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Shark's Fin and Sichuan Pepper: A Sweet-Sour Memoir of Eating in China | 
 enlarge | Author: Fuchsia Dunlop
Publisher: W. W. Norton
Category: Book
List Price: $24.95
Buy New: $12.25
You Save: $12.70 (51%)
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Avg. Customer Rating:  14 reviews
Sales Rank: 16290
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 352
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.2
Dimensions (in): 9.3 x 6.5 x 1.3
ISBN: 0393066576
Dewey Decimal Number: 641.5951
EAN: 9780393066579
ASIN: 0393066576
Publication Date: April 14, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
A new memoir by the most talented and respected British food writer of her generation.
Award-winning food writer Fuchsia Dunlop went to live in China as a student in 1994, and from the very beginning she vowed to eat everything she was offered, no matter how alien and bizarre it seemed. In this extraordinary memoir, Fuchsia recalls her evolving relationship with China and its food, from her first rapturous encounter with the delicious cuisine of Sichuan Province to brushes with corruption, environmental degradation, and greed. In the course of her fascinating journey, Fuchsia undergoes an apprenticeship at China's premier Sichuan cooking school, where she is the only foreign student in a class of nearly fifty young Chinese men; attempts, hilariously, to persuade Chinese people that "Western food" is neither "simple" nor "bland"; and samples a multitude of exotic ingredients, including sea cucumber, civet cat, scorpion, rabbit-heads, and the ovarian fat of the snow frog. But is it possible for a Westerner to become a true convert to the Chinese way of eating? In an encounter with a caterpillar in an Oxford kitchen, Fuchsia is forced to put this to the test.
From the vibrant markets of Sichuan to the bleached landscape of northern Gansu Province, from the desert oases of Xinjiang to the enchanting old city of Yangzhou, this unique and evocative account of Chinese culinary culture is set to become the most talked-about travel narrative of the year.
'Not just a smart memoir about cross-cultural eating but one of the most engaging books of any kind I've read in years.'—O Magazine
'Insightful, entertaining, scrupulously reported... and a swashbuckling memoir studded with recipes... a distinguished contribution to the literature of gastronomy.'—New York Times
'Delightful.'—Jeffrey Steingarten in Vogue
'An autobiographical food-and-travel classic.'—Publishers Weekly
'Literary, entertaining and almost anthropological.'—Seattle Post-Intelligencer
'Fuchsia Dunlop's brilliant new food memoir.'—Wall Street Journal
'Painstakingly researched, beautifully written and impossible to put down, Dunlop takes us on a tantalizing tour through China in what's sure to be the gastronomic book of the year.'—Inside Toronto
'Shows the rare insight and compassion that... Fuchsia Dunlop has been demonstrating for 15 years...Dunlop's grasp of Chinese culture and cuisine run deep.'—Toronto Globe and Mail
'Destined... to become a classic of travel writing.'—The Observer
'Marvellous and mesmerising.'—The Daily Mail
'As much a memoir and a superlative example of travel writing as it is a book about food... funny, honest and illuminating.'—London Lite
'Dunlop is now an expert on Chinese cuisine, but she's also a fantastically witty storyteller... Dunlop will charm and delight you with her enthralling anecdotes.'—Wanderlust
'More than just a delicious memoir of extraordinary meals... an erudite, nuanced look at Chinese culinary culture, its history, and China's development over the last decade.'—China Daily
'[Dunlop] writes of China's familiar culinary faces...with an outsider's eye, an insider's palate, and a lover's affection. The best food book I've read so far this year.'—Straits Times, Singapore
'A sensual feast of a book... Fuchsia Dunlop is a star in the world of food writing, but she's never preachy in this Oriental food odyssey.'—The Times of South Africa
'This charming, informative textbook/memoir/travelogue, one of the more noteworthy recent food studies. Readers definitely won't be hungry an hour after finishing this satisfying history from a witty Chinese food authority.'—Kirkus Reviews
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| Customer Reviews: Read 9 more reviews...
