Culinary expert, television personality and food author Martin Yan will have an estimated net worth of around $10 million as of 2025. Yan is best known for hosting the long-running PBS television series titled Edition: Yan Can Cook, which originally premiered in 1982. For over four decades. Yan has introduced the world to the joy of preparing and eating Chinese and Asian cuisine, hosted or featured in more than 3,500 episodes of television programming, authored and contributed to more than 20 cookbooks, opened restaurants that have won numerous accolades, and been recognized as the only culinary ambassador around the world, thereby ensuring recognition as an iconic chef based on one of the most celebrated chef symbols in culinary history.
Early life and culinary education
Martin Yan was born on December 22, 1948 in Guangzhou, China, to a mother who sold groceries and a father who owned a restaurant. Yan’s love for food began early, starting cooking as a young boy of 12. At 13 he moved to Hong Kong, where he cooked at his uncle’s restaurant, renowned for their roast duck and specializing in Chinese dishes. After comprehensive training from the Overseas Institute of Cookery of Hong Kong, he moved to North America and graduated from the University of California, Davis, with a Master of Science in Food Science in 1975. He is often mistaken for another chef, Canadian television chef Stephen Yan (Wok with Yan). Yan made his own legacy with his experience, although the two chefs also briefly worked together in the 1970s. Career Achievements
Ascendancy to Television Stardom
Yan’s television career began rather serendipitously in the late 1970s when he was able to demonstrate Chinese cooking on a Canadian talk show. His charm and dexterity with a cleaver charmed the audience, and he moved on to hundreds of local shows, which culminated in the airing of his PBS show in 1982. “Yan Can Cook” eventually became a household name, aired for decades, and was broadcast in 50 plus countries. His tagline, “If Yan can cook, so can you,” simply portrays his acceptance of western cooking by using authentic flavor, commonality, and humor.
Other TV Projects
Along with his flagship show, Yan has hosted or appeared on other shows such as
Martin Yan’s Chinatown Cooking
Martin Yan’s Hidden China
Martin Yan: Taste of Vietnam
Martin Yan: Taste of Malaysia
Martin Yan’s Asian Favorites
He has also guest-judged on Iron Chef America, Top Chef, Hell’s Kitchen, and Iron Chef Vietnam. All of which further substantiated his global appeal.
Restaurants & Cooking School
Yan landed himself in the restaurant business with the Yan can Restaurant chain, along with SensAsian (California), M.Y. Asia (Las Vegas), and M.Y. China (San Francisco & Rohnert Park). Likewise, he initiated the Yan Can International Cooking School in San Francisco, which allowed him to train aspiring chefs from around the globe.
Author and Culinary Ambassador
Yan has written over 20 cookbooks, like The Joy of Wokking, Martin Yan’s Chinatown Cooking, and Martin Yan’s Culinary Journey Through China. His books have received accolades in major publications, and he still encourages a more cultural appreciation of Asian cooking.
Awards and Recognition
Martin Yan has received many awards throughout his career, some of the most prestigious in food media, including
James Beard Awards for Best TV Cooking Show (1994), Best TV Food Journalism (1996), and The Lifetime Achievement Award (2022).
Daytime Emmy Award for Best Cooking Show (1998).
Antonin Carême Award and an Honorary Doctorate of Culinary Arts from Johnson & Wales University.
Martin Yan has not only cooked, but he has also been a cultural bridge between East and West through food.
Personal Life
Martin has been married to Susan Yoshimura Yan for over forty years, and they have twin sons, Devin and Colin. Yan is known for being disciplined in all aspects of life, and he once shared his longevity secret was to start every meal with a bowl of clear soup to avoid overeating.
He is a member of Les Disciples D’Auguste Escoffier, an international gastronomic society to help keep culinary tradition alive.
Real Estate
In 1993, Martin and Susan purchased a home in Hillsborough, California, for $950,000. Today the property is estimated to be worth $5 million, much as the success Yan has had while holding long-term California roots.
FAQs About Martin Yan
What is Martin Yan’s net worth?
Martin Yan has a net worth estimated at $10 million as of 2025.
How did Martin Yan become famous?
He became well known as the host of the PBS cooking show “Yan Can Cook,” which has played thousands of episodes globally since 1982.
Is Martin Yan related to Stephen Yan from Wok with Yan?
No, Martin Yan is not related to Stephen Yan, but Martin did work with Stephen briefly in the 1970s.
How many cookbooks has Martin Yan written?
He has written over 20 cookbooks, many of which serve as a fundamental source in Asian cooking.
What awards has Martin Yan won?
He has won many James Beard Awards, including the distinguished Lifetime Achievement Award (2022), a Daytime Emmy, and others.
Does Martin Yan still cook on TV?
Yes. Like the many other shows he has been on in the past, Martin Yan continues to appear on food programs or international cooking competitions as a guest judge or cultural ambassador.
