The guide to Chinese cooking

‘There are seven essential things in life: firewood, rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar and tea’. So goes the ancient Chinese proverb. So far, so familiar, perhaps, but Handa Cheng is keen to change our perception of Chinese food, and shed light on a cuisine that is rich and varied, with unique ingredients, techniques and traditions. 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 to Yu Xiang aubergine. 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.