Image: Arnold Genthe · Public domain
The Chinese Cook Book
- Year
- 1936
- Era
- 20th century
- Origin
- USA/China · East Asia
- Language
- English
- Category
- China
The Chinese Cook Book, compiled by M. Sing Au and first issued in 1936, stands among the earliest English-language guides to Chinese cookery prepared for American home kitchens. Adapting regional Chinese techniques to ingredients and equipment available in the United States, the work helped familiarize Anglophone readers with stir-frying, noodle and rice preparations, and characteristic seasonings, contributing to the broader mid-century reception of Chinese cuisine in North America.
Cooking from this book
Egg Foo Young
Signature dishEgg Foo Young stands as one of the emblematic dishes of this pioneering volume, a fluffy omelet bound with shredded vegetables and often pork, shrimp or chicken, then crowned with a savory brown gravy. It captures the spirit of M. Sing Au's project: introducing American home cooks of the 1930s to Chinese cookery through dishes that had already taken root in Chinese-American restaurants, bridging two culinary worlds with approachable, familiar techniques.
An editorial note on a dish associated with this book, written for The Coquinist. It is not a reproduction of the book's recipe.
