The Chinese Kitchen

The Chinese Kitchen is a magnificent book, like no other on Chinese food. The sheer range of substances--animal, vegetable and occasionally mineral-- that are incorporated into Chinese cooking can be daunting to the Western cook. The underlying philosophy, too, can be elusive. In this engrossing volume, Deh-Ta Hsiung has compiled a survey of the principal characteristic ingredients of this great cuisine, in all its regional variants. This is really an encyclopaedia of Chinese food, a magisterial study of 100 key foodstuffs and their place not so much in cooking as in Chinese life and culture as a whole. Beginning with fan, the rice or wheaten flour breads, noodles and dumplings that form the starch staple, and moving through the main food categories, Deh-Ta Hsiung gives an account of the item's history, varieties, means of production, appearance and taste. He offers invaluable advice on buying and storage, on its role in Chinese and western medicine and health, and, most importantly, outlines its culinary uses. Among the most difficult to assimilate into any Western notions are the "texture" foods: largely tasteless, gelatinous substances such as bird's nest, shark's fin and sea cucumber, these include some of the most sought-after delicacies and can command extraordinary prices. The Chinese Kitchen gives the clearest possible explanation of why these foods are so prized. Some 200 recipes, many of them classics, adorn the book, illuminating the character and versatility of the ingredients. This is a most exciting volume, at once a reference work that deserves to become a standard and an introduction to the intricacies of Chinese food and cooking. --Robin Davidson

View other editions of The Chinese Kitchen.
View books by Deh-Ta Hsiung.

Perfect for anybody wanting to cook Chinese food - Rated
It can be intimidating going to an Asian supermarket for the first time, but this book does a fabulous job of taking away the mystery. It is clearly divided into different ingredients and explains the origins and what to look for when purchasing it, as well as many other useful bits of information. Each ingredient also has a few recipes so that you can sample various ways of cooking with that ingredient.

This is my primary resource when cooking Chinese food. I couldn't live without this, and I wouldn't have become familiar with so many wonderful ingredients.

There are some other "Kitchen" books in the same format which I would also suggest: The Middle Eastern Kitchen, The Latin American Kitchen, and the Indian Kitchen.

Fantastic. Essential for people who want to cook Chinese food - Rated
This is a fantastic book. A wealth of information on many many ingredients used in Chinese cooking such as, how it grows, appearance and taste, buying and storing, culinary uses and medicinal uses. Colour pictures and the Chinese name for the ingredient too. The recipes are wonderful and taste delicious. My Dad was Chinese. He was a very good cook and I remember his cooking very well. This book contains over 200 authentic recipes. Not the usual dishes you would find at a typical local Chinese takeaway, which to me, is not a true representation of Chinese food. Has a section on essential equipment and also on drinks which gives information on tea, rice wine and distilled spirits. The only other cook book besides this one which I have found to be excellent is called "The Food Of China" (Murdoch Books) which is a large hardback. The recipes in this have also been written by Deh-Ta Hsiung along with Nina Simonds Definately a book to have as well, although you will find a few of the recipes will be in both books. In no way a problem though. There is no authors name on the cover, just the names of who wrote the recipes on the inside of the sleeve at the back. Anyway, if you want an excellent reference book with fantastic authentic recipes, "The Chinese Kitchen" is highly recommended. A cook book like no other.

a fantastic read - Rated
what a fantastic read this is. Explains all the essential ingredients needed for truly auhtentic chinese food. Can't wait to start cooking.