancing relatability with viral potential, and why her dumpling and noodle videos always resonate.

The conversation takes us through Verna's global adventures, including Bandeja Paisa in Colombia, a hearty platter of rice, beans, ground beef, chorizo, fried pork belly, fried egg, plantain, avocado and arepa, and her favourite food spots in London, such as Cay Tre Soho and Duck & Waffle. Verna also discusses co-hosting Channel 4's Served and her "Bowl-ified" segment, where she reimagines knife and fork dishes like beef wellington, taco soup and spring rolls into sofa-friendly meals.

Looking ahead, she is excited to explore more travel-led content, shining a light on local gems and culinary stories from around the world.

Follow www.instagram.com/james_golding_chef/ and Maple from Canada UK www.instagram.com/maplecanadauk/ for more seasonal recipe inspiration.

Verna's cookbook is available here.

For recipes and cookbook announcements, follow Verna here:

www.instagram.com/vernahungrybanana/ or visit her website https://www.vernabanana.com.