Publishers Weekly
12/04/2023
Dunlop (The Food of Sichuan) takes a rich and textured tour through the history of Chinese cuisine, from the mythical tribal leader Suiren’s discovery of fire to the spread of Chinese takeout restaurants around the world. Chapters center on steamed rice, the “sacred grain” first domesticated in the Yangtze River valley in Neolithic times, and so central to Chinese culture that chi fan (“to eat cooked grain”) also means “to have a meal”; mapo tofu, which was created in the north of Chengdu in the late 19th century for workers carrying toasted rapeseed oil to the city’s markets; and “gloriously rich” dongpo pork, which was discovered by an 11th-century servant of the Song dynasty poet Su Dongpo, who misunderstood his master’s cooking instructions and accidentally braised the meat with rice wine instead of serving the two separately (Dunlop segues this anecdote into an intriguing discussion of pork as “lowbrow, perhaps even a little vulgar... pork is what you eat at home, greedily and happily”). Adeptly employing food as a window through which to capture the complexity of Chinese culture, Dunlop stirs in lush and endlessly creative descriptions (song sao yu geng, a fish stew that’s “neither solid nor completely liquid, is a swirling kaleidoscope of colour, like Venetian glass made edible, the flow of the ingredients held motionless by the starch that thickens the broth”). This is sure to whet readers’ appetites. (Nov.)
Roel Sterckx
"There are cooks who write and writers who cook, but very few succeed in blending both arts to perfection in the way Fuchsia Dunlop does. The flavours arising from these pages are sprinkled with insight and experience, its narrative is infused with anecdote and historical depth. This book is the perfect dish for anyone curious about the story of Chinese cuisine and a joy for those among us simply in need of food for thought."
NPR Weekend Edition - Vincent Ni
"This is not your traditional cookbook, but rather a series of stories that raises an interesting question—why is Chinese food among the world's favorites, yet one of the least understood? Well, in Dunlop's view, this is partly because there are few Chinese gastronomy critics who can both cook dishes and write prose. So in Invitation To A Banquet, Dunlop, who in the '90s became the first foreigner to study at the Sichuan Higher Institute of Cuisine, tries to take on that role. It is a personal journey filled with history of some of the best-known and occasionally exotic dishes, often toting lip-smacking detail. Even for me, a keen consumer of Chinese cuisine my entire life, it's an invitation hard to resist."
Asian Review of Books - Kristen Yee
"Dunlop is an astute and enthusiastic observer, with a fine sense of the intercultural differences and the thread of ignorance and animus that has persisted. . . . Dunlop’s observations are particularly timely in this era of environmental challenges, suggesting this traditional wisdom can be applied in a modern context."
Financial Times - Harriet Fitch Little
"Dunlop has written a 400-plus-page book about a cuisine that, by her own estimation, doesn’t much interest westerners. It’s a decision born of the same confidence and originality that has made her such a successful recipe writer (including for the FT). She’s also a brilliantly effective describer of things, conjuring the 'wet crunchiness' of a chicken’s foot and the 'skiddy' texture of duck intestines in this exciting, non-linear history."
Literary Review - Miranda Brown
"Dunlop’s storytelling is superb. . . . Invitation to a Banquet captures China’s venerable tradition of mindful eating in vivid detail. As such, it will inspire readers to reflect on their own relationship to one of life’s greatest pleasures."
Nik Sharma
"Passionate and thoughtful. This book highlights the intricate connections between China's people, food, and culture over time."
Bloomberg - Howard Chua-Eoan
"Fuchsia Dunlop’s rapturous Invitation to a Banquet . . . reveals a universe of delights, innovation and versatility so deep and broad it will subdue even readers who believe they know all about the cuisine."
Wall Street Journal - Eugenia Bone
"Sweeping. . . . Chinese food has long been dismissed by outsiders as salty, unhealthy and made from creepy ingredients. In Invitation to a Banquet, Ms. Dunlop sets out to change those misguided views. The result is a joyously sensual, deeply researched and unabashedly chauvinistic read, a feast for anyone curious about how 1.4 billion people eat."
