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The Emperor's Feast
Author and presenter Jonathan Clements serves up the history of China – not according to emperors or battles, but according to its food and drink.
Stretching over 5,000 years and several continents, The Emperor’s Feast tracks different ingredients, dishes and eating habits across both time and geography, shaped by China’s political, cultural and technological evolution and remarkable entrance onto the world stage.
We see the influence of invaders such as the Mongols and the Manchus, and discover how food – like the fiery cuisine of Sichuan or the hardy dishes of the north – often became a stand-in for regional and national identities. We follow Chinese flavours to the shores of Europe and America, where enterprising chefs and home cooks created new traditions and dishes unheard of in the homeland.
From dim sum to mooncakes to General Tso’s chicken, The Emperor’s Feast shows us that the story of Chinese food is ultimately the story of a nation – not just the one that history tells us, but also the one that China tells us about itself.
Stretching over 5,000 years and several continents, The Emperor’s Feast tracks different ingredients, dishes and eating habits across both time and geography, shaped by China’s political, cultural and technological evolution and remarkable entrance onto the world stage.
We see the influence of invaders such as the Mongols and the Manchus, and discover how food – like the fiery cuisine of Sichuan or the hardy dishes of the north – often became a stand-in for regional and national identities. We follow Chinese flavours to the shores of Europe and America, where enterprising chefs and home cooks created new traditions and dishes unheard of in the homeland.
From dim sum to mooncakes to General Tso’s chicken, The Emperor’s Feast shows us that the story of Chinese food is ultimately the story of a nation – not just the one that history tells us, but also the one that China tells us about itself.
320 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 11, 2021
27 people are currently reading
439 people want to read
About the author
Jonathan Clements
154 books124 followersJonathan Clements is an author, translator, biographer and scriptwriter. His non-fiction works include biographies of Confucius, Marco Polo, Mao Zedong, Koxinga and Qin Shihuangdi. He also writes for NEO magazine and is the co-author of encyclopedias of anime and Japanese television dramas.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
September 5, 2022
Chinese cuisine continues to have a special place in my heart. The comfort it brings to a bad day and the way it grounds me to a familiarity called home is indescribable. I've read quite a few books on the history or culture of Chinese cuisine but Jonathan Clements' book was one of the most beautifully succinct and informative so far.
Jonathan Clements clearly knows his stuff. The Emperor's Feast is written in his wry authorial voice - he deftly touches on the history of war, government, cultural practices, social hierarchies, and of course, mapping the different dynasties, through food, which I found very riveting.
With some Western authors, you often find a touch of othering when they write about cultures different from the one they grew up in - I abandoned a similar book on Sichuan food because there was too many words given to describing how disgusting certain 'Chinese' foods are, which I found bizarre in a book that's supposed to celebrate Chinese food. Clements demonstrates humbly that this is not only his subject of expertise, but also his life and passion, by sharing a good mix of personal anecdotes and historical knowledge on the subject. He also doesn't shy away from being honest - for example, my favourite quote:
Clements, I think, was also intentional in dispelling any racist myths about Chinese food. For example, I was surprised to know that it was recorded throughout the thousands of years that the Chinese did not like dog meat, and only a small subset of the population ate it.
Clements injects a little humor into his writing as well. I snorted out my tea at this:
I loved being surprised at how little I know about Chinese food. For example, I didn't know red chilis and tomatoes were introduced so late into the game, only a few centuries ago, when they are now so ubiquitous in Chinese food. I was very fascinated by the north/south divide too (ie. the north ate more wheat products, the south more rice, and both regions were very unused to each other's habits), and the blending of Manchurian and Han Chinese food throughout the ages as the two empires took turns overthrowing each other. I also chuckled at the many folk myths around some foods that Clements were cynical of (professionally). I also loved seeing little food wars, like how Peking Roast Duck used to be a Nanjing dish and the locals are still very miffed about how it has internationally and nationally became known as a dish from Beijing.
Super delicious to read.
Jonathan Clements clearly knows his stuff. The Emperor's Feast is written in his wry authorial voice - he deftly touches on the history of war, government, cultural practices, social hierarchies, and of course, mapping the different dynasties, through food, which I found very riveting.
