Food Cultures Of China

Since the 1980s, China has developed a broader and deeper connection with the world. One of the most intriguing aspects of Chinese culture is its rich cuisine and fascinating cooking.China is a nation with a long history of food culture, and food has become an essential part of Chinese culture.This book tells in sprightly and straightforward language about the structure of traditional Chinese food, food customs for festivals and celebrations in China, Chinese dining etiquette, traditional food and cooking methods, healthy and medicinal diets, as well as historical exchanges of foods between China and other nations. It can present to the readers a complete and truthful picture of the summarized history and culture of Chinese food.Published by SCPG Publishing Corporation and distributed by World Scientific for all markets except China

Origins of Chinese Food Culture is the latest addition to Asiapac's collection of books on Chinese culture. This volume brings you through the origins, history, customs, and fascinating tales behind the intricate and perplexing labyrinth of customs and taboos, and the art and science of Chinese food culture. Did you know that: * Tables and chairs did not enter common usage until the Southern Song period? * Female chefs were once the rage in ancient China? * Zhuge Liang defeated his enemy with mantou? * Youtiao was also known as 'deep-fried ghost'? * Chopsticks were once reputed to detect poison? Read about all these and many other enthralling facts in this info-packed book. With this well-illustrated and easy-to-read volume, understanding Chinese culture has never been easier.

There's probably not an-other place in this world that has as great a variety of delicious fare as China. The Chinese, who see eating as a fortune and life as an art, not only created various kinds of regional food styles in its own vast lands, but have also spread Chinese food culture to far across the seas. Today, in this world where even the farthest corners can seem as close as one's back yard, Chinese food can be enjoyed in each and every metropolitan throughout the world.

Exploring the rich and varied culinary traditions of China, this book enables a better understanding of Chinese history and culture through food. Part of Bloomsbury's Global Kitchen series, this book takes readers on a food tour of China, covering everything from daily staples to holiday specialties. In addition to discovering China's long culinary history, you'll learn about recent trends, foreign influences, and contemporary food and dietary concerns, such as obesity and environmental sustainability. Chapters are organized thematically, making it easy to focus in on particular courses or types of dishes. For those hungry for a more hands-on approach, each chapter includes a collection of accessible recipes that allow readers to bring the subject to life in their own kitchens. The main text is supplemented by sidebars that offer interesting bite-sized facts, a chronology of important dates in China's culinary history, and a glossary of key food- and dining-related terms. Sun Yat-sen, the founding father of modern China, asserted that China's food culture was the most advanced and sophisticated in the world, despite the country lagging the West in science, industry, and civic engagement. Today, many people outside China immediately envision iconic dishes like fried rice, egg rolls, or sweet and sour pork when they think of Chinese food. But China has a much richer and more diverse set of culinary traditions. China's food culture is one of the oldest in the world, evolving over thousands of years. It has been shaped by a myriad of forces, from historical struggles with food insecurity to the modern push toward speed and convenience. Across this large nation, unique cuisines emerged that reflect the varied geography, climate, and customs of different regions.

This volume is a study of Chinese food from a cultural and historical perspective. Its focus is on traditional China before establishment of the People's Republic. It identifies and provides comprehensive information on a broad range of Chinese food plants and animals for general readers, as well as for specialists whose interests have led them to questions relating to the food of China. Readers will find discussions regarding origins, how things came to be, time and place of food-plant and animal domestication, the spread of plants and animals from and to China, and other historical questions regarding the foods used by the Chinese people. The book is written with Canton and the southeast as points of departure, but embraces all of China and is directed towards people unfamiliar with China.

The cuisine of China is widely considered to be one of the best because it meets the requirements of geographic variety, inclusion of all types of foods, and a long-established and well-developed culinary tradition. The Chinese culture can be labeled a food culture for the interest and honor given to food and its rituals. Food Culture in China is loaded with information on the cuisine's prominent role in Chinese culture. Students and other readers will learn about Chinese food history through the dynasties and Silk Road migrations up until today, ingredients, cooking implements and techniques, regional differences, table etiquette, cultural emphasis on food, specialty dishes for celebrations, and the role of diet and traditional Chinese medicine, among other topics. Each chapter contains a number of recipes for a meal based on the specific topic. Americans typically are familiar with a narrow range of Americanized Chinese restaurants. This one-stop resource helps readers to see this ever-popular ethnic cuisine in a broader context. It is the most in-depth reference of its kind on the market. A timeline, glossary, tables, and illustrations complement the narrative.

Does Chinese food taste the same in different parts of the world? What has happened to the Chinese diet in mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau? What has affected the foodways of Chinese communities in other Asian countries with large Chinese diasporic communities? What has made Chinese food popular in Australia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Japan? What has brought about the adoption and adaptation of western food and changes in Chinese diets in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Peking? By considering the practice of globalization, this volume of essays by well-known anthropologists from many locales in Asia, describes changes, variations and innovations to Chinese food in many parts of the world, paying particular attention to questions related to how foods are introduced, maintained, localised and reinvented according to changing lifestyles and social tastes. The book reviews and broadens classic social science theories about ethnic and social identity formation through the examination of Chinese food and eating habits in many locations. It reveals surprising changes and provides a powerful testimony to the impact of late twentieth-century globalization.

By considering the practice of globalisation, these essays describe changes, variations and innovations to Chinese food in many parts of the world. The book reviews and broadens classic theories about ethnic and social identity formation through the examination of Chinese food, providing a powerful testimony to the impact of late 20th century globalisation.