Peabody Award and Ken Hom, OBE

by Jacqueline M. Newman

Personal Perspectives

Winter Volume: 2011 Issue: 18(4) page(s): 14

'Noodle Road' is an acclaimed Korean Broadcasting System documentary done by celebrity chef Ken Hom, OBE. It won him a prestigious Peabody Award in 2010. These annual international awards for excellence are named for George Foster Peabody and administered by the Henry W. Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Georgia. First conceived in 1941 and then only for radio, television awards were added in 1948 and the late 1990's saw added awards for items published on the World Wide Web.

'Noodle Road' is documentary series of amazing journeys showing how noodle's two thousand five hundred year history was adopted by both Eastern and Western parts of the world. Yes, noodles have been adapted to suit different diets and different tastes throughout Asia and Europe.

Ken Hom, OBE, travelled for two years making this documentary series. He went to eight different countries from the depths of inner China to Bhutan, Turkey, Italy, and elsewhere. This series shows and tells about cultural exchanges between East and West; and it introduces noodle dishes around the world. In 2009, 'Noodle Road' won the Korean Broadcasting Award, the first time a non-fiction series received an award for contributions to Asian food culture. In 2009 it won the celebrated Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union award for the Best Television Documentary. And, in 2010 it was nominated for best TV documentary at the New York Film Festival. Do check out this documentary series and enjoy Ken Hom, OBE, as presenter, host, and educator about noodles world-wide.

Commenting on the award-winning documentary, Ken Hom, OBE, honorary chairperson of this magazine, said: "Noodles are so much part of my own culture. I grew up eating them every day and cooking them in my uncle's restaurant. Even with that background, I discovered many fascinating facts when making this documentary series. This is certainly a new style of documentary never tasted before!"

In addition to the above, note the OBE after his name. Yes, Ken Hom, OBE, was recently awarded that OBE or 'Order of the British Empire.' In addition, 2009 was his 60th birthday and the 25th anniversary of his first television appearance on BBC. That television series, called 'Ken Hom's Chinese Cookery' uses the same name as one of his earliest books still regarded by many as a 'Chinese culinary bible.' This year the newest anniversary edition came out and if you do not own it, check out this very special edition. It was and will remain a trail-blazing Chinese cookbook.

Ken Hom has written twenty-three books about Asian cookery. He is a most notable chef with a captivating television presence. The OBE was for 'services to the culinary arts.' His name is firmly associated with the wok, a key utensil for all Chinese cooking. Many Chinese food and beverage products sold in many countries bear his name as do his large number of Chinese and other Asian cookbooks. Check out more about him on the web at www.kenhom.com.

He advises that 'Noodle Road' is a fun and educational series; it was sold to a dozen overseas television stations, and already was aired in forty different countries. He tells us that previews are available on youtube.com and we remind you that his articles arem also on this magazine's web site. You can locate them easily under author listings by his name at: www.flavorandfortune.com Do enjoy them all.

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