The Food of China (The Food of Series) [Hardcover]

Deh-Ta Hsiung (Author), Nina Simonds (Author)

Book Description

Series: The Food of Series | Publication Date: October 2001

This book is a celebration of one of the world's greatest cuisines. It takes readers on a journey from the Peking duck restaurants of Beijing to the kitchens of Shanghai, the tea gardens of Hangzhou and the dim sum chefs of Hong Kong, and reveals the food that defines today's Chinese cooking -- from the tastiest barbecued spareribs, crispy skin duck, and flash-cooked pea sprouts to simple noodles and congee.

The Food of China also provides information on:

• Bean curd
• Spicy condiments
• Banquet food
• Unusual sauces
• China's teas.

About The Food of... series
A culinary journey around the world.

Each book in The Food of... series is a comprehensive introduction to the world's great cuisine. These books feature more than 100 delicious recipes that highlight each country's culinary treasures. With instructive color photographs throughout, each recipe helps readers choose and identify produce, from vegetables and flavorings to street snacks, sweets, and colorful and exotic fruits. Feature sections explore the essence of each culture's food and cooking techniques.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Kay Halsey and Lulu Grimes are award-winning food editors and authors whose other titles include The Food of Thailand and The Food of France.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Whitecap Books; 20976 edition (October 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 155285227X
• ISBN-13: 978-1552852279
• Product Dimensions: 11.8 x 9.3 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,522,624 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A delicious production!, December 25, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The Food of China (The Food of Series) (Hardcover)

This is one of the best gifts I received this year. From the moment the wrapper was discarded, I hungrily lapped it up from cover to cover. The whole experience was akin to being at a Chinese dim sum. There were little morsels of information to digest and delectable photographs to gorge on.

As if these weren't enough, the recipes couldn't be more authentic. Being brought up on Chinese food for most of my life, the ingredients were familiar to me. Leafing through the recipes, I could almost "taste" the dishes in my head. All the familiar favourites are here and they are not too complicated to prepare. I was glad to see most of my childhood comfort foods here as well (eg. the 8-jewelled rice porridge).

Of course, the proof of the pudding is in the eating. A phone call to mum to get the best brands of Shaoxing wine, soya sauce and rice vinegar and I was ready to go. The Kung Po chicken, Crossing the Bridge noodles and other mouth-watering dishes turned out perfectly. For once my wife didn't mind being experimented on. The proportions of the various ingredients were perfectly balanced (as a well-cooked Chinese dish should be). However, for my taste, I had to slightly reduce the amounts of soya sauce in a few recipes that required braising, as boiling down the liquid intensified its saltiness. But this is a matter of taste and it should in no way discourage one from acquiring this book.

All in all, a splendid production and one that you will return to again and again to satisfy your senses.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Recipes taste like the real thing!, November 5, 2002

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Food of China (The Food of Series) (Hardcover)

We found this book to be a real gem. Each of the recipes we tried turned out like food we have ordered in good Chinese restaurants here in San Francisco. And the lush photographs, many of which accompany each recipe, are truly inspiring!
We have plenty of Chinese ingredients on hand due to the plethora of Asian markets so finding ingredients was no challenge, but may be for people without Asian markets. There is no listing of resources for ingredients in the book.
The seafood section is very extensive and varied and we have used many of the recipes because we are able to get a variety of fresh seafood here. Meat and vegetable sections are wonderful. Recipes are easy to follow, BUT PLEASE NOTE that quantities are given in grams, which require some calculations before you begin.....a minor setback when you consider the final product.
We have bought copies of the book as gifts because we have been so delighted with it. We have at least 10 Chinese cookbooks but find that this is the only one we use. Finally, I am satisfied with Chinese cooking at home!

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The food of China by Nina Somonds and Deh-ta Hsiung, November 26, 2002

By 

Deon Matzen (Clinton, WA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Food of China (The Food of Series) (Hardcover)

I originally purchased this book in Beijing to help me with my cooking when I lived there. I enjoyed it so much that I have since purchase 5 copies to give as gifts when I returned to the US. The ingredients are readily available both here and in China and the food is delicious, easy to prepare and traditional to China. I heartily recommend it, even to the novice chef. Most of the recipes have limited ingredients and are easy and quick to make and my friends always rave about the end product. The photographs make this look like an amazing coffee table book, but they are functional as well giving many step by step illustrations on techniques. Well worth the money and a must for people who enjoy Chinese food that is sensational.