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Invitation to a Banquet

Invitation to a Banquet: The Story of Chinese Food is a 2023 book by Fuchsia Dunlop, published by W. W. Norton & Company in the United States and by Particular Books in the United Kingdom.

Luke Tsai of KQED wrote that the book is "a meandering, often philosophical exploration of what Chinese food culture actually is" rather than a cookbook.[1] Eugenia Bone of The Wall Street Journal wrote that the work was made "to help outsiders appreciate Chinese food culture more generally."[2]

Development

Dunlop decided to write another book during the heightened phases of the COVID-19 pandemic because rules enacted in China barring travel were enacted and therefore Dunlop was not able to visit that country.[3]

Contents

There are 28 chapters, with each about a particular dish or food production facility and a history around the subject. These chapters are arranged in four groups: "Hearth," "Farm," "Kitchen," and "Table."[4] Each section, respectively, is about the history of food, the ingredients, about styles of cooking, and what Bone describes as a "grab bag".[2] The page count is 480.[2] There are a total of 30 dishes chronicled in the work.[1]

At times, Dunlop criticizes previous stigma against Chinese cuisine in the West.[5]

Reception

Dwight Garner of The New York Times described the work as "a serious and intrepid work of culinary history".[4]

According to Bone, the book is "a joyously sensual, deeply researched and unabashedly chauvinistic read".[2] Bone stated, in regards to the "Table" section, that some of its contents are "illuminating".[2]

Isabel Wilson of The Financial Times described the work as "erudite".[5]

Bee Wilson of The Times wrote that the work "is an erudite joy that makes you yearn to taste the delights Dunlop describes".[6] According to Wilson, "Occasionally Dunlop's advocacy for Chinese food can feel one-sided."[6]

Tim Lewis of The Observer wrote that in this book, the author's "desire to educate and enlighten finds its fullest expression".[7]

References

  1. ^ a b Tsai, Luke (2023-11-09). "Fuchsia Dunlop Taught Me How to Cook Chinese Food". KQED. Retrieved 2023-11-19.
  2. ^ a b c d e Bone, Eugenia (2023-11-17). "'Invitation to a Banquet' Review: A Feast of Chinese Cuisine". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2023-12-17.
  3. ^ Hui, Angela (2023-10-01). "Why ordering a Chinese meal is 'like a symphony' for author Fuchsia Dunlop". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 2023-11-19.
  4. ^ a b Garner, Dwight (2023-10-16). "A History of Chinese Food, and a Sensory Feast". The New York Times. Retrieved 2023-12-17.
  5. ^ a b Hilton, Isabel (2023-08-31). "Invitation to a Banquet by Fuchsia Dunlop — the surprising truths about Chinese food". Financial Times. Retrieved 2023-11-19.
  6. ^ a b Wilson, Bee (2023-11-19). "Invitation to a Banquet by Fuchsia Dunlop review — Chinese food revealed". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 2023-11-19.
  7. ^ Lewis, Tim (2023-08-20). "'I eat to understand': cook and writer Fuchsia Dunlop on her lifelong love of Chinese cuisine". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved 2023-11-19.
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