Recipes from the Garden of Contentment

Yuan Mei's Manual of Gastronomy

By: Yuan Mei, Sean J.S. Chen (Translator), Nicole Mones (Foreword by)

Write A Review

Paperback | 30 September 2018

At a Glance

Paperback
464 Pages

Dimensions(cm)
22.86 x 15.24 x 2.39

Paperback

$225.12

or 4 interest-free payments of $56.28 with

Aims to ship in 7 to 10 business days

Recipes from the Garden of Contentment: Yuan Mei`s Manual of Gastronomy (Suiyuan Shidan) is, remarkably, the first English edition of one of the world’s most famous books about food. Recipes from the Garden of Contentment is a treatise and a cookbook, written in the late eighteenth century by the Qing dynasty poet Yuan Mei. It includes recipes for well-known dishes such as birds nest and sharks fin, and offers modern readers an appealing perspective on Chinese history and culinary culture. It was translated and annotated by Sean J. S. Chen with editorial advice from E. N. Anderson and Jeffrey Riegel.

This edition is bilingual (English-Chinese) and extensively annotated, and 428 pages in length. The team’s aim was to convey the charm, humor, and erudition of one of China’s greatest writers. Also included are a glossary and a bibliography of additional sources. Chinese food expert Nicole Mones, author of the novel The Last Chinese Chef, has contributed an engaging introduction to Yuan Mei and his work. The cover illustration is by Lichia Liu.

Industry Reviews

"This new translation of Yuan Mei's legendary book is cause for celebration, not only because the complete text is finally available in English, but because Sean Chen so beautifully captures the author's lyricism, humor, and opinionated pronouncements. Reading this book is like sitting down to a meal with a charming dinner partner whose interests range from culinary technique to aesthetics to the nature of hospitality, though flavor always remains foremost for him. This volume shares the delights and concerns of one of the world's most artful gastronomes, and in the process offers a fascinating look at eighteenth-century Chinese culture." - Darra Goldstein, Founding Editor of Gastronomica: The Journal of Food and Culture

"The publication of the bilingual edition of Recipes from the Garden of Contentment: Yuan Mei's Manual of Gastronomy is indeed a landmark event and not only in culinary scholarship. Yuan's wit and love of food is an added bonus and greatly enhances our understanding of one of the world's greatest cuisines." - Ken Hom, OBE, author of My Stir-fried Life and other cookery books

"Chinese cuisine is often misunderstood, mistaking one of the most delicate, beautiful, and tasty cuisines for Americanized semi-fast food. This books explains the complexities and delicacies of Chinese food. I enjoyed reading it very much, and recommend it for anyone who loves food." - Kai-Fu Lee, author of AI Superpowers, former president of Google China

Shipping

	Standard Shipping	Express Shipping
Metro postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95
Regional postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95
Rural postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95

How to return your order

At Booktopia, we offer hassle-free returns in accordance with our returns policy. If you wish to return an item, please get in touch with Booktopia Customer Care.

Additional postage charges may be applicable.