China to Chinatown: Chinese Food in the West (Globalities) (Hardcover)

by J.A.G. Roberts (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The book is a valuable and timely account of the West's strange love-hate relationship with Chinese food, and a stimulating read, provoking as it does so many challenging questions about how we perceive and adapt to other cultures."--The Times

 

 

(The Times )

"Informative and readable."--The Independent

 

 

(The Independent )

"The style and presentation, as well as the topic, make this a very good addition to the literature on the history of food. Recommended."--Choice

 

 

(Choice )

Product Description

China to Chinatown examines one of the most notable examples of the globalization of food. J.A.G. Roberts recounts how the West_s attitudes to Chinese food have changed from the time of Marco Polo to now. Early travelers in China too often avoided the local food and chronicled the "disgusting" diet of dogs, cats, and snakes. Others, for example Jesuit mission-aries, were more enthusiastic about Chinese food. In the 20th-century with the spread of Chinatowns in the West, Chinese restaurants, food, and recipe books gradually took off, and in the last 20 years there has been an explosion in their popularity.

"A wonderful social history that is also a fascinating account of the way we eat today."_Ken Hom

J.A.G. Roberts is author of China Through Western Eyes (3 volumes, 1991_96) and A History of China (1999).

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• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Reaktion Books (October 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1861891334
• ISBN-13: 978-1861891334
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review:
   

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• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,711,492 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)
  
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• In-Print Editions: Paperback  |  All Editions