It describes her initial years in the United States, when she attended university and learned English as a second language.
The title refers to a saying in Chinese about a person who had no more potential to grow;[1] in China she felt that she had no opportunity to succeed.
Joan Chen suggested to her that she come to the United States, and Min takes this offer.
[1] Helena De Bertodano of The Daily Telegraph stated that The Cooked Seed became "acclaimed".
[3] Publishers Weekly gave the book a starred review, describing it as "captivatingly" and "poignantly"; it stated that her criticisms of the United States were done "candidly".