Vegetarian Symphony from Hong Kong
Book Description
A Cooking Diary, Composed Like a Piece of Music
Aurora Em is careful not to call this a cookbook. She calls it a cooking diary — a way of recording and thanking the people and memories that matter most to her, told through vegetarian recipes rather than words alone.
Structured like a musical programme rather than a conventional recipe collection, Vegetarian Symphony from Hong Kong moves through movements — favourite tunes, school bentos, Japanese-inspired dishes, adventures across Asia, festive food, and the tastes of home — each one paired with the music that inspired it.
Every recipe in this book is entirely proceeds-for-charity. All profits are donated to causes supporting the elderly, care homes, hospice care, and music therapy, with donations tracked transparently on Aurora’s Instagram.
Vegetarian Music Charity Memoir
A Book Written to Give Something Back
"I really want to see what I can do for the people in need through music and cooking."
— Aurora Em
Every recipe in Vegetarian Symphony from Hong Kong is attached to a piece of music — a tune Aurora associates with a memory, a person, or a feeling she wanted to hold onto while cooking. The result reads less like a traditional recipe book and more like a personal scrapbook, set to a soundtrack.
The book is organised into “movements” rather than chapters: My Favourite Tunes, School Bentos, Japan’s Ichigo Ichie, Asian Adventure, Christmas Eternally, Spirit of Hong Kong, and a closing Coda — each one a different chapter of Aurora’s life, told through food. Recipes range from comforting Korean stews and French onion soup, through Japanese home cooking and dishes from across Asia, to the Hong Kong street food and dim sum dishes Aurora grew up with.
Threaded throughout is Aurora’s connection to Hong Kong itself — the place she was born and raised, and the resilience and hope she associates with its people. The book closes with a short section on Yin Yang and the five elements, reflecting the traditional Chinese wisdom around balance and wellbeing that quietly runs beneath the whole collection.
Inside The Book
The Movements
+———————————–+———————————–+ | My Favourite Tunes | School Bentos | | | | | Comfort recipes paired with the | Playful, loving lunchbox recipes | | music that shaped Aurora’s | inspired by years of packing her | | everyday life | daughter’s school lunches | +———————————–+———————————–+ | Japan’s Ichigo Ichie | Asian Adventure | | | | | Japanese home cooking rooted in | Recipes inspired by getaways to | | the philosophy of cherishing | Thailand, Taiwan, South Korea | | once-in-a-lifetime moments | and beyond | +———————————–+———————————–+ | Christmas Eternally & | Spirit of Hong Kong | | Spirit of Hong Kong | | | | Recipes rooted in Hong Kong’s | | Festive recipes for bringing | street food and dim sum | | people together, alongside the | traditions, adapted with love | | tastes of Aurora’s home city | | +———————————–+———————————–+
Plus:
- A closing collection on Yin Yang and the Five Elements — traditional wisdom on balance, wellbeing, and listening to the body
- Every recipe reworked to be fully vegetarian, dairy-free and made with plant-based alternatives
- A personal soundtrack, with a piece of music recommended alongside almost every recipe
