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Land of Fish and Rice
Land of Fish and Rice
368 pages, Hardcover
First published July 28, 2016
101 people are currently reading
784 people want to read
About the author
Fuchsia Dunlop
13 books401 followersFuchsia Dunlop is a cook and food-writer specialising in Chinese cuisine. She is the author of Shark’s Fin and Sichuan Pepper: A Sweet-Sour Memoir of Eating in China, an account of her adventures in exploring Chinese food culture, and two critically-acclaimed Chinese cookery books, Revolutionary Chinese Cookbook, and Sichuan Cookery (published in the US as Land of Plenty).
Fuchsia writes for publications including Gourmet, Saveur, and The Financial Times. She is a regular guest on radio and television, and has appeared on shows including Gordon Ramsay’s The F-Word, NPR’s All Things Considered and The Food Programme on BBC Radio 4. She was named ‘Food Journalist of the Year’ by the British Guild of Food Writers in 2006, and has been shortlisted for three James Beard Awards. Her first book, Sichuan Cookery, won the Jeremy Round Award for best first book.
Fuchsia writes for publications including Gourmet, Saveur, and The Financial Times. She is a regular guest on radio and television, and has appeared on shows including Gordon Ramsay’s The F-Word, NPR’s All Things Considered and The Food Programme on BBC Radio 4. She was named ‘Food Journalist of the Year’ by the British Guild of Food Writers in 2006, and has been shortlisted for three James Beard Awards. Her first book, Sichuan Cookery, won the Jeremy Round Award for best first book.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
January 2, 2017
I lived in China for several years, and grew to love the food. Since I returned to the US, I've been chasing down cookbooks to help me recreate the authentic tastes of my favorite nibbles from China. I thoroughly enjoy Fuchsia Dunlop's enthusiasm for Chinese cuisine, and I own all her books. This is an interesting addition, but not my favorite for a few reasons.
Firstly, the good: the food photography, as well as the general design of the book, is stunning. This would make a lovely gift for a Chinese food lover, even if one never cooks any of the recipes. As Fuchsia Dunlop has become more famous, the budget (and resulting visual quality) of her cookbooks has increased dramatically. This one's definitely a visual stunner, her best yet. The writing is classic Dunlop, as well--a mix of chatty anecdotes from her travels, well-placed historical tidbits, and practical tips on additions and substitutions. Most recipes I've tried are clear, though of course it helps if one is at least generally familiar with the tastes of authentic Jiangnan cuisine (the area around the lower Yangtze, including Shanghai, Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces). Orange mandarin chicken stir-fry, this is not.
Which leads me to the main drawback of the book: taste-wise and recipe-wise, this is probably one of her less accessible books for Western readers. When done well, Jiangnan cuisine is light but flavorful, often seafood-focused--a midpoint between the bold and hearty tastes of Northern Chinese cuisine, and the ultra-light and delicate tastes of Southern Chinese food. However, when done badly, it can be bland, oily, sugary and strange to the Western palate. Dunlop chooses her recipes carefully, providing both choices that are easily palatable to Westerners as well as more challenging classics within the Jiangnan culinary canon. That being said, there were just fewer recipes that I can add to my everyday repertoire from this book, versus her other books. Many include Chinese pickles, preserved meats, freshwater fishes, and less-common ingredients such as goose, snow vegetable, and chayote.
It's a solid choice for hardcore China foodies who want to expand their culinary repertoire; however, most of us will not be using this as a day-to-day cookbook. If you're looking for workhorse everyday Chinese favorites, choose Dunlop's Every Grain of Rice instead. If you want to stretch your Chinese tastebuds in a way that will probably offer more recipes to the average Westerner's liking, try her Hunanese book The Revolutionary Chinese Cookbook. Favorite recipes from this book included: green bok choy with dried shrimp, West Lake fish in vinegar sauce, oil-exploded shrimp, and Hangzhou sweet-and-sour pork.
Firstly, the good: the food photography, as well as the general design of the book, is stunning. This would make a lovely gift for a Chinese food lover, even if one never cooks any of the recipes. As Fuchsia Dunlop has become more famous, the budget (and resulting visual quality) of her cookbooks has increased dramatically. This one's definitely a visual stunner, her best yet. The writing is classic Dunlop, as well--a mix of chatty anecdotes from her travels, well-placed historical tidbits, and practical tips on additions and substitutions. Most recipes I've tried are clear, though of course it helps if one is at least generally familiar with the tastes of authentic Jiangnan cuisine (the area around the lower Yangtze, including Shanghai, Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces). Orange mandarin chicken stir-fry, this is not.
