How to Cook and Eat in Chinese
- Year
- 1945
- Era
- 20th century
- Origin
- USA/China · East Asia
- Language
- English
- Category
- China
How to Cook and Eat in Chinese, first published in 1945, stands as the first substantial Chinese cookbook written in English, introducing American home cooks to a systematic account of regional Chinese cuisine, ingredients, and technique. Prefaced by Pearl S. Buck and Hu Shih, the work is credited with coining enduring English terms such as "stir-fry" and "pot-sticker," shaping Anglophone understanding of Chinese cookery for decades.
Cooking from this book
Stir-Fried Beef with Tomatoes
Signature dishThis homely, rather modern Chinese dish became something of a calling card for Buwei Yang Chao's pioneering volume, the first serious Chinese cookbook written for an English-reading audience. It exemplifies the author's mission to translate a living domestic cuisine, not a banquet tradition, for American kitchens. The book is also credited with coining the now ubiquitous terms stir-fry and pot-sticker, and this quick, savoury skillet dish neatly embodies that everyday spirit.
An editorial note on a dish associated with this book, written for The Coquinist. It is not a reproduction of the book's recipe.
