Invitation to a Banquet

December 4, 2023
Dunlop (The Food of Sichuan) takes a rich and textured tour through the history of Chinese cuisine, from the mythical tribal leader Suiren’s discovery of fire to the spread of Chinese takeout restaurants around the world. Chapters center on steamed rice, the “sacred grain” first domesticated in the Yangtze River valley in Neolithic times, and so central to Chinese culture that chi fan (“to eat cooked grain”) also means “to have a meal”; mapo tofu, which was created in the north of Chengdu in the late 19th century for workers carrying toasted rapeseed oil to the city’s markets; and “gloriously rich” dongpo pork, which was discovered by an 11th-century servant of the Song dynasty poet Su Dongpo, who misunderstood his master’s cooking instructions and accidentally braised the meat with rice wine instead of serving the two separately (Dunlop segues this anecdote into an intriguing discussion of pork as “lowbrow, perhaps even a little vulgar... pork is what you eat at home, greedily and happily”). Adeptly employing food as a window through which to capture the complexity of Chinese culture, Dunlop stirs in lush and endlessly creative descriptions (song sao yu geng, a fish stew that’s “neither solid nor completely liquid, is a swirling kaleidoscope of colour, like Venetian glass made edible, the flow of the ingredients held motionless by the starch that thickens the broth”). This is sure to whet readers’ appetites.

March 1, 2024

James Beard Award-winning chef Dunlop (The Food of Sichuan) invites listeners to a new understanding of Chinese cuisine, seen through the lens of 30 Chinese dishes. While Dunlop adopts a somewhat academic tone, her passion for China's flavors seasons the audiobook to perfection. There is sweet longing for favorite dishes and sour reflections on the racism directed toward the beloved cuisine. Dunlop allows spiciness to creep in when discussing bias against Asian fine dining, arguing that what passes for haute cuisine if it comes from Europe would probably be reviled by Westerners if it instead came from China. Dunlop also notes that American and British versions of Chinese dishes often don't resemble the originals, since they are tailored to Western tastes. While the chapters focus on techniques and ingredients, Dunlop adopts a broader outlook, putting forth an entire philosophy of food. Her fascinating insights pair with her audibly deep love for the cuisine, enticing listeners to expand their culinary experience. The audiobook's listlike sections would be easier to digest in print, but it's worth the extra work to experience Dunlop's journey exactly as she intends. VERDICT A sumptuous exploration of Chinese food and cooking that might make listeners rethink their attitudes toward China's cuisine.--Matthew Galloway

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