This beautifully illustrated Chinese cookbook features all the most popular feast and festival food along with a wealth information. It is often said that the Chinese live to eat. Happily for them, the rich culinary tradition of China is largely inspired by a calendar year filled with a generous round of joyous occasions--festivals, reunions, weddings and anniversaries--for eating, drinking and making merry. And, of course, for paying homage to the gods and ancestors. Food, fittingly, is a combination of flavors and symbols (wealth, happiness, luck, prosperity), a spiritual celebration and an earthly pleasure. Chinese Feasts & Festivals, S.C. Moey has assembled a number of facts and fancies as well as a collection of festival specialties for the Chinese food lover to read and enjoy or, if the spirit takes flight, cook up a feast that will impress both mortals and ancestors and win the approval of the gods. Authentic Chinese recipes include: Drunken Chicken Steamed Duck with Bamboo Shoots Five Spice Rolls Spicy Sichuanese Lamb Sweet and Sour Fish Chinese Lettuce Leaf Cups Yangzhou Fried Rice Sweet Red Bean Pancakes Steamed Rice Flour Cupcakes New Years Cakes

Have you ever seen the boisterous lion dances or heard the multitude of firecrackers in Chinatown during the Chinese New Year? Did you ever wonder what kind of festivals and holidays the Chinese people celebrate? This book takes a look at the fascinating world of Chinese food and festivals. It introduces the most popular traditional festivals celebrated by Chinese people all over the globe, including the Spring Festival (Chinese New Year), the Dragon Boat Festival, the Mid-Autumn Festival, and two "festivals of the dead." It also examines intriguing ethnic festivals celebrated by some of China's 55 officially recognized minority peoples. Discover the customs, legends, and traditional food and treats of these festivals. Share the excitement of the celebration with one-fifth of the world's population, and enjoy the liveliest component of a 4,000-year-old civilization!

"Since the 1980s, China has developed a broader and deeper connection with the world. One of the most intriguing aspects of Chinese culture is its rich cuisine and fascinating cooking. China is a nation with a long history of food culture, and food has become an essential part of Chinese culture. This book tells in sprightly and straightforward language about the structure of traditional Chinese food, food customs for festivals and celebrations in China, Chinese dining etiquette, traditional food and cooking methods, healthy and medicinal diets, as well as historical exchanges of foods between China and other nations. It can present to the readers a complete and truthful picture of the summarized history and culture of Chinese food."--

Through beautiful illustrations, Celebrating Chinese Festivals presents the most important and celebrated festivals of China, and explains the traditions, the delicious foods, the exciting activities and special customs that go with them! Readers will experience many Chinese festivities together with Little Mei and her family as they celebrate: Chinese New Year. Fireworks at midnight, lion dancing and visiting with family members. The Lantern Festival. A parade of lanterns to celebrate the first full moon. Qingming Festival. Paying respects to departed loved ones by sweeping and tending to their graves. The Dragon Boat Festival. Eating zongzi and dragon boat racing. Festival of the Cow Herder and the Weaving Maiden. A Romantic story of the origin of Chinese Valentine's Day. The Mid-autumn Festival. Families get together to make sweet mooncakes! Double Ninth Festival. An autumn tradition where people climb mountains and drink a special tea to protect against danger, and visit elders to pay their respects. The classic Chinese legends and poems in this colorful book will help children understand Chinese culture, and the recipes for tasty festival treats will delight those who love Chinese food.

Chinese Festivals provides an illustrated introduction to China's traditional festivals, firmly established as part of China's rich, diverse culture.

Describes ten Chinese traditional festivals: the Spring Festival, Lantern Festival, Dragon Head Festival, Clear and Bright Festival, Double NInth Day, Laba Festival, and Kitchen God Day.

By Lt. General William E. Odom

Exploring the rich and varied culinary traditions of China, this book enables a better understanding of Chinese history and culture through food. Part of Bloomsbury's Global Kitchen series, this book takes readers on a food tour of China, covering everything from daily staples to holiday specialties. In addition to discovering China's long culinary history, you'll learn about recent trends, foreign influences, and contemporary food and dietary concerns, such as obesity and environmental sustainability. Chapters are organized thematically, making it easy to focus in on particular courses or types of dishes. For those hungry for a more hands-on approach, each chapter includes a collection of accessible recipes that allow readers to bring the subject to life in their own kitchens. The main text is supplemented by sidebars that offer interesting bite-sized facts, a chronology of important dates in China's culinary history, and a glossary of key food- and dining-related terms. Sun Yat-sen, the founding father of modern China, asserted that China's food culture was the most advanced and sophisticated in the world, despite the country lagging the West in science, industry, and civic engagement. Today, many people outside China immediately envision iconic dishes like fried rice, egg rolls, or sweet and sour pork when they think of Chinese food. But China has a much richer and more diverse set of culinary traditions. China's food culture is one of the oldest in the world, evolving over thousands of years. It has been shaped by a myriad of forces, from historical struggles with food insecurity to the modern push toward speed and convenience. Across this large nation, unique cuisines emerged that reflect the varied geography, climate, and customs of different regions.