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Arts and Traditions of the Table: Perspectives on Culinary History
The Chile Pepper in China: A Cultural Biography
Chinese cuisine without chile peppers seems unimaginable. Entranced by the fiery taste, diners worldwide have fallen for Chinese cooking. In China, chiles are everywhere, from dried peppers hanging from eaves to Mao's boast that revolution would be impossible without chiles, from the eighteenth-century novel Dream of the Red Chamber to contemporary music videos. Indeed, they are so common that many Chinese assume they are native. Yet there were no chiles anywhere in China prior to the 1570s, when they were introduced from the Americas.
Brian R. Dott explores how the non-native chile went from obscurity to ubiquity in China, influencing not just cuisine but also medicine, language, and cultural identity. He details how its versatility became essential to a variety of regional cuisines and swayed both elite and popular medical and healing practices. Dott tracks the cultural meaning of the chile across a wide swath of literary texts and artworks, revealing how the spread of chiles fundamentally altered the meaning of the term spicy. He emphasizes the intersection between food and gender, tracing the chile as a symbol for both male virility and female passion. Integrating food studies, the history of medicine, and Chinese cultural history, The Chile Pepper in China sheds new light on the piquant cultural impact of a potent plant and raises broader questions regarding notions of authenticity in cuisine.
Brian R. Dott explores how the non-native chile went from obscurity to ubiquity in China, influencing not just cuisine but also medicine, language, and cultural identity. He details how its versatility became essential to a variety of regional cuisines and swayed both elite and popular medical and healing practices. Dott tracks the cultural meaning of the chile across a wide swath of literary texts and artworks, revealing how the spread of chiles fundamentally altered the meaning of the term spicy. He emphasizes the intersection between food and gender, tracing the chile as a symbol for both male virility and female passion. Integrating food studies, the history of medicine, and Chinese cultural history, The Chile Pepper in China sheds new light on the piquant cultural impact of a potent plant and raises broader questions regarding notions of authenticity in cuisine.
296 pages, Hardcover
First published May 12, 2020
13 people are currently reading
205 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
April 1, 2020
Ever wanted to read a textbook on the chile pepper in China?
Me either.
This had a wealth of information and some of it was highly interesting.
Especially how this became such a huge part of Chinese culture despite being an immigrate to China.
The delivery was DRY. One long lecture in book format and I struggled to keep my eyes open.
Very cool topic, I wish it had been delivered in a kids book...with lots of pictures.
Thanks to NetGalley and Columbia University Press for my DRC.
Me either.
This had a wealth of information and some of it was highly interesting.
Especially how this became such a huge part of Chinese culture despite being an immigrate to China.
The delivery was DRY. One long lecture in book format and I struggled to keep my eyes open.
Very cool topic, I wish it had been delivered in a kids book...with lots of pictures.
Thanks to NetGalley and Columbia University Press for my DRC.
January 26, 2022
Когато за пръв път попаднах на "The Chile Pepper in China: A Cultural Biography", тършувайки из нечий профил в Goodreads, 2 звезди ми се сториха ниска оценка за тъй любопитна (за мен) тема. Сега признавам, че съм съгласна с нея. Пълна с любопитни факти за проникването на пикантната култура от Новия свят в добре установена кулинарна сцена и последвалото й значително преобразяване (на кулинарната сцена, не на културата*), книгата би зарадвала всеки лакомник, което, уви, не компенсира многобройните повторения и разпънатите локуми в текста, въртящи те като пумпал, разиграван от малко дете. Не се препоръчва за хора с тежък недостиг на търпение и небце, смятащо сладкото чили за Еверест на лютите сосове. След написаното дотук мисля, че е време да зарадвам себе си с порция пиле по съчуански. Bon appètit!
*Понастоящем Китай е най-големият производител на люти чушлета в света, а видът Capsicum annuum е селектиран в множество различни сортове.
*Понастоящем Китай е най-големият производител на люти чушлета в света, а видът Capsicum annuum е селектиран в множество различни сортове.
May 6, 2020
Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.
The Chile Pepper in China is an academically rigorous and worthwhile cultural examination of the chile pepper's history and use in Chinese cuisine and culture. Written by Dr. Brian Dott, it's part of a series edited by Dr. Albert Sonnenfeld. Due out 12th May from Columbia University Press, it's 296 pages and will be available in hardcover and ebook formats.
