What do you think?
Rate this book
Beyond the Great Wall: Recipes and Travels in the Other China
WINNER OF THE 2009 JAMES BEARD FOUNDATION INTERNATIONAL COOKBOOK AWARD
WINNER OF THE 2009 IACP BEST INTERNATIONAL COOKBOOK AWARD
A bold and eye-opening new cookbook with magnificent photos and unforgettable stories.
In the West, when we think about food in China, what usually comes to mind are the signature dishes of Beijing, Hong Kong, Shanghai. But beyond the urbanized eastern third of China lie the high open spaces and sacred places of Tibet, the Silk Road oases of Xinjiang, the steppelands of Inner Mongolia, and the steeply terraced hills of Yunnan and Guizhou. The peoples who live in these regions are culturally distinct, with their own history and their own unique culinary traditions. In Beyond the Great Wall, the inimitable duo of Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid—who first met as young travelers in Tibet—bring home the enticing flavors of this other China.
For more than twenty-five years, both separately and together, Duguid and Alford have journeyed all over the outlying regions of China, sampling local home cooking and street food, making friends and taking lustrous photographs. Beyond the Great Wall shares the experience in a rich mosaic of recipes—from Central Asian cumin-scented kebabs and flatbreads to Tibetan stews and Mongolian hot pots—photos, and stories. A must-have for every food lover, and an inspiration for cooks and armchair travelers alike.
WINNER OF THE 2009 IACP BEST INTERNATIONAL COOKBOOK AWARD
A bold and eye-opening new cookbook with magnificent photos and unforgettable stories.
In the West, when we think about food in China, what usually comes to mind are the signature dishes of Beijing, Hong Kong, Shanghai. But beyond the urbanized eastern third of China lie the high open spaces and sacred places of Tibet, the Silk Road oases of Xinjiang, the steppelands of Inner Mongolia, and the steeply terraced hills of Yunnan and Guizhou. The peoples who live in these regions are culturally distinct, with their own history and their own unique culinary traditions. In Beyond the Great Wall, the inimitable duo of Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid—who first met as young travelers in Tibet—bring home the enticing flavors of this other China.
For more than twenty-five years, both separately and together, Duguid and Alford have journeyed all over the outlying regions of China, sampling local home cooking and street food, making friends and taking lustrous photographs. Beyond the Great Wall shares the experience in a rich mosaic of recipes—from Central Asian cumin-scented kebabs and flatbreads to Tibetan stews and Mongolian hot pots—photos, and stories. A must-have for every food lover, and an inspiration for cooks and armchair travelers alike.
385 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 15, 2008
67 people are currently reading
595 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
August 1, 2009
It is often asserted that Chinese food in the United States tastes better than Chinese food in China. It's a bold statement, considering that many people (myself included) have no concievable idea of what Chinese food actually is. We're saddled with the General Tso and Chow Mein stereotypes of the food, and any other exposure of the cuisine in mainstream media ventures into the absurdly exotic, with the consumption of the offal of creatures that we rarely associate with everyday food.
But BEYOND THE GREAT WALL challenges and defeats this ignorance by introducing its readers to the other China, the one that few are familiar with, the one whose massive diversity is best exemplified through its food. We are introduced to the foods of Tibet and Inner Mongolia, whose influences are as much Indian, Afghani, and Nepali as they are with what we associate as 'traditional' Chinese cooking.
Beyond recipes of lesser represented ethnic groups within China, the book also serves as a political travelogue of the challenges of representation that many of these groups face. A lot of dissent has been placed upon the book for this reason, many believing it to be politically biased against the Chinese governance, and many believing that the politics has nothing to do with the food.
I challenge this sentiment in that the food is a symbol of the origins and identities of the people. That many of the recipes from Inner Mongolia and Tibet share influences from Persia and India show that these people have a history and geopolitical identity. These are not fringe pockets of people, they are bona-fide cultures that deserve recognition, rights and identity within their country. It's a bold political statement told through an even bolder vector, that of food.
