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Have you ever watched a BuzzFeed Tasty video and wondered who is behind the camera, making those mouth-watering dishes look so easy and fun? Chances are, you have seen the work of Rie McClenny, one of the most popular and talented food content creators on the internet. Rie is not only a video producer and host, but also a cookbook author and a former professional chef. She has a unique style of cooking that blends her Japanese roots with her global experiences, and she can make anything fancy with a twist. In this article, we will explore the life and career of Rie McClenny, from her humble beginnings in Japan to her rise to fame as a BuzzFeed Tasty star. You will learn about her passions, her inspirations, and her secrets to making delicious food. Whether you are a fan of her videos, her recipes, or her personality, you will find something to love about Rie McClenny.

Early life of Rie McClenny

Rie McClenny was born on November 19, 1980, in Japan. She grew up as an only child in a busy and loving family. Her father was a train driver, who often traveled long distances, her mother was a nurse, who worked long shifts at a local hospital and her grandmother owned a cafe. Despite being surrounded by food from an early age, Rie did not have a clear vision of becoming a chef. “Growing up, I always loved to eat, but I wasn’t interested in the food industry. My grandmother had a café so I was always surrounded by food. In my early years, I didn’t necessarily think that my goal was to be a chef,” she said in an interview. Rie pursued a major in English and graduated from a college in Osaka, Japan. It was only later in life that she discovered her passion for cooking and creating delicious dishes.

How Rie McClenny Discovered Her Culinary Passion

Following her college, Rie worked as an event coordinator for a culinary school in Tokyo and organized trips to New York City for their students to visit the French Culinary Institute. During these trips, Rie met a lot of students who were passionate about cooking and they influenced her a lot. She also got to know the food industry more and more and realized that she wanted to pursue a different career path within it. 

She wanted to become a food stylist and enrolled in a 9-month evening culinary program at the International Culinary Center’s Professional Culinary Arts program while she worked as a Sales Consultant at Koring Knives during the day. After graduating in 2014, Rie and her husband moved to California where she worked as a chef de parties and pastry cook in various restaurants, such as Rustic Canyon, and A.O.C wine bar for two and a half years.

How Rie McClenny Became a Viral Food Video Star at Tasty

Rie’s passion for food media started when she heard about Tasty through the food world grapevine. She saw that they were looking for someone who lived in LA, had a culinary background, spoke Japanese, and was preferably a Japanese person or someone who had lived in Japan for at least five years. Having all of those qualifications, Rie knew it was the job for her! She nailed the interview and landed her dream job at Tasty.

One of the reasons why Rie was drawn to Tasty was their iconic style of video where it was just the hands cooking. It was a fast-forwarded version of a cooking video and it was perfect for Rie because she didn’t need to speak English. That was her whole insecurity, that she didn’t speak perfect English and she was self-conscious about it. But at Tasty, she could express her creativity and skills through her hands and the food she made.

She joined BuzzFeed Tasty as a Food Video Producer in April 2016 and quickly became one of the most popular and talented producers on the team. She created one of the most successful series on Tasty’s YouTube channel, Make It Fancy, where she transforms ordinary dishes into fancy ones with a twist. She has also appeared in other series, such as Eating Your Feed, I Draw, You Cook, and Tasty 101.

Authorship

Rie McClenny has written a cookbook called Make It Japanese: Simple Recipes for Everyone, which reflects her journey from her birthplace of Japan to the United States and how she learned to cook heartfelt recipes from scratch, often using only ingredients from her local supermarket. The book contains 85 satisfying, soulful, everyday recipes that use just a handful of easy-to-find Japanese ingredients, such as soy sauce, mirin, and sake. Some of the dishes include:

• Loaded Vegetable Miso Soup with kale and sweet potatoes
• Roasted Cauliflower Goma-ae coated in toasted sesame dressing
• Easy Soy Sauce Ramen
• Mini Okonomiyaki
• Pork Tonkatsu
• Chicken-Tofu Tsukune
• Oyako Don
• Chicken Hot Pot with Ponzu
• Gyoza with Crispy Wings
• Temaki Party
• Simple Strawberry Shortcake
• Matcha Snacking Cake
• Citrus Mochi Doughnuts

Controversies and challenges faced by Rie McClenny

She has faced some challenges and controversies in her career, such as:

• She had to overcome the language barrier and cultural differences when she moved from Japan to the US in 2010.
• She received some negative comments and backlash from some viewers who accused her of being biased or unfair in her food reviews, especially in the Worth It Japan series.
• She had to deal with the pressure and expectations of being a successful food content creator, especially during the pandemic.

Net Worth

Rie McClenny’s net worth is estimated to be around $1.5 million as of 2024. Her main sources of income are her social media sites, especially YouTube and Instagram, where she posts cooking videos and photos. She also earns money by collaborating with other food influencers and selling products through her videos. She also works as a food video producer and host for BuzzFeed Tasty, where she creates and appears in various culinary shows.

Husband

Rie McClenny has a small but happy family that shares her love for food and fun. She is married to Blair McClenny, a Texas-born software engineer who has worked with some of the biggest companies in Los Angeles. They met at a restaurant in 2009, got married in 2011, and have been together ever since. She rarely talks about her husband in public, as he is very camera-shy and prefers to stay out of the spotlight. However, in a YouTube interview, Rie opened up about her husband and how he supports her career.

“I have a wonderful husband. He exists. He’s just very camera shy. Yeah, he doesn’t want to be, you know, take a photo, anything. But he’s super supportive of what I do, and he gives me just the best advice. You know, when I feel stressed out, like I’m kind of lost in the direction, he keeps me on point. Advice, anytime.”

Her husband, Blair is proud of Rie’s success as a food video producer for BuzzFeed Tasty. He also enjoys cooking with Rie, and sometimes surprises her with his own creations. 

Children

Rie McClenny welcomed a son Hugo Mirai with Blair on March 19, 2020. She often posts adorable pictures and videos of Hugo on her Instagram account. On May 5, 2023, she shared some photos of her baby boy Hugo on her Instagram account. She wrote that it was Children’s Day in Japan, a public holiday to celebrate and wish boys healthy growth.

She recalled how her mom used to decorate their house with a kabuto helmet and carp streamers, which are symbols of strength and courage in Japanese culture. She also mentioned that she enjoyed eating a helmet-shaped cake from a local bakery on that day. The photos show Hugo in different stages of his life. In the first photo, he is wearing a cute outfit and smiling at the camera. In the second photo, he is one year old and wearing a cute outfit. In the third photo, he is still a tiny baby.

Trivia

• Her birthday is on November 19, 1980.
• Her zodiac sign is Scorpio, which is symbolized by the scorpion and associated with passion, intensity, and transformation.
• Her birth flower is the chrysanthemum, which is a symbol of loyalty, honesty, and friendship in Japan, where she was born .
• Her birthstone is topaz which symbolize love and affection.
• Her life path number is 3, which means she is creative, expressive, and optimistic.
• Some of the famous celebrities who share her birthday are:
  • Meg Ryan, a movie actress who is famous for her roles in When Harry Met Sally, Sleepless in Seattle, and You’ve Got Mail.
  • Adam Driver, an Oscar-nominated actor who starred in movies like Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Marriage Story, and BlacKkKlansman.
  • FaZe Rug, a YouTube star who is part of the FaZe Clan gaming organization.
  • Tyga, a rapper who has collaborated with artists like Chris Brown, Nicki Minaj, and Rihanna.
  • Jodie Foster, a movie actress who won an Academy Award for The Accused and directed films like The Silence of the Lambs and Money Monster.

Rie McClenny Wiki/Bio Summary

Physical Traits

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