Chinese Feasts and Festivals

Food is a combination of flavors and symbols. In Chinese culture, the link between the past and present is never more evident than festival time. Ritual, feasts and specialties mark each occasion. This cookbook explores this aspect of Chinese culture with a collection of favorite recipes in celebration. It is intended for a Chinese food lover.

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Disappearing customs is a fact in modern living. Often, what remains of an ancient tradition is a dish or a confection. In Chinese culture, the link between the past and present is never more evident than festival time. Ritual, feasts and specialties mark each occasion. "Chinese Feasts and Festivals: A Cookbook" explores this aspect of Chinese culture with a collection of favorite recipes in celebration. The rich culinary tradition of China is largely inspired by a calendar year filled with a generous round of festivities - festivals, reunions, weddings and anniversaries - joyous occasions for eating, drinking and making merry, and 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. In this book, the author has assembled a number of facts and fancies, as well as a collection of festival specialities 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.