Which leads me to the main drawback of the book: taste-wise and recipe-wise, this is probably one of her less accessible books for Western readers. When done well, Jiangnan cuisine is light but flavorful, often seafood-focused--a midpoint between the bold and hearty tastes of Northern Chinese cuisine, and the ultra-light and delicate tastes of Southern Chinese food. However, when done badly, it can be bland, oily, sugary and strange to the Western palate. Dunlop chooses her recipes carefully, providing both choices that are easily palatable to Westerners as well as more challenging classics within the Jiangnan culinary canon. That being said, there were just fewer recipes that I can add to my everyday repertoire from this book, versus her other books. Many include Chinese pickles, preserved meats, freshwater fishes, and less-common ingredients such as goose, snow vegetable, and chayote.
It's a solid choice for hardcore China foodies who want to expand their culinary repertoire; however, most of us will not be using this as a day-to-day cookbook. If you're looking for workhorse everyday Chinese favorites, choose Dunlop's Every Grain of Rice instead. If you want to stretch your Chinese tastebuds in a way that will probably offer more recipes to the average Westerner's liking, try her Hunanese book The Revolutionary Chinese Cookbook. Favorite recipes from this book included: green bok choy with dried shrimp, West Lake fish in vinegar sauce, oil-exploded shrimp, and Hangzhou sweet-and-sour pork.
October 23, 2016
One of the best writers about Chinese Food. This one features the cooking of the Jiangnan region, which includes Shanghai where my family hails from. I appreciate her writing because she doesn't try and dumb down the food for Western readers, and alerts you when she deviates from the original recipe
July 17, 2017
The most beautiful cookbook I've ever read. Lots of pictures of the Jiangnan region's food (south of the river..river being the Yangtze delta region in China); with interesting stories to go along with each recipe. Long known as the "land of fish and rice" because of the country's rich agricultural regions, this area has been known for it's Chinese gastronomy for 800 years. Where our tomato is known as the "barbarian eggplant", this book will be a learning exercise in foods you've never heard of....osmanthus blossom? I will bypass the pail of slithering eels and the raw mud snails pickled in Shaoxing wine though but the book sure makes you want to travel there to experience the food. Total eye candy pictures abound.
April 10, 2017
This book is page after page of history and culinary delight. The Jiangnan region of China is known as the Lower Yangtze region and has both salt and freshwater fishing. The cuisine itself is known as simple and flavorful known for "delicacy and balance".
Great armchair reading. I would like to visit and experience this food authentically. Somehow, I feel, making it at home and storing leftovers in tupperware would not properly represent this cuisine.
Great armchair reading. I would like to visit and experience this food authentically. Somehow, I feel, making it at home and storing leftovers in tupperware would not properly represent this cuisine.
October 19, 2016
This is embarrassing for me to admit, but I think it's a real problem that people need to be aware of before they purchase this book: The type is tiny. I am in my 20s (barely) and have better than 20/20 corrected vision, and I need to squint to read the print. It's a real shame because the book is otherwise beautifully designed, and I am a big Fuchsia Dunlop fan.
April 2, 2018
"These days, any visitor to a Buddhist vegetarian restaurant will marvel at the vegetarian “roast duck” and “crabmeat” that so closely resemble their originals in appearance, taste and texture, yet are made entirely from vegetable ingredients." THANK YOU, Fuchsia Dunlop! This happened to me, and it blew my mind. We ate at a Buddhist vegetarian restaurant in Flushing, NY Chinatown with our group and our Chinese language and culture teacher ordered all the food for us. For over one year I believed that, for some reason, the restaurant had brought in meat just for our group. Until I spoke with someone who ate with us that day, much later. I was eating TOFU and thought it was meat! At least two different dishes (don't remember what.) Amazing. Now, I can't wait to go back and eat there again. Because Ms.Dunlop mentioned this "phenomenon" in her book, I don't feel like such a dope anymore. ha!
December 21, 2016
I got this book at Washburn today when the author did a day long event culminating in a cooking demonstration which was the portion I was able to attend. The photographs are beautiful, in color, and the cultural information is fascinating. I'm so excited to learn from this cookbook.
December 21, 2016
I've made the fried rice, chicken with ginger, and several other recipes and have loved them all. Look forward to trying more recipes.
December 21, 2016
I've made the fried rice, chicken with ginger, and several other recipes and have loved them all. Look forward to trying more recipes.
