Mi rahtid! 96-year-old Jamaican chef turns influencer, sharing smiles and family recipes

Carefully tucked within a brown Basmati rice bag, fashioned into a zippered tote, Aileen Chin (USA) keeps a stack of handwritten paper recipes beloved by millions.

For the last three years, she and her grandson Lucas Wong (USA) have brought to life those yellowed pages, turning them into mouth-watering meals in front of the camera for their family – and the internet – to enjoy. 

And whether they’re sharing the secret to the perfect chocolate chip cookie, or whipping up recipes from Aileen’s native country of Jamaica, all of their content is defined by its heartwarming nature and her iconic catchphrase of ‘mi rahtid!’ – a Jamaican saying meaning ‘my goodness’, as in, ‘my goodness, this food is delicious’!

Aileen started cooking at the age of five, and later turned her passion into a business when she opened a wholesale bakery in Highgate, St Mary with her husband back in the 1950s. 

And though the store closed its doors in 2008, and the grandma has since moved to Miami, Florida, USA to be with her family, Aileen is still connected with her past and culture through the taste of her food – so it’s fitting that the very same delicacies that made her company popular back in the day, are the cause of her success online now.

With roughly three million followers across their Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and FaceBook accounts, Aileen is a star – and this March, at the incredible age of 96 years and 89 days old, she 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,” Aileen said to GWR.

“I love to see people enjoy my family recipes, it brings me such joy and happiness.”

Read more stories about record-breaking chefs in our dedicated Food and Drink section!

Lucas told the Jamaica Observer that the first video he posted of his grandmother was in 2023, when he filmed her happily reacting to some bananas that he grew in his garden. 

Yet their viral fame truly came when he shared a video of her making beef patties, just like how she used to in her bakery in Jamaica. Filled with seasoned meat, and tucked within a flaky yellow crust, the dish is extremely popular – and in fact, Aileen recommended it as the perfect introduction to Jamaican cuisine. 

“People always say ‘mi rahtid, it nice!’” she said.

In addition to her famous patties, Lucas and Aileen love to post videos of other traditional Jamaican meals, including: oxtail and jerk (in every form!), goat soup, stew peas, canned mackerel, fried fish, and everything in between. 

Many of her popular videos also include sweet treats, like Jamaican cakes and cocoa bread, taken from her 58 years of working at Chin’s Bakery.

“My love, you know sometimes I look back on those bakery days and remember it… it just can’t leave your head,” she said.

Yet Aileen has also said that nothing makes her happier than sharing her recipes and culture with the world, and receiving the outpouring of support from followers who can connect with her over food.

She and Lucas even let their followers decide what recipes they’d like the family to share, with Aileen explaining that: “we usually go and ask the Online Family what they would like to see next.” 

And when it comes to cooking, Aileen says that the best advice that she could give to chefs at home is to follow your heart – as well as your tastebuds. As long as the ingredients are good, and the meal is properly seasoned, a little effort is always worth a home-cooked meal.

“Cook what you love to eat,” she wisely said.

So congratulations to this incredible chef, as well as her loving family – Aileen, you are Officially Amazing!