With some Western authors, you often find a touch of othering when they write about cultures different from the one they grew up in - I abandoned a similar book on Sichuan food because there was too many words given to describing how disgusting certain 'Chinese' foods are, which I found bizarre in a book that's supposed to celebrate Chinese food. Clements demonstrates humbly that this is not only his subject of expertise, but also his life and passion, by sharing a good mix of personal anecdotes and historical knowledge on the subject. He also doesn't shy away from being honest - for example, my favourite quote:
“[Mooncakes] are, to be sure, an acquired taste; although no Chinese person I know has ever admitted to hating them, everybody does seem keen to regift any cakes that come in.”
Clements, I think, was also intentional in dispelling any racist myths about Chinese food. For example, I was surprised to know that it was recorded throughout the thousands of years that the Chinese did not like dog meat, and only a small subset of the population ate it.
Clements injects a little humor into his writing as well. I snorted out my tea at this:
Mao's obsession with sweet potatoes took on ludicrous proportions. Fresh, pickled, or dried, they soon began to dominate what little food supply remained, while propaganda posters depicted the Chairman's idle comment, now inflated to giant red letters:
I LIKE TO EAT SWEET POTATOES. I HOPE PEOPLE ALL OVER THE COUNTRY CAN EAT SOME.
I loved being surprised at how little I know about Chinese food. For example, I didn't know red chilis and tomatoes were introduced so late into the game, only a few centuries ago, when they are now so ubiquitous in Chinese food. I was very fascinated by the north/south divide too (ie. the north ate more wheat products, the south more rice, and both regions were very unused to each other's habits), and the blending of Manchurian and Han Chinese food throughout the ages as the two empires took turns overthrowing each other. I also chuckled at the many folk myths around some foods that Clements were cynical of (professionally). I also loved seeing little food wars, like how Peking Roast Duck used to be a Nanjing dish and the locals are still very miffed about how it has internationally and nationally became known as a dish from Beijing.
Super delicious to read.
May 8, 2021
This is probably one of the most fascinating books I have read, certainly one of the most fascinating books on history, and of specific interest to me because it concerns food, specifically chinese food, specifically the diversity of chinese food which has ties to both my past and my present.
The predominant culture in Assam, where I grew up, is defined by the Tai-Ahom people who migrated to India from southern China (note the similarity of "tai" to "dai"/"thai") via Myanmar (the word "Mon" as in "the Mon people of Myanmar", is a recurring theme in Assamese history) and merged with the Tibetan/Burmese groups already living in the area. I grew up eating noodles and noodle soups and steamed pork/vegetable dumplings with chicken broth, and sticky rice with most of my curries. And it was fascinating to connect the dots with the people and the cultures and the dishes and the terms that I encountered in this book.
Currently, I live in San Francisco, a 10 minute walk from its chinatown where I get 85% of all my food and groceries for the week. Reading this book renewed my interest in exploring the neighbourhood further (along with the "other chinatown" to the west of SF), and keep an eye out for specific signifiers of regional diversity within otherwise generic establishments.
And of course the history. Retelling the history of a region in an unorthodox manner is my favourite subgenre of history books (see also "Incarnations" by Sunil Khilnani) and this book is one of the most original concepts I have seen so far. But it's one that works surprisingly well. There are many ways to tell a story, and given that food is so central to any flourishing civilization, why not tell the story through it?
The predominant culture in Assam, where I grew up, is defined by the Tai-Ahom people who migrated to India from southern China (note the similarity of "tai" to "dai"/"thai") via Myanmar (the word "Mon" as in "the Mon people of Myanmar", is a recurring theme in Assamese history) and merged with the Tibetan/Burmese groups already living in the area. I grew up eating noodles and noodle soups and steamed pork/vegetable dumplings with chicken broth, and sticky rice with most of my curries. And it was fascinating to connect the dots with the people and the cultures and the dishes and the terms that I encountered in this book.
Currently, I live in San Francisco, a 10 minute walk from its chinatown where I get 85% of all my food and groceries for the week. Reading this book renewed my interest in exploring the neighbourhood further (along with the "other chinatown" to the west of SF), and keep an eye out for specific signifiers of regional diversity within otherwise generic establishments.