April 22, 2017
This is a beautiful cookbook. Stories and recipes from this region of China. I made a few of the recipes and they were not too hard and delicious. I seem to enjoy the food more when I know about the culture of the people and the land.
April 19, 2019
It's so beautifully written. Thanks to Fuchsia Dunlop, who makes me understand my own culture better. It's a privilege for me to read this book.
It's more than a collection of food recipes. It's a way of life.
It's more than a collection of food recipes. It's a way of life.
November 13, 2021
从来没有想过会有这样的一天：我会拿着一本外国人写的满是家乡菜的菜谱解馋。其实也从来没有想过，自己从小吃到大的家常菜们其实是有名字的，也只出现在那一小片地方的人们的餐桌上。味蕾的记忆是妈妈给的，无论是浓油赤酱，还是清汤寡水，每一道菜都有着妈妈的味道。有很多菜因为离家太久，我其实也很多年没有吃过了。像八宝肉酱，咸鱼红烧肉，上次吃应该还是上学的时候吧，更不用说那些时令菜了。于是肚子里的馋虫被迅速得勾了起来，在每周有限的做饭的日子里，努力地复刻其中的一些菜，希望能给我的孩子们一点不算正宗的家乡的味道。
感谢扶霞。这是值得每位回不去家乡的江南人收藏的一本关于味道的记忆。
感谢扶霞。这是值得每位回不去家乡的江南人收藏的一本关于味道的记忆。
February 13, 2017
Don't read hungry!
March 19, 2017
i liked her short stories
design is v. nice
would have liked more photos of the food
design is v. nice
would have liked more photos of the food
October 10, 2021
Author Fuchsia Dunlop is well-known for her writing on Sichuanese food. She tackles a wholly different region here, Jiangnan (Shanghai, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, part of Anhui). Besides Sichuan, this is the area I want to visit the most in China: full of interesting and beautiful historical sites, plus a zillion interesting things seem to be happening in futuristic Shanghai. And although I love spicy food the most, and Jiangnan cuisine relies on "ben wei", the inherent flavour in foods, so it is really not spicy at all and often delicately flavoured, I'm really intrigued by the ingredients used in this region, and also the plethora of vegetarian/vegan dishes. Jiangnan cuisine uses lots and lots of vegetables, and a great variety of them, too.
Although Shanghainese food has some popularity here in North America now - particularly xiao long bao - it's still pretty rare. So I'm happy to be introduced to many novel dishes here.
As before, Dunlop is an excellent teacher, and there is a great variety of dishes in this book.
Although Shanghainese food has some popularity here in North America now - particularly xiao long bao - it's still pretty rare. So I'm happy to be introduced to many novel dishes here.
As before, Dunlop is an excellent teacher, and there is a great variety of dishes in this book.
June 24, 2021
This is the kind of cookbook that’s travel writing, with tons of cultural tidbits thrown in. It’s intricately researched. Also, lovely pictures. I enjoyed it, but I don’t plan to rush out and cook the recipes. This is *such* local cooking, it would be really difficult to source the ingredients, and also it’s just labor-intensive. My knife skills and patience are not up for this. ALTHOUGH one of the specialty foraged greens she discusses does grow wild in my backyard as a weed, so I could make food with that, I guess.
April 5, 2021
Best English-language (or even in any language! Considering that recipes usually varies from family to family and are passed down via oral history or scribbles!) JiangNan cuisine cookbook out there. As a Shanghainese stuck abroad who's been trying to make home food, seeking a reliable source that presented authentic flavours and techniques, this was absolutely brilliant. So glad I got it.
November 10, 2020
Like her Food of Sichuan book... This also is another book which is written well and marvelously. After each read its not the Chinese food you've always known of. Some ingredients are hard to find. But as an cultural+food anthology.. This book is a treasure.
August 19, 2021
don't read this hungry
August 10, 2022
Good collection of all beautiful Jiangnan recipes revised and adapted to foreign ingredients if the Chinese ones are not available e.g. Ji mao Cai’s not available but can be replaced by spinach.
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December 2, 2022Stewed Chicken with Chestnuts - Ban Li Shao Ji 👍
December 28, 2023
Glu glu glu 😡😡😡
November 1, 2024
Great recipes, great bits of cultural back ground which I find to be the best parts of a regional cookbook, and great images. Can't wait to read her other cookbooks.
April 13, 2017
This is a lovely book, researched and photographed with exacting detail. It is, for me, and aspirational cookbook. I wish I ate this cool, pleasant palate of simple plates. But alas, this isn't my kind of home cooking, so I won't be turning to it for recipes.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews