The Real Food of China

Book excerpt: The Real Food of China is the definitive guide to home-style Chinese cuisine. It is inspired by the authors' personal travels to China and the realization that what is commonly perceived as "Chinese food" in the Western world, is only part of the story. While there is a growing appreciation of regional Chinese food in larger cities outside China, a lot of authentic regional cuisine still goes uncelebrated in Chinese restaurants around the world. This book captures the essence of simple home cooking and the wide variety of food that changes from region to region. Chapters are broken down into food categories including Cold Dishes, Soups and Hotpots, Dumplings, Breads and Noodles, Pork, Chicken, Fish, Vegetables and Desserts. Dishes include fermented foods from Shaoxing, smoked pork from Hunan, Hakka food from Meizhou, Muslim street fare from Xi'an, fresh river fish from Jiangxi province, fish dumplings and flat breads cooked over stones from Shandong and bowls of fresh, steaming, soft tofu slathered in chilli and peppercorns from Sichuan villages. Captured with stunning location photography from each of the visited regions as well as beautiful food photography throughout, The Real Food of China brings a small glimpse of the gutsy, earthy, everyday side of Chinese cooking to light. Food that is incredibly diverse, simple to prepare, full of flavor, and based on seasonal produce and easily procured dry goods. The Real Food of China will change everything you previously thought about traditional Chinese cuisine.