Who is the Taoist god of the kitchen?

The Taoist god of the kitchen is Zao Shen.

Zao Shen, also called Zao Jun or the Kitchen God, is the household deity associated with the stove and family conduct. In traditional Chinese belief, he watches over a household throughout the year and reports its behavior to the Jade Emperor before the lunar New Year. His report can influence the family’s good or bad fortune.

Many homes historically displayed a paper image or plaque of Zao Shen above the stove. Offerings of food and incense were made to him, and some customs involved smearing honey on the image’s lips so that his heavenly report would be sweet—or so that he would be unable to speak harshly. Regional traditions differ, including whether his departure is observed on the twenty-third or twenty-fourth day of the twelfth lunar month.

Zao Shen is not the same as Tu Di Gong, a local earth deity, or Men Shen, the door guardians. Guan Yin is a major Buddhist figure, not the kitchen deity. Zao Shen’s role is moral oversight as much as protection of cooking and the hearth.