Summary: Food writer Fuschia Dunlop went to live in China as a student in 1994, and from the very beginning vowed to eat everything she was offered, no matter how alien and bizarre it seemed. In this memoir, Fuchsia recalls her evolving relationship with China and its food, from her first rapturous encounter with the delicious cuisine of Sichuan Province to brushes with corruption, environmental degradation, and greed. From the vibrant markets of Sichuan to the bleached landscape of northern Gansu Province, from the desert oases of Xinjiang to the enchanting old city of Yangzhou, this unique and evocative account of Chinese culinary culture is set to become the most talked-about travel narrative of the year.
(Summary from back of book – Image from barnesandnoble.com)
My Review: I have always loved the idea of traveling to far off lands, learning different languages, experiencing other cultures and customs, sampling local cuisine, and appreciating the diversity of this beautiful world we live in. Alas, my non-existent paycheck doesn’t really cover the cost of such an adventure (and I get terribly motion sick), so I often scratch that travel itch by reading about it. When I saw this book sitting on the shelf of a local thrift store several years ago, I snapped it up without a second thought. Travel vicariously to China and eat all the things without actually eating all the things? Don’t mind if I do.
Shark’s Fin and Sichuan Pepper; A Sweet-Sour Memoir of Eating in China is (as it says in the prologue) “a book about the unexpected wonders of Chinese cuisine [and]…the tale of an English girl who went to China, ate everything, and was sometimes surprised at the consequences.” Author Fuschia Dunlop first travels to China in 1992 and quickly falls in love with the meandering pace of life in Chengdu (a city in the Sichuan province), traveling through rural villages, learning the complex language, and eating voraciously along the way. Within a few chapters, she becomes the first foreigner to train as a professional chef in China and continues to travel extensively, sampling (and writing about) the different regional dishes and rich cultural and culinary traditions. As a ‘Westerner’ traveling alone, Dunlop is the subject of much curiosity and scrutiny, frequently followed by local police and government officials who suspect her of spying for the ‘enemy.’ Despite the occasional tail, she’s still able to roam widely and treats readers to an in-depth exploration of the country and all it has to offer.
Shark’s Fin and Sichuan Pepper is a well-researched, well-rounded memoir and travelogue that anyone traveling to China should definitely read. I never imagined I could learn so much about China, its food, politics, history, and people, from a book. From the incredibly intricate and finely-honed knife skills of Chinese chefs and the four pillars of Chinese cooking, to the subtleties of the different regional dialects and the effects of Mao’s ‘Cultural Revolution’ on the Chinese people, Dunlop takes readers through it all in spectacular style, eating in backwoods diners, at rural markets, in hole-in-the-wall noodle shops, illicit private kitchens, and even a few lavish banquets.
The subtitle of this book, “A Sweet-Sour Memoir of Eating in China,” is a nod to one of the more well-known sauces used in Chinese cooking, but, in the context of this book, it has another meaning. As Dunlop spends more and more time in country, she begins to see the seedier side of China’s culinary culture (food contamination scares, regional conflicts, oppression of minorities, environmental issues, corruption, food waste, and even the consumption of endangered species). Dunlop extolls China’s virtues at every opportunity, but doesn’t shy away from decrying certain behaviors either. I loved (and appreciated) her honesty on both fronts.
Shark’s fin and Sichuan Pepper is an absolute feast for the senses and Dunlop shares the incredible sights, sizzling sounds, delicate aromas, complex flavors, and varied textures of Chinese life in vivid detail. I have certainly never been more aware of the lack of delicious food in my home. One of my favorite parts of the book (aside from the exquisite food descriptions) was how Dunlop’s view of Chinese cuisine evolved over the course of the book. She began with an open (if somewhat cautious) approach to eating, trying everything but not necessarily enjoying all of the textures. After some time in country, she transitions to eating anything and everything with insatiable delight, followed by feelings of conflict and disillusionment, before finally settling on skillful and selective consumption. What I found most interesting is that through Dunlop’s narrative, the reader is taken on the same emotional journey.
At first, the historical aspects of the book felt a little heavy-handed, but the more I read the more I realized how heavily influenced Chinese cuisine is by the history and geopolitics of each region. So while the history wasn’t as exciting as other aspects of her book, I do feel it was necessary to paint an accurate picture of her experience. There is simply so much more to China’s marvelous food culture than I ever imagined and I loved being able to accompany Dunlop as she ventured to the far reaches of China, meeting people and eating everything. Dunlop’s story is not only a glorious ode to Sichuan cooking, but an expression of her complex relationship with all of Chinese cuisine and China itself.
My Rating: 4.25 Stars
For the Sensitive Reader (or Eater!): Author occasionally engages in a little light trespassing. A few erotic descriptions of food, butchering scenes, and several recipes that are likely to make a Western reader (or staunch vegetarian) squeamish