According to the author, in his introduction, this book has two main focus questions: "How did chile peppers in China evolve from an obscure foreign plant to a ubiquitous and even “authentic” spice, vegetable, medicine, and symbol? And how did Chinese uses of chiles change Chinese culture?" I found the answers interesting and unexpected. The book is full of interesting cultural asides and unexpected quirky history.
The author is an academic and this is what I would call a layman accessible academic treatise of the chile pepper in all its incarnations as they intersect with Chinese culture and history. As an academic work, it is *full* of tables and statistics and maps and minutiae (in a good way). The author definitely "shows his work" in full. I loved poring over the notes from pharmacopeia published in the 16th century along with an exhaustive bibliography and full chapter notes and annotations (did I mention that this is an academic work?). The notes and references are likely worth the price of admission for anyone interested in the subject and there's obviously been a faint-inducing amount of time spent on research and resource gathering on the part of the author. There's an exhaustive glossary (including many of the Chinese hanzi) suited for western readers - no Chinese language proficiency is needed to read and enjoy the book.
I found the entire book quite interesting and fascinating. It is admittedly a niche book and will appeal to readers interested in cultural anthropology, but might not appeal to readers looking for recipes or an easy read. I found this one so interesting that I'm going back to try to acquire some earlier volumes in the series.
Five stars. This is well and deeply researched and interesting.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
The Chile Pepper in China is an academically rigorous and worthwhile cultural examination of the chile pepper's history and use in Chinese cuisine and culture. Written by Dr. Brian Dott, it's part of a series edited by Dr. Albert Sonnenfeld. Due out 12th May from Columbia University Press, it's 296 pages and will be available in hardcover and ebook formats.
According to the author, in his introduction, this book has two main focus questions: "How did chile peppers in China evolve from an obscure foreign plant to a ubiquitous and even “authentic” spice, vegetable, medicine, and symbol? And how did Chinese uses of chiles change Chinese culture?" I found the answers interesting and unexpected. The book is full of interesting cultural asides and unexpected quirky history.
The author is an academic and this is what I would call a layman accessible academic treatise of the chile pepper in all its incarnations as they intersect with Chinese culture and history. As an academic work, it is *full* of tables and statistics and maps and minutiae (in a good way). The author definitely "shows his work" in full. I loved poring over the notes from pharmacopeia published in the 16th century along with an exhaustive bibliography and full chapter notes and annotations (did I mention that this is an academic work?). The notes and references are likely worth the price of admission for anyone interested in the subject and there's obviously been a faint-inducing amount of time spent on research and resource gathering on the part of the author. There's an exhaustive glossary (including many of the Chinese hanzi) suited for western readers - no Chinese language proficiency is needed to read and enjoy the book.
I found the entire book quite interesting and fascinating. It is admittedly a niche book and will appeal to readers interested in cultural anthropology, but might not appeal to readers looking for recipes or an easy read. I found this one so interesting that I'm going back to try to acquire some earlier volumes in the series.
Five stars. This is well and deeply researched and interesting.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
December 9, 2019
"With a handful of chiles she can speak her mind."
How do we define what is authentic cuisine? This ambitious history of the chile in China is a must read for anyone interested in food history or Chinese culture. Imported from the Americas, the chile was incorporated and adopted into Chinese culture until it became an authentic taste and symbol of certain regions, types of women and the revolutionary spirit. You might wonder how much you could learn about China and her people by studying one food item. The Chile Pepper in China explores complex topics such as trade routes, traditional Chinese medicine, class, gender, regional culture, climate, social movements, religious rituals and politics in one enjoyable and occasionally humorous read.
The book draws on a wide range of sources, including international records of trade, local histories (difangzhi 地方志) and modern media. The chapter on how the chile pepper was introduced to China thankfully includes maps such as how the world looked in the sixteenth century, local provinces, import routes and where chile was mentioned in early texts. It was fascinating to read how chile became a food preservative and a local substitute for highly taxed and imported products such as salt or black pepper. As the chile was integrated into local cuisines, the chile began to be used alongside or in place of the native Sichuan pepper. It is difficult to read this book without becoming hungry.
Since the chile could easily be grown from seeds in kitchen gardens, it found popularity with the working classes and was considered a coral-like decorative garden plant among the elites. The vitamins and antifungal properties found in chiles were essential for those living in remote or mountainous areas or those who needed an affordable way to make a monotonous starchy diet more appealing. Chiles can be preserved through the winter and were excellent for stimulating an appetite and cheering up the appearance of a simple meal. The author addresses the popular myth that chiles are used to hide or disguise spoiled meat, which is often trotted out in discussions of Asian cooking. Cooks will enjoy the in depth analysis of the Chinese five flavours and the inclusion of clearly written historical recipes. Although I would not classify this as a cookbook, a few recipes were placed inside the relevant chapters. China has a long, rich history of regional cuisines and there is no shortage of Chinese cookbooks available these days, but this text is essential for understanding how and why these spicy regional differences emerged. It also explains why some regions prefer flavours such as pickled or smoky.
This history also examines the chile's role in traditional Chinese medicine and how it was used in the malarial areas of Guangdong and Guangxi. It must have taken the author a huge amount of effort to track down how chiles were being used by the lower classes, as much of the histories were written by elite officials who conformed to a set expectation for upper class behaviour. The culinary reluctance of the elites and their separation from the lower classes in their own community was well illustrated in the division between chile as a decorative garden plant and chile as an essential ingredient. Furthermore, in the late imperial period, the chile was considered to disrupt Buddhist and Daoist notions of having a clear mind. Again, the elites avoided the chile. One particularly fascinating chapter describes how military heroes from Hunan popularised the chile and by the early 1900s, dining at Sichuan restaurants became a mark of status in Shanghai. Migration, wars and revolution further made the chile an 'authentic' part of Chinese cuisine.
Artistic representations of the chile were carefully reviewed and illustrations were included in the text. The chile reveals itself in classics such as Dream of the Red Chamber and The Peony Pavilion, as well as woodblock prints, poetry, descriptions of gardens, pop music and government announcements. The journey of the chile across class hierarchies and across professions are well explained, even up to posters representing Xi Jinping's 'China Dream.' This humble kitchen garden plant went from obscurity to ubiquity.
As a Mandarin language learner, one of my favourite aspects of this book was that concepts were introduced in English, hanzi and pinyin. This made it incredibly easy to look for more information online, such as when I wanted to look up a Chinese song (辣妹子) about the hot blooded women who eat them. The text also outlines how the name of the chile differs across Chinese regions and why certain Chinese characters or radicals are used.
Those interested in representations of gender will enjoy reading how the chile represented fierce female passion in classic novels and learning about the archetype of the assertive, feisty and sexy "spicy girl." The chile pepper itself could represent male virility, numerous offspring or the fiery spirit of the revolutionary. Quotes from Mao Zedong include the phrase "without the chile peppers there would be no revolution."
I expected to read about the culinary and medical uses of the chile, but the thorough analysis of symbolism and aesthetics really set this book apart from other food histories. This book is packed with surprises about how the chile became part Chinese culture, history and identity.
An advance copy of this book was supplied by Columbia University Press for review.
How do we define what is authentic cuisine? This ambitious history of the chile in China is a must read for anyone interested in food history or Chinese culture. Imported from the Americas, the chile was incorporated and adopted into Chinese culture until it became an authentic taste and symbol of certain regions, types of women and the revolutionary spirit. You might wonder how much you could learn about China and her people by studying one food item. The Chile Pepper in China explores complex topics such as trade routes, traditional Chinese medicine, class, gender, regional culture, climate, social movements, religious rituals and politics in one enjoyable and occasionally humorous read.
The book draws on a wide range of sources, including international records of trade, local histories (difangzhi 地方志) and modern media. The chapter on how the chile pepper was introduced to China thankfully includes maps such as how the world looked in the sixteenth century, local provinces, import routes and where chile was mentioned in early texts. It was fascinating to read how chile became a food preservative and a local substitute for highly taxed and imported products such as salt or black pepper. As the chile was integrated into local cuisines, the chile began to be used alongside or in place of the native Sichuan pepper. It is difficult to read this book without becoming hungry.
