The Guide to Chinese Cooking: A Journey Through China's Favorite Dishes

In this comprehensive guide, Handa introduces the vastly different culinary regions
of this immense country and their speciality dishes, from Mouth-watering Chicken to
Mapo Tofu, and Dan Dan Noodles to Yu Xiang Eggplant. From luxurious imperial fare to
frugal vegetarian recipes of Buddhist monks, Handa distils 5,000 years of history and
food culture into 14 simple chapters, with easy, fresh recipes that are packed with
“good to know” tips and memories of his childhood in Wenzhou.

Step-by-step recipes help you learn the essentials of this thousand-year-old cuisine,
while 35 illustrated chef’s tips and techniques go further, uncovering key ingredients
and traditional cooking methods. Feature pages get to the heart of each chapter: tofu
as a blank page, the infinite possibilities of an egg, Chinese food and herbal
medicine, street food and dining out, and even the ceremonial practice of tea drinking.

In The Guide to Chinese Cooking, Handa explores taste, texture, and spice to
recreate authentic family dishes that are well-balanced and seasonal – all with
an emphasis on everyday cooking and eating.