Chinesische Küche : Rezepte aus dem Fernen Osten

by Deh-Ta Hsiung

The Chinese Kitchen is equally useful whether you are selecting your first Chinese cookbook or adding to an already substantial collection. This encyclopedic volume is crammed with detailed information, recipes you know yet probably have not made at home, and color photographs from China that bring the culture and culinary interests of the country compellingly to life. Opening with a useful explanation of the fundamentals of Chinese cooking, you learn how all food is viewed for its seasonal, medicinal, and nutritional values; how color, aroma, flavor, shape, and texture must be balanced in each dish; and how today's cooking goes beyond the classic five flavors. Two-page spreads for more than 100 ingredients include the name in calligraphy and Western letters, the Latin name, and entries for how the item is grown or produced, how to judge its quality, how to store processed foods as well as fresh items, and both medicinal and culinary uses.

In the recipes, precise directions help even beginners get good results: for instance, "Cut the beef across the grain into thin slices the size of a large postage stamp." Recipes make dishes as they would be in China, so Spareribs in Sweet and Sour Sauce are pleasantly pungent without chunks of pineapple, carrot, or onion. From Fujian province, the Stir-Fried Chicken with Cilantro is a delicate combination of sliced breast and ginger, scallions, and coriander. Adventurous cooks will comfortably discover Bean Curd Skin and Asparagus Soup, a simple dish with appealing flavor. For dessert, Chinese Fruit Salad, combining fresh or canned lychees, cubed melon, and other fruits in the scooped out melon, which is nestled in crushed ice, lets you bring the care of Chinese presentation to the table easily.

Though Deh-Ta Hsiung tells little of how he traveled from Beijing, his birthplace, to London, or how he acquired his masterful command of cooking, bits of his personal history weave through The Chinese Kitchen. In all, he is a most welcome teacher. --Dana Jacobi

Genres: Cookbooks, Food

First published October 1, 1900

About the author

I was born into a family of scholars and gourmets in old Peking, which is now known as Beijing (bei means 'north', and jing is the 'capital'), and travelled widely throughout China as a teenager. I had a traditional classical Chinese upbringing before coming to England at the age of 17 to complete my education at Oxford and in London, where I now live.

On graduation from the Slade School of Fine Art in 1960, I worked in films first as an Assistant Director, and then as an Editor until the mid-80s. But from the mid-70s, I also began to write articles and books on Chinese cuisine, and I also started to teach Chinese cookery, as well as acting as a food and wine consultant to Chinese restaurants and food manufacturers.

I'm basically self-taught, although I did take lessons from some of the top chefs both here and in Hong Kong. I have also worked in professional kitchens throughout the world. So what I was trained to do has become a hobby, and what was my hobby is now my profession!

I've contributed to several websites in the past, but my main aim for starting chinese-at-table.com is to demystify some of the misunderstandings that surround one of the greatest cuisines in the world. The history and traditions of China are inextricably linked to its food culture, and its geographical and physical diversity has also shaped a rich cultural heritage and influenced the style of the culinary art, now so popular the world over.

Over 5000 years of history are behind some of the various traditional dishes that have now permeated into Western society, but little is known of their origins. Here I would like to mention the late Barbara Tropp, a China scholar turned Chinese cook, who wrote in her wonderful book The Modern Art of Chinese Cooking (William Morrow 1982):

The book begins with philosophy, moves through techniques, and then moves on to food. It follows my belief that when you set out to master Chinese cooking it is Chinese philosophy that is your foundation, Chinese cooking techniques that supply the bricks and the mortar, and the delicious food that follows is then the natural result and the crowning glory. Without philosophy to give it sharp, Chinese food is shallow. Without technique, it falls apart. It is like a special house that one cannot hope to build from the pinnacles down.

Chinese food is fascinating and delicious and I hope my web site will encourage you to learn more about it, and most of all, to enjoy cooking and eating the Chinese way.

Reviews

[Tim · Rating 5 out of 5]

An invaluable reference book for those interested in Chinese cookery.
Not only are there illustrations of the ingredients, particularly useful in the vegetable section, but notes on appearance and taste, buying and storage, and culinary uses.
What is very helpful is that each ingredient is also given the Chinese name so when in your local Chinatown store you can find the correct item. Too many writers of cookbooks for foreign cuisines assume everything in these stores will be labelled in English. You are told you need Mustard Greens which you won't find as its labelled Gaicai. Similarly many imported, bottled ingredients have the original label in the relevant language with only the contents listed in English as required in law.
Although there are recipes given for the items referenced this is not a cookbook in the true sense.
Strangely I have never seen this on sale in a book shop, both my copies came from charity shops, so if you see a copy, buy it, you might not see one again.
There is also a companion book for Indian cookery, equally good

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good reference book for Chinese cooking. The book is arranged by ingredient. There is a picture and description of each major ingredient in Chinese cooking, along with notes on the use and a representative recipe. It's of great use for identifying the various produce available at Asian markets that you don't usually see at grocery stores in the US.

[PinkPanthress · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Author is named wrong here, I have this book at home and it is written by Deh-Ta Hsiung.

[Carly Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is much more like an Asian ingredient reference book than a cookbook. It is helpful if you're interested in cooking Asian meals and would like history behind each classic ingredient/dish.

[Thorsten · Rating 5 out of 5]

Macht alles richtig. Vor allem die Aufmachung finde ich sehr gelungen.