Since the chile could easily be grown from seeds in kitchen gardens, it found popularity with the working classes and was considered a coral-like decorative garden plant among the elites. The vitamins and antifungal properties found in chiles were essential for those living in remote or mountainous areas or those who needed an affordable way to make a monotonous starchy diet more appealing. Chiles can be preserved through the winter and were excellent for stimulating an appetite and cheering up the appearance of a simple meal. The author addresses the popular myth that chiles are used to hide or disguise spoiled meat, which is often trotted out in discussions of Asian cooking. Cooks will enjoy the in depth analysis of the Chinese five flavours and the inclusion of clearly written historical recipes. Although I would not classify this as a cookbook, a few recipes were placed inside the relevant chapters. China has a long, rich history of regional cuisines and there is no shortage of Chinese cookbooks available these days, but this text is essential for understanding how and why these spicy regional differences emerged. It also explains why some regions prefer flavours such as pickled or smoky.
This history also examines the chile's role in traditional Chinese medicine and how it was used in the malarial areas of Guangdong and Guangxi. It must have taken the author a huge amount of effort to track down how chiles were being used by the lower classes, as much of the histories were written by elite officials who conformed to a set expectation for upper class behaviour. The culinary reluctance of the elites and their separation from the lower classes in their own community was well illustrated in the division between chile as a decorative garden plant and chile as an essential ingredient. Furthermore, in the late imperial period, the chile was considered to disrupt Buddhist and Daoist notions of having a clear mind. Again, the elites avoided the chile. One particularly fascinating chapter describes how military heroes from Hunan popularised the chile and by the early 1900s, dining at Sichuan restaurants became a mark of status in Shanghai. Migration, wars and revolution further made the chile an 'authentic' part of Chinese cuisine.
Artistic representations of the chile were carefully reviewed and illustrations were included in the text. The chile reveals itself in classics such as Dream of the Red Chamber and The Peony Pavilion, as well as woodblock prints, poetry, descriptions of gardens, pop music and government announcements. The journey of the chile across class hierarchies and across professions are well explained, even up to posters representing Xi Jinping's 'China Dream.' This humble kitchen garden plant went from obscurity to ubiquity.
As a Mandarin language learner, one of my favourite aspects of this book was that concepts were introduced in English, hanzi and pinyin. This made it incredibly easy to look for more information online, such as when I wanted to look up a Chinese song (辣妹子) about the hot blooded women who eat them. The text also outlines how the name of the chile differs across Chinese regions and why certain Chinese characters or radicals are used.
Those interested in representations of gender will enjoy reading how the chile represented fierce female passion in classic novels and learning about the archetype of the assertive, feisty and sexy "spicy girl." The chile pepper itself could represent male virility, numerous offspring or the fiery spirit of the revolutionary. Quotes from Mao Zedong include the phrase "without the chile peppers there would be no revolution."
I expected to read about the culinary and medical uses of the chile, but the thorough analysis of symbolism and aesthetics really set this book apart from other food histories. This book is packed with surprises about how the chile became part Chinese culture, history and identity.
An advance copy of this book was supplied by Columbia University Press for review.
March 27, 2020
The Chile Pepper in China by Brian R. Dott is a non-fiction history of how chile peppers, a plant native to the Americas, became ubiquitous in China. Dott, an associate professor at Whitman College leads readers through the complicated and sometimes unclear history of how this spicy fruit came to hold such significance in Chinese cuisine, medicine, culture, and politics.
It is important to note that The Chile Pepper in China is an academic, non-fiction book. The book therefore spends as much time walking the reader through its methodology and sources as it does telling the chile pepper’s actual history. While much of those parts of the book are equally interesting, not all of it will feel germane to the casual reader. This is by no means a negative attribute of the book, especially since these walkthroughs are well-researched and well-explained. In fact, The Chile Pepper in China is a book that can be easily understood and enjoyed by casual readers, something not all academic non-fiction books can say.
For anybody with interests in learning about non-America cooking, medicine, or even language, The Chile Pepper in China is an excellent resource for learning about an array of Chinese practices. Dott explains how Chinese systems for classifying foods and medicines were intertwined with language in ways that are easily understood in the English language for an American not well acquainted with the concepts. I do wish that some of the explanations of chile peppers’ use as medicine were discussed in a modern context. There was ample discussion of how capsaicin, the chemical that makes chilis spicey, was used as preventatives and treatments for many types of illness. I was just left so curious about the ways Dott explained food and medicine as virtually one and the same that I found myself wanting to understand if its uses have evolved since the 1600s.