And of course the history. Retelling the history of a region in an unorthodox manner is my favourite subgenre of history books (see also "Incarnations" by Sunil Khilnani) and this book is one of the most original concepts I have seen so far. But it's one that works surprisingly well. There are many ways to tell a story, and given that food is so central to any flourishing civilization, why not tell the story through it?
August 28, 2021
a brilliantly conceived history book thru the lens of food and agriculture that touches on migration, government, war, family, culture - - fascinating but makes you want to eat, cook and try all kinds of new things! however the writer is ever so annoying and frankly slightly condescending in a western way about odd things like tripe or jellyfish (which admittedly i'm not keen on myself). A shame because his writing is so good from a historical perspective, so engaging and lively yet factual that the little asides about the things he doesn't 'like' or is appalled just really should have been deleted in the first place. nonetheless, read it and eat.
March 20, 2021
This is a fascinating book, taking the idea of the history of the Chinese nation and telling it through a history of food and drink. China itself is vast and the cuisine incredibly varies but the author shows how the eating habits of the nation were formed by geography, culture and successive ruling dynasties. The research is superb and the narration entertaining.
March 7, 2024
This was such a unique idea for a history book, I loved it!
It's clear that Clements had a deep understanding of not only Chinese food and history, but also culture and attitudes. I found this so informative and interesting and would highly reccommend it.
It's clear that Clements had a deep understanding of not only Chinese food and history, but also culture and attitudes. I found this so informative and interesting and would highly reccommend it.
March 5, 2023
I love food history, and more than that I love food history that is well-written, historically-grounded, and humorous — this ticks all the boxes. Clements does a good job of balancing information with a light, enjoyable writing style and interesting anecdotes from his own travels and meals. his personal stories definitely added depth but also familiarity. I also appreciated how parallels were drawn out, with chapters referencing back to past stories. the book covers so many centuries and so varied a cuisine, attempting to reunite food, history, society, and legend over so large a time period and geography, which is fascinating but also meant there were times when I wanted more detail, more analysis, more connection, more something, but didn't get it — despite this, really enjoyed it! and more than ever would like to visit China again, now armed with all this new food-related knowledge lol
October 26, 2023
This is a wonderful book that triggers many a "Huh... I did not know that. That's interesting," response. For example, did you know that moon cakes are the fruitcake of China (p. 146); that white pepper is simply immature ‘black’ pepper (p. 152); and that hot chilis are considered addictive (also p. 152)? I didn't. Good stuff! I'll paste some more below.
If Clements' work has a failing, it's in declining to offer any kind of synthesis of its subject matter. The author starts at the beginnings of Chinese history and unspools his research chronologically with the arrow of time, tracking the origins and introduction of ingredients, cooking methods, and popular menu items, and for the most part explaining the circumstances that led to their promulgation. However -- and the failing really may be mine -- none of this seems to gel in the cavalcade of innovation information. By the 18th or 19th century, I've lost track of my chopsticks, soy sauce, pork, rice, General Tso, and moo goo gai pan. Instead of building on itself, the chapters start weighing me down, feeling arbitrary, repetitive, and dull... a record of one thing after another without a sense of evolution or cause and effect. Perhaps that's what history truly is, but if so, it's more of a jumble than a compelling narrative.
Again, the problem could be me. As noted, this work is very readable and often intriguing (see below for examples). I've been dipping in and out of my copy for just over a year now, and can afford to return to finish it at my convenience. There just doesn't seem much point.
************************
At pages 183-4, why you might enjoy chop suey (or not):
At page 42, how hygiene can be projected through court rules and social etiquette:
If Clements' work has a failing, it's in declining to offer any kind of synthesis of its subject matter. The author starts at the beginnings of Chinese history and unspools his research chronologically with the arrow of time, tracking the origins and introduction of ingredients, cooking methods, and popular menu items, and for the most part explaining the circumstances that led to their promulgation. However -- and the failing really may be mine -- none of this seems to gel in the cavalcade of innovation information. By the 18th or 19th century, I've lost track of my chopsticks, soy sauce, pork, rice, General Tso, and moo goo gai pan. Instead of building on itself, the chapters start weighing me down, feeling arbitrary, repetitive, and dull... a record of one thing after another without a sense of evolution or cause and effect. Perhaps that's what history truly is, but if so, it's more of a jumble than a compelling narrative.