Nikkei Asia - Ron Gluckman
"The British food writer who has become the Western world's authority on spicy Sichuanese cooking is now back with Invitation to a Banquet, her most expansive look at the vast depth and diversity of Chinese cooking. Much more than a cookbook or a guide to Chinese cuisine, Invitation to a Banquet is an elaborate and multicourse read. Using 30 dishes, Dunlop sets an imaginary table to showcase various cooking styles, then dives deep into fermentation, flavors and technique."
Financial Times - Isabel Hilton
"[A] love letter. . . . Another food writer might be suspected of trying too hard, but such is the range and depth of Dunlop’s erudition, and so infectious is her enthusiasm, that she is above suspicion on that score. . . . Dunlop has developed a vocabulary equal to the daunting challenge of conveying the huge range of values, ambitions and experiences embedded in Chinese gastronomy."
Kevin Pang
"As a young Chinese food writer, Fuchsia Dunlop's books were my Harry Potter. She introduced me to the vibrant, expansive, magical world of Chinese gastronomy beyond the four walls of my Cantonese home. Next to my parents, there's no person I've learned more about the cooking of my people than Fuchsia Dunlop. Invitation to a Banquet just might be her magnum opus: the richest English-language accounting of China's culinary history I've ever read. I'm grateful this magnificent book exists."
WBUR - Kathy Gunst
"A fascinating look into the history of Chinese food."
KQED - Luke Tsai
"[Dunlop] is a legend in the world of Chinese cookery. . . . In one chapter, about a soup of wild catfish cheeks, she writes about the dozens of different food textures that the Chinese both admire and have highly specific words for. In another, she writes about a dish made by braising the cottony, seemingly inedible pith of a pomelo until it becomes ethereally delicious—a creation so ingenious that it flips the famous notion that Chinese people are willing to treat anything vaguely edible as an ingredient entirely on its head."
Observer - Tim Lewis
"In 30 years of exploring and documenting the country, [Dunlop] has done for China what Elizabeth David did for Mediterranean food and Claudia Roden did for the Middle East. . . . Dunlop’s desire to educate and enlighten finds its fullest expression in Invitation to a Banquet."
Celia Sack
"We've got to go with the book of the season because there's really no comparison to it. It's Fuchsia Dunlop's Invitation to a Banquet. It could go in food history, it could go in food writing. She is someone who has so much experience and mastery of not just Chinese cooking but the whole idea of Chinese food, and she translates it to people who are not familiar with that cuisine in a way that is so respectful and interesting, it just draws you in. This book doesn't have any recipes but she has written numerous cookbooks. The best, most renowned books on Sichuan food, on general Chinese cooking, on Hunan are all by her."
Food Politics - Marion Nestle
"Fuchsia Dunlop, who has lived in China, went to cooking school there, and writes Chinese cookbooks, does something different here. She writes about the history of Chinese food using traditional dishes (stir-fried broccoli with ginger, Shandong guofu tofu, etc.) as starting points for exploring the how and why of each of them. . . . I particularly enjoyed reading about Dunlop’s food adventures throughout China."
Food & Wine - Korsha Wilson
"For Dunlop, the banquet in question is not only the sensory aspects of Chinese dishes that she covers in detail, describing the cooking techniques, ingredients, smells, sounds and tastes, but also the conversations that this cuisine can inspire. . . . Dunlop has once again shown her work as an ambassador of Chinese cooking, looking to explore it in a way that showcases the people and dishes that have intrigued her since she moved to China, and in turn encourage readers to explore the cuisine as well."
The Irish Times - Mei Chin
"Many of the translations in Fuchsia Dunlop’s new book, Invitation to a Banquet, are her own. For many, including the Chinese, it cements her reign as a Chinese culinary queen."
Ruth Reichl
"Any book by Fuchsia Dunlop is cause for celebration, but this one is very special. Heart-felt and beautifully researched, Invitation to a Banquet serves up an entirely new way to enjoy Chinese food. It is a gift to everyone who ever picked up chopsticks."
