Land of Fish and Rice: Recipes from the Culinary Heart of China
Winner of the Andre Simon Award 2017
Guild of Food Writers Cookbook of the Year 2017
Shortlisted for the Art of Eating Prize 2017
Shortlisted for the IACP International Cookbook Award 2017
Shortlisted for the James Beard International Cookbook Award 2017
Buy on Amazon US/ Buy on Amazon UK
The Lower Yangtze region or Jiangnan, with its modern capital Shanghai, has been known since ancient times as a ‘Land of Fish and Rice’. For centuries, local cooks have been using the plentiful produce of its lakes, rivers, fields and mountains, combined with delicious seasonings and flavours such as rice vinegar, rich soy sauce, spring onion and ginger, to create a cuisine that is renowned in China for its delicacy and beauty. Land of Fish and Rice is the result of nearly a decade’s exploration of the food and culture of this beautiful region, and includes recipes for many classic dishes including Beggar’s chicken, West Lake fish in vinegar sauce and Dongpo pork.
PRAISE FOR LAND OF FISH AND RICE
‘Cookbooks turn up every few years with the promise of an everyday mastery of Chinese cuisine. Their mark is fleeting, and cooks happily return to their manila envelopes of takeout menus. This year may be different. . . . For her latest, Ms. Dunlop, a British cook and food writer who has been studying Chinese cooking since the mid-1990s, dives deep into the balanced flavors of Jiangnan. These are recipes to bring out the optimal flavors of the ingredients, and Ms. Dunlop’s approachable instructions bring readers closer to success.’― New York Times--Best Cookbooks of Fall 2016
‘An exquisite and marvelously detailed work. With many of these dishes, their brilliance lies in their minimalism. So far, every recipe I’ve tried consists of relatively few ingredients, which, when combined, sparkle with flavour. ‘― Samuel Fromartz, The Washington Post
‘In Land of Fish and Rice, Fuchsia distills her characteristic in-depth studies (she’s a cook who learns by doing) into easy-going and understated prose and inspiringly simple recipes that really work.’― J. Kenji López-Alt, New York Times-bestselling author of The Food Lab
‘Dunlop’s prose is engaging and informative, and the recipes she chooses encompass the complex and the happily simple. . . . You will learn much about regional Chinese food, and you will want to make these recipes as soon as reasonably possible.’― Los Angeles Times
‘Authoritative and absorbing, full of insight, enticing recipes, and infectious delight in the pleasures of the table.’ ― Harold McGee, author of On Food and Cooking
‘Through gifted storytelling and stunning photographs, Fuchsia Dunlop highlights a rich tradition of seasonality and sustainability. Her simple and delicious flavors from the southern Yangtze inspire me and surely will inspire a new generation of cooks.’― Alice Waters, Owner, Chez Panisse Restaurant and author of The Art of Simple Food
‘Fuchsia Dunlop’s homage to Jiangnan cooking is destined to be a classic. She takes us on a rare insider’s culinary odyssey through the Lower Yangtze region sharing its rich culinary traditions. Unusual specialties like chrysanthemum leaves with pine nuts, Buddhist vegetarian tofu rolls, and fresh clam custard are gathered from years of travel and research. This is a major contribution to our understanding of Chinese cuisine. The exquisite photography is an added bonus.’― Grace Young, author of Stir-Frying to the Sky’s Edge and Wisdom of the Chinese Kitchen
‘This is an enthralling book. Fuchsia Dunlop has fallen in love with Jiangnan, and her book makes us fall in love too.’― Claudia Roden, author of The New Book of Middle Eastern Food
‘Fuchsia Dunlop reveals China’s best-kept food secrets in a magnificent new book about Jiangnan’s culinary heritage.’ ― The Observer
‘This beautiful book spoke to me personally. My parents were from “South of the Yangtze” and just reading the recipes evoked long lost smell and taste memories that brought tears to my eyes. Fuchsia has eloquently but simply captured the rich cuisine of a region unfamiliar to most Westerners.’ ― Cecilia Chiang, Author, Chef, and Founder of The Mandarin Restaurant in San Francisco
‘Land of Fish and Rice by the revered British pro Fuchsia Dunlop is a focused exploration of the food of Jiangnan, an area famous among Chinese for its subtle cuisine―and now revealed to us.’ ― Wall Street Journal
‘Another masterpiece from one of my favorite authors. Dunlop is a gifted writer with intriguing recipes that work. I have every one of her titles and if the woman wrote a book about how to stir a pot of water, I would buy it. Gorgeous photographs, haunting narrative, and recipes you will not find anywhere else. . . this author is a treasure. ‘― Eat Your Books
‘Dunlop has a lively prose style that makes you just wanna go, like, smack a cucumber or take apart a duck with a cleaver. . . . Spectacular.’― Susan T. Chang, The Level Teaspoon Podcast
‘Land of Fish and Rice closes on a strikingly humble note, with Dunlop thanking her Chinese friends for their help, adding she “could never do justice to their extraordinary culinary tradition.” Fortunately for us, she is mistaken.’― Diane Leach, Popmatters.com
‘Dunlop shines a spotlight on the Jiangnan region…a worthy addition to a home cook’s collection.’― San Francisco Chronicle
‘Fuchsia Dunlop’s erudite writing infuses each page and her delicious recipes will inspire any serious cook to take up their wok.’ ― Ken Hom
‘Dunlop shares everything she has learnt about this rich culinary landscape, with recipes which are eminently doable at home.’ ― Telegraph Magazine
‘When Dunlop writes a recipe it is done in the spirit of generosity rather than of showing off. There is a startling purity to these recipes.’ ― Literary Review
‘We judge a cookbook’s quality on the amount of food stains we’ve flung on it over the years. The filthier, the better. This one’ll become a Pollock-esque masterpiece of soy-sauce, sweet chilli and dried-on rice in a matter of weeks. Everything in it sounds delicious.’ ― Mr Hyde
‘Fuchsia Dunlop is an authority on China’s cuisine. There’s information on the local history, ingredients and approach to food, and the recipes are deceptively easy to make.’ ― Delicious
‘Britain’s greatest expert on Chinese cooking celebrates the Jiangnan region. These are foolproof dishes, but by virtue of the novelty of the region and flavour combinations, they remain exciting. As ever, with Dunlop, the book is an introduction to a whole new world. Dunlop fans need not worry, this book will not disappoint. And it will win her many more.’ ― Waitrose Weekend