The Key to Chinese Cooking

by Irene Kuo, Carolyn Moy (Illustrator)

Illus. throughout. 6 1/8 x 9 1/4.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Food, Nonfiction, Culinary, Reference

532 pages, Hardcover

First published September 12, 1977

Reviews

[AP · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my go-to cookbook for Chinese cooking in English. I'm still bewildered by why this book is out of print. The recipes are clear and lead to authentic tasting Chinese food. It is far superior to any Chinese cookbook in English, and I have an extensive collection, hoping to cook authentic Chinese dishes in the U.S. This is the only book where every recipe I've made created food which tasted like what I ate during my Chinese childhood.

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful reference which enables a North American reader to achieve authentic results - although the book is slightly outdated (we have better access to ingredients now) and long out-of-print. Friendly and accessible, analogies to Julia Child, Marcella Hazan, Madhur Jaffrey, or Irma Rombauer seem apt.

While I think a contemporary reader will get more out of Yin-Fei Lo's "Mastering the Art of Chinese Cooking" if they are a serious student, or Grace Young's or Fuchsia Dunlop's books if their interests are confined to more every-day preparations, Kuo's book remains a classic English introduction to the cuisine.

[Letticia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the "Bible" of Chinese cooking! There is none better! It had only one printing 40 years ago, so it hard to find now. This book has the technique you need to learn good Chinese"s cooking. It is a beauty to look at and some of the best recipes of all time.

[Kyle Fiske · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book as a Christmas present at age 20, in 1987. Some thirty years later, I still use it regularly. It's such a classic, and it contains such a wide range of recipes, cooking techniques and descriptions of ingredients. If you're trying to make some favorite Chinese-American restaurant dishes, you can find some near equivalents here. But also, you will find more unusual and off-the-beaten-path recipes that you've never seen in a Chinese restaurant in America, and conversely you will also find lots of very simple recipes that I'm sure are extremely common in average Chinese households.

I have many Chinese cookbooks, but this is at the top of my list for reliability. Also, great hand-drawn illustrations and Chinese calligraphy throughout the book. Excellent on every level.

[Beka · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this is the Chinese equivalent of "Mastering the Art of French Cooking". Since it's almost 40 years old, it's different from today's cookbooks. There are no photos, and very few illustrations, but the recipes are well written and thorough. There's an appendix of Chinese ingredients to help you figure out what they are, but I still don't think I could source most of them where I live.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Julia Child of Chinese cooking. Shame the book is out of print. This is actual Chinese food, not sticky/sweet 1950s throwback American-style buffet food. Some of the ingredients may be hard to source if you don't have a good international district nearby...thankfully though there is Amazon.

[CJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Bible for Chinese Cooking. I've been using this for almost 30 years.

[Lily · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was published back in 1977...a time before we had digital photos for everything, which is the one thing that I really want in a cookbook. Pictures of each dish, so that I have an idea of how it should turn out. I thought about giving it 4 stars for the lack of pictures but it deserves a 5.

This book is well written. You can tell the author has years of experience and is sharing her cooking tips, techniques, and recipes with the reader, as if we're sitting right there at the kitchen table. It reads with the feeling of family and cooking from the old days, like learning from the older generation. The recipes list detailed instructions but more than it includes a story about the dish.

I would love to see this book published with a new version that included pictures. But even without, this book is worth a read and to buy, if you want to add to your collection.

[Angel Pickard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written and easy to understand! This is not just a collection of recipes. Ms. Kuo teaches Chinese cooking method and basic principles, equipment and traditional practices and makes it obtainable in an American home or any home where authentic Chinese dishes are desired away from Asian ingredients, equipment and support. Today it is even easier to obtain the ingredients and needed utensils. She emphasizes that Chinese dishes pair well with Western ones and to begin to work them into your rotation to supply enjoyable and flavorful meal components. I am amazed at the work Knopf publishing did on their cookbooks like this one and Julia Child’s books and the work Judith Jones did in editing both. Modern cookbooks could take lessons from the user friendliness of these mid century books.

[Dray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite a nice book. Goes into the history and customs of Chinese cooking as well as regional variations. Kind of like a book that your Chinese Great grandmother would write if you had a Chinese Great grandmother. At over 500 pages it does not skimp on recipes, details or techniques.