Land of Plenty: A Treasury of Authentic Sichuan Cooking

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Overview

The food of the Sichuan region in southwest China is one of the world's great culinary secrets. Many of us know it for its "hot and spicy" reputation or a few of its most famous dishes, most notably Kung Pao chicken, but that is only the beginning. Sichuanese cuisine is legendary in China for its sophistication and astounding diversity: local gourmets claim the region boasts 5000 different dishes. And it's not just about the kick of fiery red chiles and numbing Sichuan pepper: local chefs use unparallelled flavoring techniques to create at least twenty-three distinct flavor combinations, from sour-sweet, melting "lychee flavor" to punchy, seductive "fish-fragrant flavor."

Fuchsia Dunlop fell in love with Sichuanese food on her first visit to the province ten years ago. The following year she went to live in the Sichuanese capital Chengdu, where she became the first foreigner to study full-time at the province's famous cooking school, the Sichuan Institute of Higher Cuisine. She spent her spare time studying in the kitchens of some of the region's most famous restaurants, exploring street markets and food stalls, and cooking and eating with her Sichuanese friends in their homes. Her passionate enthusiasm for the food and fluency in the Chinese language gave her unprecedented access to China's most vibrant culinary region.

Now for the first time in the English language, she has given us a cookbook gathered on the spot from the kitchens of Sichuan, filled with stories and colorful descriptions of the region itself. Written with the support of leading Sichuanese chefs and scholars, and researched entirely from local sources, Land of Plenty offers a clear and fascinating introduction to the real Sichuanese cuisine.

Useful for the enthusiastic beginner as well as the experienced cook, Land of Plenty teaches you not only how to prepare the Sichuan recipes but also the art of chopping and to appreciate the textures of dishes. Cook up a genuine Pock-marked Mother Chen's bean curd or a Twice-cooked pork, make the fiery Dan Dan noodles which are traditionally sold by Sichuanese street vendors. Try out delicious and easy-to-make recipes for appetizers like Sweet-and-Sour Red Peppers and stir-fries or take on the challenge of the famous tea-smoked duck. And if you like to read cookbooks at night, just curl up in bed and savour the stories and adventures that will transport you to another world.

Among this book's unique features: a full glossary of Chinese terms; Chinese characters useful for shopping; a practical introduction to the art of cutting; detailed lists of the 23 recognized flavor combinations and 56 cooking methods used in Sichuanese cuisine; 16 color pictures of the ingredients and finished dishes; double-page maps of the region; and Chinese characters for every recipe.

Editorial Reviews

Alan Davidson

It is a very long time since I saw a book which is so patently an absolute 'must.'

Publishers Weekly

Sichuan cuisine, renowned for its spicy notes and hot flavors, is famous in Chinese history and lore for its variety and richness of tastes and layers. Dunlop, who writes about Chinese food and culture for the Economist, has produced a volume that is sure to take its place among the classics of Chinese cuisine. Drawing on her experience as a student at the Sichuan Institute of Higher Cuisine in Chengdu, China and on many Chinese sources, she conveys the history and geography that make this cuisine so different from the other regions and so varied-the region boasts 5,000 different dishes. After discussing the tastes and textures that form Chinese cuisine in general, Dunlop describes cooking methods, equipment and the pantry before diving into the recipes. From such traditional dishes as Strange-Flavor Chicken (aka Bang Bang Chicken) to Hot-and-Sour Soup that have made the region famous, to the simple Zucchini Slivers with Garlic to the appealing Spicy Cucumber Salad, she engagingly describes dishes and their context, much in the style of Elizabeth David and Claudia Roden. Ending with sections entitled "The 23 Flavors of Sichuan" and "The 56 Cooking Methods of Sichuan," the book is a pleasure-both to cook from and to read. (May) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

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Library Journal

For several years in the early 1990s Dunlop, a British journalist, lived in Chengdu, the capital of China's Sichuan province, where she was the only foreigner ever asked to enroll in the rigorous professional course at the Sichuan Institute of Higher Cuisine. She also worked in restaurants throughout the city and studied cooking with the many home cooks who became her friends. Now she has written an impressive, wide-ranging introduction to Sichuan cuisine, which, she explains, is "legendary in China for its sophistication and amazing diversity." Most Westerners know Sichuan food as often hot and spicy, but it is actually more complex and subtle than that (there are in fact 23 "official" flavor combinations). The book begins with a detailed guide to cooking techniques (with a separate chapter on knife skills), equipment, and ingredients. Then there are hundreds of recipes for both home-style dishes and banquet food and some favorite street foods as well, all set in context through Dunlop's absorbing, thoroughly researched text. The book concludes with a source guide, lists of both those 23 flavors and "the 56 cooking methods of Sichuan," and a glossary of Chinese characters (used throughout the book). Highly recommended for most collections and where Chinese cooking is popular. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780393051773
Publisher: Norton, W. W. & Company, Inc.
Publication date: 7/21/2003
Edition description: 1 AMER ED
Pages: 400
Sales rank: 103,349
Product dimensions: 7.80 (w) x 9.60 (h) x 1.20 (d)

Meet the Author

Fuchsia Dunlop is the author of two cookbooks and a memoir. She writes for The New Yorker, the Financial Times, and Saveur. A graduate of Cambridge University and a fluent Mandarin speaker, she lives in London.

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wizardhlee

Posted May 25, 2010

Authentic Sichuan recipes

it took a long time for truly authentic Sichuan recipes to come to our shores and it turns out it took a Brit who enrolled at a Sichuan culinary school to do it. For years when I lived in New York city, I used double cooked pork as benchmark dish against which to judge and compare all Sichuan restaurants. It was on every mennu, it was different than my Cantonese roots and I liked it. Little did I know how far the versions at almost all Chinese-American restaurants are from the real dish. Dunlop points you toward using the right cut of pork (belly is best) or alternative, use leeks (preferably hard to find Chinese leeks) and most important Sichuan sourced broad (not soy!) bean based chili paste. After that the dish is actually easy to make but amazingly deep in its earthy flavors and deeply satisfying. Leftovers may even taste better than the fresh made. The broad bean sauce is best if it's labeled Pixian sauce which is a label or trademark strictly governed by a provincial agency.

Dunlop brings in the authentic with a nod toward what's practical to obtain in terms of ingredients. The techniques for the most part are straightforward by themselves so this book will get you cooking not only closer to authentic Sichuan but, I think, tastier and that's what matters most.
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Anonymous

Posted January 10, 2006

Teaches the Cuisine

I've collected Chinese Cookbooks and used their recipies for close to 30 years. This cookbook taught me the principles of Sichuan Cuisine like none other
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Posted August 1, 2009

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Land of Plenty: A Treasury of Authentic Sichuan Cooking

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