Gastro Obscura - Diana Hubbell
"[Dunlop's] latest is one of her most ambitious works to date. . . . While the book brims with descriptions of delectable feasts, this is more of a historical deep-dive than it is a travelog. Above all, Dunlop wants her readers to approach Chinese food on its own terms and to challenge common misconceptions about it. She explores a time before rice’s dominance, when emperors offered sacrifices to “Lord Millet”; why the roots of Japanese sushi lie in Chinese zha; and why the wet markets unfairly maligned in Western press in 2020 are essential to communities."
Ken Hom CBE
"Fuchsia Dunlop is one of the world's best writers on Chinese food. This book is ample proof of that. Each chapter becomes a course, written in her usual erudite manner but entertaining and informative at the same time. I found the book irresistible, addicting and mouth-watering. If you love Chinese food then you must accept the invitation to her banquet!"
E. N. Anderson
"This book is destined to be a culinary classic. Fuchsia Dunlop is a top-notch cook, a first-rate food writer, and a thoroughly grounded scholar of the history and culture of Chinese food. The book is a superb and intensive introduction to Chinese food . . . a delight to read. It will remain a landmark in food and culinary studies."
Economist
"Dunlop makes a compelling case for the superiority of Chinese cuisine, but in a delighted and expansive rather than chauvinistic way. . . . She makes an equally compelling case that what Westerners think of as ‘Chinese food,’ meaning what most can find at their local takeaway, is neither inauthentic nor wrong. Instead, it is a diasporic offshoot that reflects local tastes but is about as representative of the cuisine’s diversity as a frozen pizza is of Italy’s. Immigration and adventurousness have made the real thing more accessible than ever outside China. Eaters should savour that."
New York Times Book Review - Dwight Garner
"Fuchsia Dunlop’s masterly new book, Invitation to a Banquet . . . [is] a serious and intrepid work of culinary history . . . a thesaurus of the senses. If you don’t live within 100 miles of a real Chinese restaurant, or an H Mart, this book will not only entertain and instruct you—it might make you go mad with longing."
Jeremy Lee
"How the scales fall away from the eyes reading this masterpiece. Invitation to a Banquet enthrals as it enlightens as it delights. Fuchsia has a way with words and cooking quite unique and mesmerising. I have had to put the book down only out of necessity and wish only that instead of mounting a bicycle headed to work, I had boarded a train bound for China, book in hand, with a blanket, chopsticks and a hamper brimming with dishes prepared by Fuchsia."
The Straits Times - Ong Sor Fern
"The most fun and informative book about Chinese food I have ever read. . . . An exhilarating, engaging and oftentimes laugh-out-loud funny love letter to Chinese food. . . . This is a book that lives up to its title—an invitation to consider one of the great gastronomic traditions of the world and a most dizzyingly fabulous banquet indeed."
fivebooks.com - Jeffrey Wasserstrom
"Dunlop is so good at evoking the sensual experience of eating food that it becomes almost food writing as a form of erotica."
René Redzepi
"Fuchsia Dunlop's expertise in Chinese cuisine is both remarkable and enlightening. She has devoted her life to intricately intertwining China's rich history with its culinary traditions, making significant contributions in sharing this delicious knowledge. Invitation to a Banquet offers a captivating glimpse into Chinese culture, served as a mouthwatering feast. Indeed, there's no better way to understand a culture than through its food, and Fuchsia captures this notion with mastery."
Times Literary Supplement (UK) - Andrew Irwin
"Fascinating. . . . Impressive here is not just her evident mastery of her material, but also the skill with which [Dunlop] translates it to her audience."
Cha: An Asian Literary Journal - Kyle Muntz
"There’s no better resource on Chinese cuisine in English than Invitation to a Banquet. Dunlop has exceeded expectations with this book, producing perhaps the first piece of food-writing that could reasonably be called a tour de force—and if you’ve got any interest in what is eaten in China, there’s no better place to start."
Sunday Times (UK) - Bee Wilson
"This book is an erudite joy that makes you yearn to taste the delights Dunlop describes. Her sensory writing is so vivid that I felt I was actually there with her in the food markets of China."
Amitav Ghosh
"Fuchsia Dunlop is such a gifted writer that the reader cannot help being swept along by her masterful, yet intimate, account of a cuisine that is unmatched not only in its refinement and diversity, but also in the richness of its history of nutritional experimentation and speculation. Invitation to a Banquet is destined to become a classic of travel literature and ethnography as well as food writing."
