The Way of Eating Book Reviews

The Way of Eating by Yuan Mei & Sean Chen (translator) Book Summary

Winner of "Best in the World" at the Gourmand International Cookbook Awards 2020 in the Special Awards category: The Way of Eating: Yuan Mei's Manual of Gastronomy (the Suiyuan Shidan) is, remarkably, the first translation into English of one of the world's most famous books about food. It is a treatise, cookbook, and memoir written in the late eighteenth century by the Qing dynasty poet Yuan Mei. It is the little sister edition of Berkshire's bilingual academic version of the book, which is published as Recipes from the Garden of Contentment by Berkshire Publishing.

This compact edition is in English only. It includes recipes for well-known dishes such as birds nest and sharks fin, and offers modern readers an appealing perspective on Chinese history and culinary culture, and was translated and annotated by Sean J. S. Chen with editorial advice from E. N. Anderson and Jeffrey Riegel. It is a unique introduction to the true cuisines of China, designed for readers interested in the social history of food as well as in techniques and recipes. Chinese food expert Nicole Mones, author of the novel The Last Chinese Chef, contributed an engaging introduction to Yuan Mei and his work.

"This is far more than a cookbook: The Way of Eating is food history at its finest, a window into a fascinating and long-lost world." Ruth Reichl, former editor of Gourmet and author of Save Me the Plums.

"This new translation of Yuan Mei's legendary book is cause for celebration, not only because the complete text is finally available in English, but because Sean Chen so beautifully captures the author's lyricism, humor, and opinionated pronouncements. Reading this book is like sitting down to a meal with a charming dinner partner whose interests range from culinary technique to aesthetics to the nature of hospitality, though flavor always remains foremost for him. This volume shares the delights and concerns of one of the world's most artful gastronomes, and in the process offers a fascinating look at eighteenth-century Chinese culture." — Darra Goldstein, Founding Editor of Gastronomica: The Journal of Food and Culture.

"Finally: a lively, scholarly, and usefully-annotated English translation of Yuan Mei's seminal cookbook and culinary treatise that captures the spirit of the original work. Sean Chen and the Berkshire team have performed a great service for the world of gastronomy by making this fascinating text accessible to English-speaking readers."— Fuchsia Dunlop, author of Land of Fish and Rice and other cookery books.

"The publication of the bilingual edition of Recipes from the Garden of Contentment: Yuan Mei's Manual of Gastronomy is indeed a landmark event and not only in culinary scholarship. Yuan's wit and love of food is an added bonus and greatly enhances our understanding of one of the world's greatest cuisines." —Ken Hom, OBE, author of My Stir-fried Life and dozens of cookery books.

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The Way of Eating (Yuan Mei & Sean Chen (translator)) Book Reviews 2024

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