As for the food, the recipes presented are extremely flavorful and well presented. All ingredients can be found at Asian grocers and even at the 'ethnic' food sections of major supermarkets. Easy substitutions can be made with a quick internet search. The photography in the book is simply spectacular, bringing both the food and culture into kinetic life. The travelogue portions of the cookbook are eye-opening and well-written, and the book would have legs as a travelogue even without the benefit of recipes.
BEYOND THE GREAT WALL is a book that informs, challenges and entertains on many levels, which is rarity in a cookbook. It's one of the best cookbooks from a recipe standpoint, as everything we've made from it has turned out delicious, and a bonus has been that most of the recipes took less than thirty minutes to prepare. Hands down, BEYOND THE GREAT WALL is one of the best cookbooks out there in a marketplace that emphasizes celebrity chef personalities over the food, and the people and cultures it represents. Seek it out.
But BEYOND THE GREAT WALL challenges and defeats this ignorance by introducing its readers to the other China, the one that few are familiar with, the one whose massive diversity is best exemplified through its food. We are introduced to the foods of Tibet and Inner Mongolia, whose influences are as much Indian, Afghani, and Nepali as they are with what we associate as 'traditional' Chinese cooking.
Beyond recipes of lesser represented ethnic groups within China, the book also serves as a political travelogue of the challenges of representation that many of these groups face. A lot of dissent has been placed upon the book for this reason, many believing it to be politically biased against the Chinese governance, and many believing that the politics has nothing to do with the food.
I challenge this sentiment in that the food is a symbol of the origins and identities of the people. That many of the recipes from Inner Mongolia and Tibet share influences from Persia and India show that these people have a history and geopolitical identity. These are not fringe pockets of people, they are bona-fide cultures that deserve recognition, rights and identity within their country. It's a bold political statement told through an even bolder vector, that of food.
As for the food, the recipes presented are extremely flavorful and well presented. All ingredients can be found at Asian grocers and even at the 'ethnic' food sections of major supermarkets. Easy substitutions can be made with a quick internet search. The photography in the book is simply spectacular, bringing both the food and culture into kinetic life. The travelogue portions of the cookbook are eye-opening and well-written, and the book would have legs as a travelogue even without the benefit of recipes.
BEYOND THE GREAT WALL is a book that informs, challenges and entertains on many levels, which is rarity in a cookbook. It's one of the best cookbooks from a recipe standpoint, as everything we've made from it has turned out delicious, and a bonus has been that most of the recipes took less than thirty minutes to prepare. Hands down, BEYOND THE GREAT WALL is one of the best cookbooks out there in a marketplace that emphasizes celebrity chef personalities over the food, and the people and cultures it represents. Seek it out.
August 28, 2017
I'm a little hard on cookbooks, so a lot of them end up with the three star rating. That's not because they aren't good, but sometimes I just know I'll never cook from them or I don't like the formatting or graphic choices. That's the case here.
This book is really more of reading book than a using book. It is largely a travelogue and basic history of the area, and this was what I wanted because I know little about the regions of China. At the same time, I'm shelving it with cookbooks, and I just don't see myself cooking from this. The recipes just didn't seem that interesting to me beyond the cultural information they provide to back up the travelogue part of the book. I just didn't find anything that convinced me to move from the couch to the kitchen with it. OTOH, there is a lot do interesting information and lots of gorgeous photographs.
It carries the bragging rights of being the James Beard winner in the international cookbook category, but the way the JBF has handed out awards as if they were free mints the last few years, take that for what it's worth to you. IMO, it makes me expect a lot more from a book, as if it has more to prove to me than a book without the JBF sticker on the cover.
This book is really more of reading book than a using book. It is largely a travelogue and basic history of the area, and this was what I wanted because I know little about the regions of China. At the same time, I'm shelving it with cookbooks, and I just don't see myself cooking from this. The recipes just didn't seem that interesting to me beyond the cultural information they provide to back up the travelogue part of the book. I just didn't find anything that convinced me to move from the couch to the kitchen with it. OTOH, there is a lot do interesting information and lots of gorgeous photographs.