AudioFile
Dunlop’s narration imparts wisdom and reverence for Chinese culture and China’s diverse cuisine, especially its infinite permutations. Her authentic Mandarin accent and satiny voice add to the lyrical descriptions and intricate history of mouthwatering dishes…Winner of the AudioFile Earphones Award.”
Financial Times - Isabel Hamilton
"[A] love letter. . . . Another food writer might be suspected of trying too hard, but such is the range and depth of Dunlop’s erudition, and so infectious is her enthusiasm, that she is above suspicion on that score. . . . Dunlop has developed a vocabulary equal to the daunting challenge of conveying the huge range of values, ambitions and experiences embedded in Chinese gastronomy."
Economist
"Dunlop makes a compelling case for the superiority of Chinese cuisine, but in a delighted and expansive rather than chauvinistic way. . . . She makes an equally compelling case that what Westerners think of as ‘Chinese food,’ meaning what most can find at their local takeaway, is neither inauthentic nor wrong. Instead, it is a diasporic offshoot that reflects local tastes but is about as representative of the cuisine’s diversity as a frozen pizza is of Italy’s. Immigration and adventurousness have made the real thing more accessible than ever outside China. Eaters should savour that."
Caroline Eden
"One of our very finest chroniclers of food cultures, I want to read everything Fuchsia Dunlop writes."
Chen Xiaoqing
"Fuchsia understands Chinese cuisine better than any other foreigner I know."
New York Times
"[Fuchsia Dunlop] has done more to explain real Chinese cooking to non-Chinese cooks than anyone."
Observer Food Monthly
"A world authority on Chinese cooking. . . . Her approach is a happy mixture of scholarly and gluttonous."
Boston Globe
"One of the world’s experts in Chinese cooking."
Eater
"When Fuchsia Dunlop writes about Chinese food, you pay attention."
DECEMBER 2023 - AudioFile
UK-born-and-bred author Fuchsia Dunlop adds zest to her ardent narration of her epicurean adventures around China and the history of Chinese food. A year-long academic scholarship in Sichuan, China, led to an invitation to study at the Sichuan Higher Institute of Cuisine. Her acceptance, which stemmed from a love of food, cooking, and a desire to spend more time in the city, became a three-decade gastronomic career. Dunlop's narration imparts wisdom and reverence for Chinese culture and China's diverse cuisine, especially its infinite permutations. Her authentic Mandarin accent and satiny voice add to the lyrical descriptions and intricate history of mouthwatering dishes like steamed reeves shad and places like Dragon Well Village. Grab your chopsticks and get ready for a delectable performance. M.F. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
2023-08-09
An acclaimed chef and author argues that a better understanding of China’s food can do much to build cultural bridges.
Dunlop has been exploring Chinese cuisine for more than two decades, and she says she is nowhere near the end of the journey. She has written a series of award-winning cookbooks focused on Chinese food, as well as her memoir, Shark’s Fin and Sichuan Pepper, and she was the first Westerner to train as a chef at the prestigious Sichuan Institute of Higher Cuisine. In her latest book, she chronicles her travels around China, framing each chapter with a famous dish. She believes that most Westerners, especially in her native Britain, think of Chinese food as coming in cartons from the local restaurant, but she emphasizes that there is little connection between that and the real cuisine. Many Chinese restaurants in the West have two menus: one where the dishes are modified and simplified for Western tastes and another for Chinese customers (she suggests asking for and ordering from the second one). Genuine Chinese food is defined by precise dicing and a careful balancing of flavors, using top-quality ingredients with medicinal qualities in mind. The range of seasonings is massive and can require a lifetime to learn. Large slabs of meat are not common, and vegetables are often the center of a meal, rather than merely a side. Dunlop describes dishes like Shandong Guota Tofu and Sweet and Sour Yellow River Carp, and she highlights the cultural importance of rice, soy, and cabbage. The resulting narrative will have readers reaching for the chopsticks. Dunlop acknowledges the political tensions between China and the West, but she believes that food “offers the possibility of a different type of relationship and an alternative window into Chinese culture.”
Dunlop delves into a complex, subtle cuisine with an insider’s expertise.
