Privacy Policy

Effective date: [June 3, 2026]

This Privacy Policy describes how The Qi Kitchen ("we," "us," or "our") collects, uses, and shares information about you when you visit theqikitchen.com (the "Site"), subscribe to our newsletter, or otherwise interact with us.

By using the Site, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy.

Who we are

The Qi Kitchen is a website publishing Chinese home-cooking recipes, ingredient guides, and food culture content for an English-speaking audience.

For any privacy-related questions, contact us at [hello@theqikitchen.com].

Information we collect

Information you provide to us

  • Email address — when you subscribe to our newsletter or create a member account on the Site.
  • Name — if you choose to provide it when subscribing or contacting us.
  • Messages — any information you include when you contact us by email or through a contact form.

Information collected automatically

When you visit the Site, certain information is collected automatically, including:

  • Log and device data — your IP address, browser type, operating system, referring pages, and the dates/times of your visits, recorded by our web server.
  • Usage data — pages viewed and links clicked, which may be collected through privacy-friendly analytics if enabled.
  • Cookies and similar technologies — see the "Cookies" section below.

How we use your information

We use the information we collect to:

  • Send you our newsletter and any content or updates you have subscribed to.
  • Operate, maintain, and improve the Site and its content.
  • Respond to your questions, comments, and requests.
  • Understand how visitors use the Site so we can improve it.
  • Comply with legal obligations and protect against fraud or abuse.

We do not sell your personal information.

Cookies and tracking technologies

Our website platform (Ghost) uses cookies that are necessary for core functionality — for example, to keep you signed in to a member account and to remember your preferences. These are essential cookies.

If we use analytics, we aim to use privacy-friendly, cookie-free or first-party analytics that do not track you across other websites.

You can set your browser to refuse cookies or to alert you when cookies are being sent. Some parts of the Site may not function properly without them.

Newsletter and email

If you subscribe to our newsletter or become a member, we store your email address to send you the emails you've requested.

We use third-party email providers to deliver these messages:

  • Resend — for account-related and transactional emails (such as sign-in links and confirmations).
  • Mailgun — for newsletter and bulk email delivery (if applicable).

These providers process your email address on our behalf in order to deliver our emails. You can unsubscribe at any time using the link at the bottom of any newsletter, or by contacting us directly.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

The Qi Kitchen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

When you click an affiliate link on our Site and make a purchase, Amazon or other affiliate partners may set cookies and collect information about that transaction. This data is governed by the privacy policies of those third parties, not by this policy. We do not receive your payment details or other personal information from these purchases — only aggregate commission reporting.

For more detail on how affiliate relationships work on this Site, see our Affiliate Disclosure page.

Third-party services

We rely on the following categories of third-party services, each with their own privacy policies:

  • Hosting — our Site is hosted on DigitalOcean infrastructure.
  • Email delivery — Resend and Mailgun, as described above.
  • Affiliate programs — Amazon Associates and any other affiliate partners we may join.
  • Analytics — privacy-friendly analytics and/or Google Search Console, used to understand Site traffic and search performance.
  • Payment processing — [Include this only if you offer paid memberships: payments are processed by Stripe, which collects and processes your payment information under its own privacy policy. We do not store your full payment card details.]

We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party services you interact with through our Site.

How we share your information

We do not sell your personal information. We may share information only in these limited circumstances:

  • Service providers — with the third parties listed above, solely so they can perform services on our behalf.
  • Legal requirements — if required to do so by law, or in response to valid requests by public authorities.
  • Business transfers — in connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, in which case we will notify you of any change.

Data retention

We retain your personal information only as long as necessary to provide the services you've requested and for legitimate operational, legal, or regulatory purposes. If you unsubscribe or ask us to delete your information, we will remove it from our active systems within a reasonable period, except where we are required to retain it by law.

Data security

We take reasonable measures to protect your information from loss, theft, misuse, and unauthorized access. However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

Your privacy rights

If you are in the United States (including California)

Depending on your state of residence, you may have the right to:

  • Know what personal information we collect and how we use it.
  • Request access to or deletion of your personal information.
  • Opt out of the "sale" or "sharing" of personal information (we do not sell your information).
  • Not be discriminated against for exercising your privacy rights.

California residents may exercise rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA/CPRA) by contacting us at the email address below.

If you are in the European Economic Area or the United Kingdom

If you are located in the EEA or UK, you may have rights under the GDPR / UK GDPR, including the right to access, correct, delete, restrict, or object to the processing of your personal data, and the right to data portability. To exercise these rights, contact us at the email address below.

International data transfers

Our Site and service providers are based in or process data in the United States. If you access the Site from outside the United States, your information may be transferred to, stored, and processed in the United States, where data protection laws may differ from those in your country.

Children's privacy

The Site is not directed to children under the age of 13 (or the equivalent minimum age in your jurisdiction), and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us and we will delete it.

Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will revise the "Effective date" at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

Contact us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us at:

Email: [hello@theqikitchen.com] Website: https://theqikitchen.com