It carries the bragging rights of being the James Beard winner in the international cookbook category, but the way the JBF has handed out awards as if they were free mints the last few years, take that for what it's worth to you. IMO, it makes me expect a lot more from a book, as if it has more to prove to me than a book without the JBF sticker on the cover.
July 27, 2011
Part travel log, part ethnography, part cookbook, this book is absolutely stunning. The whole work focuses on the other China, the non-Han population. The authors have called this "Beyond the Great Wall", but that title is misleading as some of the cultures examined are actually within the traditionally Han areas.
While the recipes are wonderful, showing you how to make traditional foods with ingredients you can find in North Amnerican stores, it is the ethnographies that are truely valuable. Through these you learn about people like the Uighurs, the Hmong and the Yi. By giving you their religious background, geographical location, climate and religion, the authors help the reader understand where the food comes from.
The photographs make this book a perfect addition to the coffeetable. Serious cooks will take the time to make these recipes, but most will just look at the pictures and dream of voyages they will never take and the meals they will never eat.
While the recipes are wonderful, showing you how to make traditional foods with ingredients you can find in North Amnerican stores, it is the ethnographies that are truely valuable. Through these you learn about people like the Uighurs, the Hmong and the Yi. By giving you their religious background, geographical location, climate and religion, the authors help the reader understand where the food comes from.
The photographs make this book a perfect addition to the coffeetable. Serious cooks will take the time to make these recipes, but most will just look at the pictures and dream of voyages they will never take and the meals they will never eat.
August 31, 2012
Jeffrey Alford's cookbooks are beautiful to look at and they have great recipes, but they are not practical for kitchen everyday use.
"Beyond the Great Wall" is a great book, a travel book and a cookbook and a book about Chinese culture all wrapped into one. The pictures are beautiful and the book is well put together and interesting and the recipes are wonderful.
However, it is not an easy book to use in the kitchen, it weighs a ton and it is very big and the recipes are not made from the most common of ingredients.
Having traveled in China, I definitely want a copy of this book, but not for cooking, only for looking.
"Beyond the Great Wall" is a great book, a travel book and a cookbook and a book about Chinese culture all wrapped into one. The pictures are beautiful and the book is well put together and interesting and the recipes are wonderful.
However, it is not an easy book to use in the kitchen, it weighs a ton and it is very big and the recipes are not made from the most common of ingredients.
Having traveled in China, I definitely want a copy of this book, but not for cooking, only for looking.
October 2, 2008
This is generating some controversy in cookbook-land because of the release timing--a book about the cuisine of Tibetans and ethnic minorities in China, right before the Beijing Olympics. Like their other books, this one is a combination of recipes and travel stories, with photos so gorgeous you want to drop everything, cash in your savings and spend the next year traveling and eating.
January 11, 2009
The photos and travel descriptions are excellent, and deliver the real china outside of the tourist norm. Recipes, too, although they're less accessible, given the nature of so many of the ingredients and cooking equipment. Some excellent food direction nonetheless and the food photos . . . yum.
May 31, 2020
It is not often I borrow a cook book and then actually want to buy my own copy.
I want to buy this, but haven’t found it in Australia. And I won’t buy from Amazon any more.
So I might have to keep borrowing it.
I want to buy this, but haven’t found it in Australia. And I won’t buy from Amazon any more.
So I might have to keep borrowing it.
October 1, 2021
Like Jeffrey and Naomi's other books,I enjoyed and immersed in a lot of culture while reading this. However I would love more pictures of food and also the book size to be small than the current publications. I want to read their all books;such a nurturing experience with each read.
Read
March 14, 2021one of my fave reviewers on chinese and indian food
Interesting to browse through once or twice but that's about it
2/5
The authors of this book seemed to have a hard time deciding whether they were writing a travelogue with some recipes thrown in, or a cookery book that uses travel within a particular region as the focal point. The end result is that it fails to be much of either.