The way the book breaks down Chinese words and phrases is also really compelling. The book is very careful to make clear that China is not a singular culture and that in different groups and regions across time periods people have held different and sometimes contradictory beliefs. I enjoyed seeing how the word for and words used to describe chile peppers evolved and eventually landed on “the foreign pepper.”
Beyond being a well-researched history, The Chile Pepper in China does an excellent job demonstrating how cultural symbols, even when recognizable by an entire population like the chile pepper is, do not always hold the same symbolic meanings for everybody. The book’s latter chapters demonstrate this in both classic Chinese literature and in contemporary politics. For example, the chile represents the trope of the “spicy girl,” a somewhat aspirational and attractive quality of being bold, passionate, and firey. Meanwhile, the pepper has been used as a warning against that very inversion of traditional gender roles.In more recent times, chile peppers in China have come to be associated with revolution and even Mao himself.
I particularly appreciate The Chile Pepper in China as a reminder that culture is constantly evolving, its symbols are not uniformly interpreted, and its origins are rarely what our society wants us to believe. The positive, harmless foray into developing culturally can be applied to American cultural symbols just the same. Whether we are talking about popular films or controversial political symbols, The Chile Pepper in China is an excellent and interesting reminder that just because something is ubiquitous does not mean it’s universal. Culture is neither created in a vacuum nor suspended in the time of its inception.
The chile pepper was not native to China until one day, it was, and as Dott shows in The Chile Pepper in China, the fruit has meant different things to different people over the centuries and probably will continue to mean new things as time goes on. While I wish The Chile Pepper in China had even more examples of the spicy plant’s cultural importance in China rather than repeating the same information often, it is an excellent history and an even greater reminder of how culture is ever-changing and not everybody experiences culture the same as one another.
The Chile Pepper in China is available for pre-order and is available March 13th.
Rating: 8.5/10
It is important to note that The Chile Pepper in China is an academic, non-fiction book. The book therefore spends as much time walking the reader through its methodology and sources as it does telling the chile pepper’s actual history. While much of those parts of the book are equally interesting, not all of it will feel germane to the casual reader. This is by no means a negative attribute of the book, especially since these walkthroughs are well-researched and well-explained. In fact, The Chile Pepper in China is a book that can be easily understood and enjoyed by casual readers, something not all academic non-fiction books can say.
For anybody with interests in learning about non-America cooking, medicine, or even language, The Chile Pepper in China is an excellent resource for learning about an array of Chinese practices. Dott explains how Chinese systems for classifying foods and medicines were intertwined with language in ways that are easily understood in the English language for an American not well acquainted with the concepts. I do wish that some of the explanations of chile peppers’ use as medicine were discussed in a modern context. There was ample discussion of how capsaicin, the chemical that makes chilis spicey, was used as preventatives and treatments for many types of illness. I was just left so curious about the ways Dott explained food and medicine as virtually one and the same that I found myself wanting to understand if its uses have evolved since the 1600s.
The way the book breaks down Chinese words and phrases is also really compelling. The book is very careful to make clear that China is not a singular culture and that in different groups and regions across time periods people have held different and sometimes contradictory beliefs. I enjoyed seeing how the word for and words used to describe chile peppers evolved and eventually landed on “the foreign pepper.”
Beyond being a well-researched history, The Chile Pepper in China does an excellent job demonstrating how cultural symbols, even when recognizable by an entire population like the chile pepper is, do not always hold the same symbolic meanings for everybody. The book’s latter chapters demonstrate this in both classic Chinese literature and in contemporary politics. For example, the chile represents the trope of the “spicy girl,” a somewhat aspirational and attractive quality of being bold, passionate, and firey. Meanwhile, the pepper has been used as a warning against that very inversion of traditional gender roles.In more recent times, chile peppers in China have come to be associated with revolution and even Mao himself.
I particularly appreciate The Chile Pepper in China as a reminder that culture is constantly evolving, its symbols are not uniformly interpreted, and its origins are rarely what our society wants us to believe. The positive, harmless foray into developing culturally can be applied to American cultural symbols just the same. Whether we are talking about popular films or controversial political symbols, The Chile Pepper in China is an excellent and interesting reminder that just because something is ubiquitous does not mean it’s universal. Culture is neither created in a vacuum nor suspended in the time of its inception.
The chile pepper was not native to China until one day, it was, and as Dott shows in The Chile Pepper in China, the fruit has meant different things to different people over the centuries and probably will continue to mean new things as time goes on. While I wish The Chile Pepper in China had even more examples of the spicy plant’s cultural importance in China rather than repeating the same information often, it is an excellent history and an even greater reminder of how culture is ever-changing and not everybody experiences culture the same as one another.
The Chile Pepper in China is available for pre-order and is available March 13th.
Rating: 8.5/10
March 15, 2021
I really enjoyed reading this book. Anyone interested in learning on cultural biographies (of which this is a great example), but especially to learn more about the culinary history of chile pepper in China.
As Mexican focused in Chinese studies, this was a delight to read. While it certainly has an academic taste to it (which judging by the ratings many people didn't like) it is not as dry as an academic paper.
When I lived in China I had that same experience of people there not knowing that chile peppers were not native to China... as Mexican I was always delighted to go to the market and find a variety of chiles, and now to learn more about where does it come it was very interesting. Additionally, the context that the author gives to his research also makes it quite useful for those studying and researching about ancient China.
As Mexican focused in Chinese studies, this was a delight to read. While it certainly has an academic taste to it (which judging by the ratings many people didn't like) it is not as dry as an academic paper.
When I lived in China I had that same experience of people there not knowing that chile peppers were not native to China... as Mexican I was always delighted to go to the market and find a variety of chiles, and now to learn more about where does it come it was very interesting. Additionally, the context that the author gives to his research also makes it quite useful for those studying and researching about ancient China.
March 17, 2022
I feel like reading a long academic journal article on chiles, or perhaps a short dissertation? The book is well researched with careful arguments but at the same time is definitely not something general audience will be attracted to. Only recommend to chile pepper lovers, or more specificially people in love with the spiciness in Chinese cuisine.
May 14, 2020
Following the trend for history/biographies of specific foods and how they influence their region (or the world) “The Chile Pepper in China” aims to show readers the influence of this nonnative plant in all realms of Chinese life- from food and medicine to revolutionary culture. As a fan of many food ‘biographies’ I was looking forward to learning more about the chile pepper and its impact on Chinese culture. However, I found this book to be written more like a very scholarly college textbook than one aimed at a popular audience, and not necessarily a well done one at that. Heavy repetition and lots of scholarly talk about the author’s research meant that this book felt a lot longer than it was, and in my personal opinion, managed to use a lot of words to say very little. Not a book for the casual reader.
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review
June 18, 2020
I received a digital copy of the book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.
This book is written like a graduate-level research project that was published. It discusses the history of the chili pepper in China not only in food, but in medicine, culture, and other areas as well. I found parts of interesting and I learned a few things. I thought other parts dragged and I ended up skimming through them.
That said, I can still think of many people I know who would download this book, because they would, like me, find one or two chapters useful for research for their own projects, or in-depth analysis related to a specific hobby. Because of this aspect, I posted about this book to one of my Facebook groups where I know there will be a number of interested readers.
This book is written like a graduate-level research project that was published. It discusses the history of the chili pepper in China not only in food, but in medicine, culture, and other areas as well. I found parts of interesting and I learned a few things. I thought other parts dragged and I ended up skimming through them.
That said, I can still think of many people I know who would download this book, because they would, like me, find one or two chapters useful for research for their own projects, or in-depth analysis related to a specific hobby. Because of this aspect, I posted about this book to one of my Facebook groups where I know there will be a number of interested readers.
July 29, 2021
Chile peppers make for an interesting topic of a book, although the author’s focus on the chile pepper’s history in just one place, China, makes for a relatively simple story. Nonetheless, in hearing about the chile pepper from the perspective of Chinese food, medicine, art, and symbolism, the reader learns a lot. We learn about trade and the interaction of cultures in China in the 16th and 17th centuries, food science, traditional Chinese medicine, and more. This book has made me take notice of chile peppers in decorations, on menus, in gardens, and in art. Did you know that for people who are used to eating chile peppers, they can help the brain release endorphins? I admire the author for sticking to his scholarship and not make assertions that he could not back up with data.
March 3, 2021
If I look back about what tempted me to pick this title up was the randomness of the topic. The content stayed true to the title, this book is all about the documented rise and alteration of Chiles' use in China through centuries. It is not often that one finds access to a book on such an obscure topic, so I gave in and jumped in enthusiastically. After a false start or two, I finally worked my way through till the end.
