Ann Tang, Hong Kong native who has been living in the United States for 27 years, has made a positive mark on many. She is now minister for Salem and Olive Branch United Methodist churches in Gloucester, but her career began in Washington, D.C.

Ann grew up in Hong Kong, China, with three brothers and one sister, starting to learn English in the first grade. Ann was the younger of two girls, “Thus I spent a lot of time in the kitchen with my mother. She was a good cook and I learned from her. I learned also from my home economic classes I took in high school. Basically our foods were steamed or stir-fried. We used a lot of vegetables and seafood. Hong Kong is as a port city so seafood was readily available. Hot tea was generally served with each meal. A family meal would generally be an appetizer such as crispy noodles, one meat, one vegetable and rice. Maybe dessert sometimes.”

Explaining that food has always been an important part of her family’s life, Ann sa...