The Taste Of China

by Ken Hom

Combining illustrations with ninety recipes evoking Chinese culture and cusine, a master chef presents a culinary odyssey through China

Genres: Cookbooks, Food, Cooking, Nonfiction, China, Reference, Cuisine

Paperback

First published October 1, 1990

About the author

Ken Hom (譚榮輝) is an American-born Chinese chef, author and television-show presenter for the BBC.

Reviews

[Georgie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating insight into Chinese cuisine. Ken Hom writes about his travels in China in the late 1980s. As well as talking about the history of Chinese cuisine, he also talks about the vital role food plays in modern Chinese culture. All the recipes are accompanied by short descriptions of their meaning and role in Chinese culture, their history, and where Hom himself first encountered them. This made all of the recipes interesting even if I wouldn't fancy actually cooking or eating them.

I got some very tasty and easy-sounding recipes to try from this book, but I ultimately read it out of interest in Chinese food and it's history and cultural significance from both Chinese and non-Chinese people, which I definitely got. Hom is a great writer, never getting caught up in technical lingo or showboating, and his passion for the food and people of China is clear.

Definitely on a par with the wonderful 'Shark's Fin and Sichuan Pepper' by Fuchsia Dunlop, which I hope to re-read soon, even more so after reading 'A Taste of China'.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hom wrote this in the late 1980s and it’s like a bit like reading a travel journal with recipes. A well-researched travel journal that provides an overview of Chinese food history and captures some of the resurgence of Chinese culinary traditions and practices after the end of their suppression during the Cultural Revolution. I wasn’t familiar with Hom, but he is a longstanding BBC cooking show presenter. The recipes here are presented in a really accessible way.

[Yu-Jie Lin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a simple cookbook with lots of recipes—those ingredients and cooking instructions, and perhaps photos of well-presented dishes. No, not like those, this book is more than just a plain cookbook.

In every chapter, half of the content is the author's experience on the subject (the chapter title), you see and hear, and even feel and taste, of what he saw, heard, felt, and tasted during the specific journey. Furthermore, you read what really means to live under a communist government for decades, what actually affected people's daily life in many aspects, such as food (of course), culture, works, and living conditions.

Also good history lessons into the food and culture, from early Chinese dynasties to the 20th. Through the author's journey in China, searching for his root and discovering what China had become in the time of writing (about 30 years ago), from him getting back to ancestral home to tasting in private restaurants, from those, we see everlasting family value and much-needed change for better China (and the sake of authentic Chinese cuisine in mainland China).

The other half is the recipes, and for each of them, you get a brief introduction for the reason of inclusion, and author's thoughts and notes, then the recipe. All the photos in the books provide stunning views and occasionally awe-striking insights into that period of China.

This is a great book, although as someone whose mother tone is Chinese, I found that the lack of Chinese characters for recipe names is somewhat disappointing. (The very least, it should include Pinyin tone marks)

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully designed, written and photographed. The recipes and photos of food all look deeply regionally authentic. Would have appreciated Chinese text, at least for the poems quoted at the start of each chapter (they just hit diff in Chinese) or for recipe names. This book was published almost a decade before I was born, so it was crazy seeing color photos and clothing from back then. There are still bustling outdoor markets like the ones photographed but people definitely don't dress like that anymore.

[Selena Ewing · Rating 5 out of 5]

I say "read" but in fact I pick it up a couple of times a year and read a few pages. Photography stunning, recipes delicious, it's always interesting and comforting to sit down in the company of this book.

[Maureen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting reading - beautiful pictures - I loved it.

[Al Maki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some very good recipes, particularly the beef and bitter melon with rice noodles.