 A delightful & adventerous culinary memoir September 26, 2008
This is one of the relatively few books out there that I can say, without reservation, that I completely enjoyed to the least and last ... even the somewhat whimsical final chapter about the caterpiller.
Others have already reviewed the book in considerable detail, so I'll just add a few short tidbits that stood out for me in particular ...
* I absolutely adore Ms. Dunlop's adventerous spirit. Theodore Roosevelt's famous "man in the arena" speech somes readily to mind.
* I also admire, and heartily agree with, Ms. Dunlop's astute observations regarding certain silly and deeply ingrained western culinary biases ... such as a general dislike or aversion to rubbery textures, bone-in cuts, offal, bitter vegetables, etc. I also share her love for adventerous dining ... and her disapproval of those who conspicuously indulge in endangered species.
* I also deeply appreciate her efforts to not just share her culinary travels, but also her insights, immersive personal experiences, and the socio-political context of her travels ... it greatly helps to humanize the book for the reader. Disappointingly few authors succeed in that vein. Some successful examples (of fully immersive travel memoirs) are Peter Mayle's "A Year in Provence", and Joseph Campbell's "Sake and Satori". Both are highly recommended - the latter in particular, for those who enjoy high-brow reading.
My one minor nit with this book are Ms. Dunlop's recipes ... she does a wonderful job in leading up to the recipes themselves in order to give full weight and background to her personal experience and attachment to each (something too few cookbook authors do in their headnotes). However, the recipes themselves are somewhat imprecise in places ... such as omiting the recommended knife-cuts to use (ironic after having learned so many in her culinary schooling), or neglecting to explain some of the more esoteric or hard to find ingredients to her western readers. I also found myself occasionally pining for some of the photographs her memoir mentioned ... none were included.
Highly recommended !
I look forward to exploring Ms. Dunlop's other published works.
 Repetitious September 13, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I just had to add my opinion to all the excitement about this book. I struggled to complete it. Halfway through I was bored. I never felt connected to the author or felt that I really got to know the people she met. Her excuses for eating fancy food and endangered species were bogus. Some chapters read like essays which she probably already had published in periodicals and was merely recycling. And I hope the recipes were meant as jokes: bear paw! She was a braggart, too. Her stories about travel were about the only parts I liked. I suggest those who like travel memoirs try Paul Theroux and those who like food memoirs read Julie Child's book about her years in Paris.
Shark's Fin and Sichuan Pepper: A Sweet-Sour Memoir of Eating in China September 3, 2008
This is a must read for any and all cooks, anyone interested in foreign cultures, travel devotees and especially those who want an authentic journey through China. As someone who does not cook and does not like to cook I was not sure this was the best book for me, however, it provides a truly indepth understanding of the foods, customs, habits and daily life of the citizens of China. And the author's journey into various restaurants, private kitchens and cooking schools makes even this non-cook long to walk in her shoes. This is not just a story of cooking, but a history story, a love story, a travelogue, a diary, and much, much more. How do the Chinese live, work, eat, play and study? The answers are here, written with great respect and love for the Chinese.
Best down the Pike August 27, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
Superb! Fuchsia Dunlop writes with precision, clarity and humor. The best book on Chinese food to come down the pike in a long time.
Superb Book For the Armchair Traveler August 25, 2008
At this point in my life I'm certain that I will never get the chance to visit China. If by some miracle I get there, I will never be able to have the experiences that Fuchia Dunlop had, and so beautifully wrote about. I have to admit that I am very envious of her gastronomic adventures!
She was able to immerse herself in a completely different culture, and conveyed the sights, sounds, tastes and feel on each page of her book.
I enjoyed each and every chapter. She was honest about her experiences, how she actually ended up in China, and at the end finally found balance in an ever changing country. I highly recommend this book.
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