How to Order and Eat in Chinese

by Buwei Yang Chao

Paperback

First published January 1, 1974

Reviews

[Jill · Rating 2 out of 5]

A little disappointing. I had high hopes for this book, which got a mention in Andrew Coe's Chop Suey as the seminal book on Chinese cooking that not only helped American women learn how to cook authentic Chinese dishes but also helped explain Chinese culinary habits. (It also got rave reviews from sinophile Pearl S Buck). Part of the problem is that Buwei Yang Chao is a non-native speaker of English and this comes through starkly in the writing. The phrasing is often awkward. Being used to hanyu pinyin, I also had problems understanding the phoenetics the author employed when explaining the various methods and ingredients used. After reading Coe's book, I'd also hoped that How to Order and Eat in Chinese would delve a little more into anthropological issues. But it really was mainly a huge collection of Chinese recipes. Maybe I'll pick this book up again when I venture into the kitchen.

[Mengfei Chen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quietly bonkers. A restaurant guide as meta-fiction with the best footnotes from her husband and daughter. Is very much from an earlier era but absolutely contemporary at the same time.