Chef, 96, sends social media into meltdown with heartwarming TikToks

Chef, 96, sends social media into meltdown with heartwarming TikToks Jamaican grandmother and social media star Aileen Chin has been granted the Guinness World Records title of the oldest living food/cooking YouTuber (female) in the world A 96-year-old chef has been sending social media into a meltdown with her heartwarming videos, which are regularly viewed by millions. Aileen Chin is widely celebrated online for her traditional Jamaican recipes, viral cooking videos, and her signature catchphrase "mi rahtid!" — a Jamaican expression meaning "my goodness". The grandma's social media career kicked off when her grandson, Lucas Wong, began filming home videos of her to preserve family recipes. Their very first video captured Aileen's joyful reaction to homegrown bananas from his backyard — but they skyrocketed to fame after posting a video of Aileen making authentic Jamaican beef patties, using the skills she perfected for decades. With approximately three million followers across TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, the beloved grandma is also a Guinness World Records holder. This March, at the age of 96 years and 89 days old, Aileen was officially granted the Guinness World Records title of the oldest living food/cooking YouTuber (female) in the world. "It feels good for me to pass down my knowledge of cooking with the next generation," the grandma said. "I love to see people enjoy my family recipes, it brings me such joy and happiness." Aileen started cooking at the age of five and turned her passion into a business when, with her husband, Aubrey Chin, she opened a wholesale bakery in Highgate, the second-largest town in the parish of St Mary, Jamaica, back in the 1950s. She spent 58 years running the bakery before it closed its doors in 2008. After closing her bakery, she relocated to Miami, Florida, where she currently resides with her daughter and grandchildren. On her channels, the social media star teaches viewers how to make traditional dishes such as oxtail, jerk chicken, stew peas, goat soup, fried fish, and coco bread. Her grandson Lucas told the Jamaica Observer that the first video he posted was in 2023, when he filmed Aileen happily reacting to some bananas that he grew in his garden. However, he explained that her beef patty recipes helped her rise to fame. The classic Caribbean street food consists of a spiced ground beef filling encased in a vibrant yellow, flaky pastry crust. Aileen recommended the dish as the perfect introduction to Jamaican cuisine. "People always say 'mi rahtid, it nice!'" she said. Thinking back to her times working in her bakery, Aileen reflected: "My love, you know, sometimes I look back on those bakery days and remember it… it just can't leave your head." For Aileen, food is a way to connect with culture - and she explained that sometimes, she and Lucas even let their followers decide what recipes they'd like to see next. "We usually go and ask the Online Family what they would like to see next," she said. Sharing some advice to chefs, Aileen said that getting high-quality ingredients and properly seasoning the food are key. "Cook what you love to eat," she added. Aileen creates content alongside Lucas on their joint channels, @chinfamilyfromjamaica on YouTube and Zion House on TikTok. Their Instagram accounts are @zionhousetv and @chinfamilyfromjamaica_.