The author talks of the different ways the Chiles are now blended into the Chinese lifestyle. The various things that they now symbolize were quite fascinating. The background of the narrative, which showed how the trade worked and people lived in the pre-1800 times, was also interesting. However, the flow was very much like a textbook, not conducive to continuous reading, which meant I took an inordinately long time to finish it all. I almost gave up a couple of times, but curiosity drove me on because I wanted to know more about how something so innocuous could hold so many different values in a civilization. Some of the things mentioned were known, while others unknown to me. I am not sure who the intended audience for this book was, but I am sure some people will find it easier to read than others.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.
The author talks of the different ways the Chiles are now blended into the Chinese lifestyle. The various things that they now symbolize were quite fascinating. The background of the narrative, which showed how the trade worked and people lived in the pre-1800 times, was also interesting. However, the flow was very much like a textbook, not conducive to continuous reading, which meant I took an inordinately long time to finish it all. I almost gave up a couple of times, but curiosity drove me on because I wanted to know more about how something so innocuous could hold so many different values in a civilization. Some of the things mentioned were known, while others unknown to me. I am not sure who the intended audience for this book was, but I am sure some people will find it easier to read than others.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.
January 8, 2023
I would give this 3.5 stars if I could. My review is probably similar to that of many others: There's a wealth of food history in here supported with plentiful source materials, but this book needed at least one more thorough round of editing. Issues with organization and repetition make The Chile Pepper in China somewhat tough to read cover-to-cover, but I highly recommend consulting this book for a detailed history of its subject matter, whether you're reading out of general interest, you're an enthusiast for culinary history, or you want to do some realistic world-building.
May 6, 2020
If you have ever been interested in how peppers came to be in China and Chinese cooking, this book is for you. I am not a huge fan of chili peppers but I have an interest in Chinese cooking and this book blew my mind. It's a combination of history and recipes. It is heavy on information, but in an easy to digest format. Foodies will really enjoy this and I can see this being a great christmas/birthday present for some foodies in my life.
March 30, 2023
Well written, fascinating, and goes well beyond food history to discuss cultural themes around region , nationalism, and politics. My only criticism is that, at times, it's not clear whether the author wants to write a popular book or an academic one. That said, this is accessible for the general reader who will enjoy it. The academic one may find whole sections basic -- but well-executed. I am sure it would work well in the classroom, but this can be an underhanded compliment!
June 23, 2020
A very interesting book! The author made a very complete investigation to give us a work that at the same time that educates, also entertains.
Who was going to say that the humble chile would have so much history, that even one of the most famous revolutionary leaders in the world would praise him so much and that songs and poems were composed in his name!
Who was going to say that the humble chile would have so much history, that even one of the most famous revolutionary leaders in the world would praise him so much and that songs and poems were composed in his name!
April 23, 2023
fun read
Very much a doctoral thesis that became a book but a great study in how Chinese culture flexes and absorbs new materiel and flavor.
Very much a doctoral thesis that became a book but a great study in how Chinese culture flexes and absorbs new materiel and flavor.
January 11, 2025
Extremely deeply researched, almost disproportionately for the topic area. A fascinating look also at the economics and anthropology of China via peppers.
January 29, 2025
Lost two precious hours of my life.
March 26, 2023
This is a really neat book about chile peppers in Chinese culture. I appreciate how the breadth - literary works such as Peony Pavilion and the Dream of the Red Chamber to ordinary gazettes about produce, elite gardens and commoner food, the different regional cuisines, even the role of historical figures such as Zuo Zongmeng and Mao Zedong. The author includes linguistic information in Chinese characters, pinyin, and English; maps and illustrations; and historical theories regarding the spread of the plant. The author even explains how chile peppers were interpreted in light of older, more-established ideas of food and medicine and how they are incorporated into official and popular cultures up through the 21st century.
June 6, 2021
The book is very thorough in terms of explaining the impact of chilli pepper and is very informative. I am reading this to deepen my understanding of chilli peppers, and this book did the trick. The author is able to analyse the impact through interesting ways such as songs, poetry, art, literature, etc. He is also able to explain the details of certain Chinese concepts, such as the qi, ying-yang, and others. The delivery of the information though, was a bit boring from time to time. This slowed down my reading process of the book. Overall, a really informative literary piece on chilli peppers.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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