Analysis

Printed in Beijing, China in 1983, “Chinese Cooking” is hugely monumental and speaks to the blossoming of China’s cultural, political and economic platform in the years following Chairman Mao Zedong’s death.

Opening at the Close

When flipping through the slightly yellowed pages of “Chinese Cooking,” I find a rather inviting picture on the final page.

A group of three tourists are excitedly engaged in what appears to be a dumpling making tutorial with a Chinese chef. Their bright smiles and enraptured eyes signal a deep immersion in this intimate cooking demonstration. They carefully grasp the dough as the chef patiently teaches them this ancient art form.

This image is more than a festive celebration of the skills acquired after reading the cookbook; It is a bold cultural and historical statement and the implications of such an image are crucial to understanding the significance of this cookbook.

"Dazzling and Ancient Art and Culture"

"Epicurean civilization"

"All conquering"

"Chinese people have continuously worked to enrich the culinary arts, making it a treasured part of human civilization"

- Chinese Cooking, 1983

The Adventure of a Lifetime

The lucky individuals who fall into the nostalgically musty pages of this book are immediately hooked by the preface.

This cookbook does not just toss one into the mix of things, to mindlessly chop and wash and steam and eviscerate, it first brags about the illustriousness of Chinese civilization and cuisine.

This “epicurean civilization” is the paramount example of luxurious cuisine. Using such a boastful preface serves to distance this revamped China from Mao’s violent regime.

The authors assert that “Chinese people have continuously worked to enrich the culinary arts, making it a treasured part of human civilization.” This bold statement awes readers, helping them to envision Chinese cuisine as a living, breathing and ever evolving entity.

The recipes and techniques presented within the cookbook are a gift, accessible to all.

Chinese cuisine, while “all conquering,” is accessible to all. The authors convey a positive connotation of “conquering,” painting it as a coveted experience.

Accessible

“Chinese Cooking” is a pivotal document, contextualized in a time of recovery and growth for China. The authors realized and capitalized on the universal mortar that bridges us all, food.

Pivotal

By reaching out to countries through food and cooking, China’s economic, political and social relations flourished. “Chinese Cooking” opened doors and hearts through stomachs around the world.

Delicious

Rhetoric

Setting a precedent of avid tourism, the cookbook subtly pressures the reader to visit China as soon as possible.

Citing that the “influx of visitors…in recent years [has] increase[ed] international exchange and a vigorous growth in tourism,” “Chinese Cooking” desperately stresses that Chinese cuisine is not only “all conquering,” but its global dominance is unmatched.

Readers need to firstly immerse themselves in this cookbook and then plan to visit the very cradle of this rich culture.

The authors impress upon their audience that people are already using “their visit as an opportunity to learn more about Chinese cooking.”

Encouraging Tourism

With readers’ eyes having been opened to the grandeur of Chinese culture and cooking, they now have the opportunity how to emulate this prestigious artform.

Having been hooked by the triumphant and commanding tone of the preface and comforted with the knowledge that tourists enjoying this rich and delicious food is a well-established trend, readers are excited to begin their own personal journey through the text.

The caption for the tourist image explains that “Chinese Cooking” is a “good teacher and a helpful friend.”

As a “helpful friend,” the authors aim to appear as equals with readers. While boasting of China’s superior and delectable cuisine, they do not use this as a wedge, but as an exciting personality trait one would love to explore. The cookbook is more than an amalgamation of delicious dishes, it paints a regal and welcoming portrait of China and breathes life into it.

Personalized Journey

The 186 recipes that fill the pages of this first edition text are generously supplemented with helpful tools to make cooking easier for the inexperienced pupil.

The weights and measures charts provide British and American equivalents for the grams and milliliters used in the recipes. To accommodate readers even further, authors include a “table of nutritive values of meat, vegetables and fruit,” a chart of “cholesterol content of major foods” and a detailed table of contents.