Again, the problem could be me. As noted, this work is very readable and often intriguing (see below for examples). I've been dipping in and out of my copy for just over a year now, and can afford to return to finish it at my convenience. There just doesn't seem much point.
************************
At pages 183-4, why you might enjoy chop suey (or not):
most of the Chinese eateries springing up in America were low-rent affairs ladling slop for low-income customers. The cooks may have been Chinese, but they were not necessarily trained, since many of them were former labourers from the railways or failed prospectors in the Gold Rush. Many served a random stew of something they called tsap seoi. To American ears, it sounded more like chop suey... the extent to which the dish was ‘invented’ in America is a matter of some argument.... An element of its popularity with cooks was that large quantities of it could be prepared for canteen- style serving– in 1916, chop suey appeared as one of the new dishes in the Manual for Army Cooks, and three separate chop suey variants can be found in The Handy Book of Recipes for Twenty- Five (1931), intended for the canteen kitchen manager.At page 190, the fortune cookie, a Chinese-American cooptation of a Japanese treat made possible by WWII prejudices: "Chao doesn’t mention a phenomenon that was soon ubiquitous in post- war American Chinese restaurants: the fortune cookie. The sweet biscuit market in America had formerly been in the hands of the Japanese, who had been selling ‘tea cakes’ for several decades, containing omikuji– a temple tradition for fortune- telling. Some of these were handed out at Chinese restaurants before the 1940s, but with so many Japanese- Americans interned in camps during the war, the market was seized by Chinese entrepreneurs, turning the ‘fortune tea cake’ into a brittle biscuit."
At page 42, how hygiene can be projected through court rules and social etiquette:
Asides in the Book of Rites show us... [a] ruler of the southern state of Chu, newly in the community of Chinese nations [during the warring states period that preceded the Qin unification] and hence fair game as the butt of jokes about barbaric behavior, was ridiculed for making himself ill by choosing to eat a leech he found in his salad instead of calling out the servant who left it there. The philosopher Wang Chong saw it as nothing to laugh about, since whereas everybody made mistakes, it would take some serious dereliction of duty for the cooking staff to serve a salad with a one- inch creature still clinging to the leaves. ‘In a cold salad,’ he complained, ‘even a one- eyed person should have spotted it. The servants of the king showed a lack of respect, and took no care when washing the salad. Theirs therefore was a most serious offence.’ It’s the principle of the thing. If a servant leaves a slug in your salad, what else is he allowing to slide?Note to self: humility is a fine thing, but always wash your greens. Usually I wait to finish a book before reviewing it, but in this case, I fear I may lack the discipline to reach the last page. I'm banging this out now because I have a free moment and I'm feeling guilty about never getting to it, but you know what? I'm glad I did. Reading through my highlights and notes encourages me to pick it up again -- right after I have to return Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance -- I swear.
November 11, 2024
Clearly an extremely well-researched book, but so dense with facts that I have to admit I think I forgot the first half a few days after I read it, due to my lack of a frame of reference of ancient Chinese history. I think the second half, dealing with the modern period, was very interesting because I could connect with it more, and it made a few things clear to me that I had wondered about for a long time, like the origins of the food we find in Chinatowns, the details of the milk powder scandal and even the use of gutter oil.
The connection of historical events with the food that was involved overall made it a very enjoyable read.
The connection of historical events with the food that was involved overall made it a very enjoyable read.
February 17, 2025
It did take me almost two years to finish this book, but the chapters allow for long breaks in between. The next is richly annotated, and feels almost academic in the way it states its sources. I’ve learned many tidbits of information that I happily shared with whoever was around to listen, and went one more than one deep google search. I enjoyed reading this book, and will likely re-read chapters when I find myself reminded of a fact or dish mentioned.
December 7, 2024
Keenly aware of how much this is a white person writing Chinese history for other white people, but the prose is good, the framing is very interesting, and I truly enjoyed this as narrative nonfiction.
January 22, 2025
Never thought I'd pick up, much less recommend, but this has turned out to be quite the treatise on the complex history of China, told through dishes/cooking habits across land and time. At times witty, at times a critique, and fairly informative throughout.
March 20, 2021
As delicious as eating chinese food!
