The Chinese call the province of Sichuan in southwest China "the land of plenty" and "the place for flavor." Although it is mostly known in the West for its hot-and-spicy dishes, the Chinese love Sichuan food for its inventive use of seasonings and its many styles of preparation. Fuchsia Dunlop immersed herself in Sichuanese cooking and culture for two years, gathering from regional chefs and home cooks a full range of recipes from soups to desserts. She provides glossaries of Sichuan's ingredients and cooking methods, and Chinese characters for and definitions of the twenty-three flavors at the heart of the Sichuanese culinary canon. Equally valuable for novices and experts, Land of Plenty teaches everything from how to wield a cleaver to how to make delicious Kung Pao chicken, offering a unique user-friendly introduction to one of China's richest cuisines. 16 pages of color photographs.

It is a very long time since I saw a book which is so patently an absolute 'must.' (Alan Davidson, author of The Oxford Companion to Food)

In this unique, user-friendly introduction to one of China's richest cuisines, Dunlop provides glossaries of Sichuan's ingredients and cooking methods, and Chinese characters for and definitions of the 23 flavors at the heart of the Sichuanese culinary canon. Color photos.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 382-383) and index.

Fuchsia Dunlop writes about Chinese food and current affairs for The Economist and other publications. She studied cooking in Sichuan from 1994 to 1996. She lives in England.