Sichuan Cookery

Sichuan Cookery presents an exploration of one of China's most distinctive regional cuisines through recipes and cultural context. The book contains over 100 recipes from Sichuan province, with detailed instructions for home cooks. Author Fuchsia Dunlop trained at the Sichuan Institute of Higher Cuisine in Chengdu, becoming the first Westerner to do so. Her firsthand experience and research form the foundation for the book's recipes and explanations of Sichuan cooking techniques, ingredients, and traditions. The text provides instructions for essential preparations like chili oil and stock, moves through cold dishes and appetizers, and covers main courses featuring meat, vegetables, tofu, and noodles. Each recipe includes notes on cultural significance and authentic preparation methods. This cookbook functions as both a practical guide and a cultural document, capturing the complexity of Sichuan's food traditions while making them accessible to Western home kitchens. The work places recipes within their historical and social contexts, revealing how regional cuisine reflects broader patterns of Chinese culture.

Readers value the authenticity and detail in Dunlop's recipes and techniques, with many noting they achieved restaurant-quality results. Home cooks appreciate the clear instructions for making basics like chili oil and proper seasoning. Likes: - Deep cultural context and history behind each dish - Detailed explanations of ingredients with photos - Recipes work as written without modifications - Makes complex dishes accessible to Western cooks Dislikes: - Some ingredients hard to source outside major cities - Print is small and dense - Photos limited to ingredients rather than finished dishes - Some recipes require extensive prep time Ratings: Amazon: 4.7/5 from 842 reviews Goodreads: 4.5/5 from 1,124 ratings Notable reviews: "Finally achieved the numbing-spicy balance I've been chasing for years" - Amazon reviewer "The bean curd recipes alone are worth the price" - Goodreads user "Would benefit from more photos of completed dishes" - Goodreads review

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🌶️ Fuchsia Dunlop was the first Westerner to train as a chef at the Sichuan Institute of Higher Cuisine in Chengdu, where she spent three years studying traditional cooking techniques. 🥘 The book was originally published as "Land of Plenty" in North America, while "Sichuan Cookery" was its title in the UK and other markets. 🌿 Many recipes in the book feature the distinct málà (麻辣) flavor profile, created by the combination of Sichuan peppercorns and chili peppers, which produces a unique numbing-spicy sensation. 🍳 Before writing this cookbook, Dunlop worked as a BBC correspondent in China, where her fascination with Sichuan cuisine began after tasting a dish of mapo tofu in a local restaurant. 📚 The book includes not just recipes but also detailed explanations of 23 distinct flavors found in Sichuan cuisine, along with comprehensive information about ingredients, cooking methods, and cultural context of the dishes.