November 25, 2021
The emperor’s Feast shows us that the story of Chinese food is ultimately the story of a nation: not just the one that history tells us, but also the one that China tells about itself.
September 11, 2022
Every page is packed full of delightful morsels of Chinese History. Constantly making me go "Huh, that's pretty cool" and sending me on spur of the moment research tangents
February 8, 2023
A great read through the centuries. Each chapter deals with a different part of history and customs, ending with the modern phenomenon of animal breeding and food substitutes
April 19, 2023
Concise and well written
June 1, 2024
The history of China through its food migrations. Excellent reading.
August 12, 2025
An excellent read for lovers of China, Chinese food, or history. Or all 3. Highly recommended.
November 8, 2025
A book full of very fun facts, some highlights being: the people of China encasing mangos in gold after being gifted them from Mao, who only gave them away because he thought they were gross; Bok Choy originally being an export from the west and being known as “western white cabbage”; and tea being invented as a drink after being previously used as medicine by Buddhist monks who needed a stimulant to keep them up all night meditating.
Great read!
Great read!
March 7, 2025
a great read on the history of China through the evolution of its cuisine. the book covers the intersection of food and trade, politics, migration, and other factors that have shaped the rich culture of China. considering the depth of the subject matter, the author did well to cover major political events and dynasties. i particularly appreciate the effort to distinguish northern and southern cuisine, and subsequently the further evolution of Chinese food as a result of the diaspora in the 19th and 20th centuries. overall, it's a really fascinating read—and an insightful learning journey into my own culture.
August 24, 2025
From the outset, it is obvious that Jonathan Clements knows exactly what he's writing about. The Emperor's feast is one of the most informative books I've read on Chinese history, culture (and beyond!) through the lens of food and agriculture, delivered without the scholastic dryness I've come to associate with books on history.
Armed with a basic competency in Mandarin, Hokkien, and Cantonese, a lifetime of eating Chinese cuisine, and some background knowledge on Chinese history due to personal interest, I'd devoured this book with gusto over the course of a week or two. This has been an absolutely delightful find!
I didn't know Su Dongpo 苏东坡 (technically, my ancestor - since my surname is "Soh" in its English format, or "Su" / 苏 in Mandarin) was such a foodie. Also, I got really hungry while reading this book. Give me all the dim sum 点心, peking roast duck 北京烤鸭 (sorry Nanjing!), dongpo pork 东坡肉, the tea (cha/teh) 茶, dao xiao mian (knife cut noodles)刀削面, dan dan noodles 担担面 and bean products... AND MORE... I am also now deeply appreciative of the uniqueness of Southeast Asian cuisine - incorporation of ingredients such as coconut, spicy shrimp sauce (balachan), leper lime citrus; how far and wide my Hokkien ancestors traveled to make their mark on what our international friends would consider as "Chinese" food. In short, I've really learnt quite a bit from this book, and would recommend it to anyone interested in Chinese culture, history and/or food!
Armed with a basic competency in Mandarin, Hokkien, and Cantonese, a lifetime of eating Chinese cuisine, and some background knowledge on Chinese history due to personal interest, I'd devoured this book with gusto over the course of a week or two. This has been an absolutely delightful find!
I didn't know Su Dongpo 苏东坡 (technically, my ancestor - since my surname is "Soh" in its English format, or "Su" / 苏 in Mandarin) was such a foodie. Also, I got really hungry while reading this book. Give me all the dim sum 点心, peking roast duck 北京烤鸭 (sorry Nanjing!), dongpo pork 东坡肉, the tea (cha/teh) 茶, dao xiao mian (knife cut noodles)刀削面, dan dan noodles 担担面 and bean products... AND MORE... I am also now deeply appreciative of the uniqueness of Southeast Asian cuisine - incorporation of ingredients such as coconut, spicy shrimp sauce (balachan), leper lime citrus; how far and wide my Hokkien ancestors traveled to make their mark on what our international friends would consider as "Chinese" food. In short, I've really learnt quite a bit from this book, and would recommend it to anyone interested in Chinese culture, history and/or food!
December 28, 2021
This is a brilliant read! Clements takes a witty approach to covering Chinese history through food. I really enjoyed the book and I learned a lot throughout it.
November 19, 2023
Good book
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews