Renowned sinologist Thomas O. Höllmann tracks the growth of food culture in China from its earliest burial rituals to today's Western fast food restaurants, mapping Chinese cuisine's geographical variations and local customs, indigenous factors and foreign influences, trade routes, and ethnic associations. Höllmann details the food practices of major Chinese religions and the significance of eating and drinking in rites of passage and popular culture. He enriches his narrative with thirty of his favorite recipes and a selection of photographs, posters, paintings, sketches, and images of clay figurines and other objects excavated from tombs.

Höllmann's award-winning history revisits the invention of noodles, the role of butchers and cooks in Chinese politics, debates over the origin of grape wines, and the causes of modern-day food contamination. He discusses local crop production, the use of herbs and spices, the relationship between Chinese food and economics, the influence of Chinese philosophy, and traditional dietary concepts and superstitions. Citing original Chinese sources, Höllmann uncovers fascinating aspects of daily Chinese life, constructing a multifaceted compendium that inspires a rich appreciation of Chinese arts and culture.

Thomas O. Höllmann is a professor of Chinese studies and ethnology at the Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich and a former vice president of the Bavarian Academy of Science. His publications include The Silk Road and The Old China: A Cultural History.



Karen Margolis is a writer and translator living in Berlin. She is also the translator of The Art of Philosophy by Peter Sloterdijk.

Brief, readable, and entertaining...

Rachel Anne Calabia:
Rewarding and illuminating.

This engaging look at China's culinary history will appeal to readers interested in China and those who enjoy books on cooking.Library Journal

Naomi Duguid, author of Burma: Rivers of Flavor; co-author of Beyond the Great Wall: Recipes and Travels in the other China:
Anyone interested in China or in food history needs this book, an insightful introduction to China's food traditions that is anchored in an understanding and appreciation of centuries of Chinese history and culinary culture, from the earliest empires to the present day.

Anne Mendelson, author of Milk: The Surprising Story of Milk Through the Ages:
Höllmann deftly blends descriptive text and illustrations together with dozens of brief, amusing tidbits from an amazing spectrum of Chinese historical sources. The book's great attraction is the presentation of many complex, extremely disparate materials in nimbly condensed, accessible form. Höllmann makes it look easy.

William H. Nienhauser, University of Wisconsin-Madison:
Photos, posters, paintings and sketches alternate with recipes in this fascinating book, which takes ingredients from several types of available sources: part cookbook, part cultural history of China through its kitchen.