The pictures in this book are very nice (although mostly about people and places rather than food), and some of the facts about various ethnic minorities are somewhat interesting, but neither of these is why I bought the book. There is very little in the way of in depth analysis of food traditions, styles, philosophies or techniques and the recipes that are provided are, frankly, not that impressive. I can't help get the feeling that this pair went on a great trip and decided to capitalize on it by compiling a set of recipes that 'attempt' to capture the flavors if the places they visited.
Serious 'foodies' will probably be disappointed.
C. J. Thompson
Interesting to browse through once or twice but that's about it
2/5
The authors of this book seemed to have a hard time deciding whether they were writing a travelogue with some recipes thrown in, or a cookery book that uses travel within a particular region as the focal point. The end result is that it fails to be much of either.
The pictures in this book are very nice (although mostly about people and places rather than food), and some of the facts about various ethnic minorities are somewhat interesting, but neither of these is why I bought the book. There is very little in the way of in depth analysis of food traditions, styles, philosophies or techniques and the recipes that are provided are, frankly, not that impressive. I can't help get the feeling that this pair went on a great trip and decided to capitalize on it by compiling a set of recipes that 'attempt' to capture the flavors if the places they visited.
Serious 'foodies' will probably be disappointed.
C. J. Thompson
March 24, 2023
Pretty interesting.
April 10, 2013
Usually a serious fan, but not of this book and I really wanted to be. As usual, the photography and writing are great and the way the authors put the food in a broader context makes for a rewarding read. However, the recipes are, frankly, boring. It may simply be that the subject matter is less interesting than that of their other books or it may be that they did not stretch themselves as much when it came to the recipes. It seems doubtful that there would be so few interesting dishes in all of the non-Han regions of China. A nice book to look through, but not inspiring to cook from. Try one of their other collaborations instead.
March 9, 2009
I think of this book as a travelogue, a photography book, and a cookbook. While I haven't had a chance to try many of the recipes yet, I have to say that I love this book. The way it is written is evocative, and I appreciate both the personal notes on the recipes and the occasional written piece about the authors' trips through China. It's a big book, and slightly unwieldy... but I wouldn't think it at all out of place proudly displayed in one's kitchen or on a coffee table.
July 29, 2011
This was the second Gourmet Cookbook of the month selection,and I already have two of their cookbooks in this style--which is to have stories and lots of exceptional pictures of the food and th epeople who make it--this is another beautiful example of their work--the recipes look less like things that I would make, but I will try some because of my hx with them
June 1, 2013
I just got this book out of the library today and am impressed with the mix of recipes with information about the non-Han ethnic groups living in China, i.e. the land, the people and the food. I may try out one of the noodle recipes and then perhaps go on to momos. The photos in the large, heavy book are great.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/st...
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/st...
Want to read
April 14, 2008I'll have to wait for my library to get this book as it's $70. I lived Alfords other cookbooks and the quality makes them worth the $$so I have no doubt I'll add this to my collection as soon as used copies start showing up.
November 9, 2009
This is my favorite cook book yet. The recipes are fantastic and pretty easy to follow. Even better though are the stories and background information on the people who eat these foods on a daily basis. Can't wait to have a look at some of their other books.
June 20, 2009
Fantastic read about China in and of itself. I haven't tried any of the recipes out of it, but many of them look fantastic.
September 12, 2009
Gorgeous cookbook that's also a travelogue. It highlights all the minority cultures within China and their cuisine.
November 21, 2010
Beautiful images and stories and interesting recipes. I loved the story about Ella Maillart so much I tracked down a copy of her book Forbidden Journey. http://www.ellamaillart.ch/bio_en.php
July 29, 2011
From the other China--stories, recipes, and photos from lesser known regions of China--was the July Gourmet Cookbook of the month in 2008
July 26, 2013
Excellent book, loved the stories and recipes. Made the lamb stew, reminded me of the Xingjiang restaurants in Bejing.
Read
November 25, 2016Just like with "Hot Sour Salty Sweet" this book is part travel journal, part cookbook - which I particularly enjoy.
Once I try a few recipes I'll update the review and rate the book.
Once I try a few recipes I'll update the review and rate the book.
March 30, 2013
Culture, travel and great recipes.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews