With little more than two backpacks, a camera, and a tarp, Mandarin-speaking American brother and sister Nate and Mary Kate Tate travelled more than 9,700 miles throughout China to share the country's inspiring culture and cuisine with kitchens in the West. What began as a travel blog (feedingthedragon.blogs.com) documenting the duo's journey has evolved into a visual narrative of food, culture, and travel inside Feeding the Dragon. Arranged by the authors' travel itinerary to highlight the uniqueness of nine specific regions in China, 98 Chinese recipes are presented alongside alternating first-person narratives and 90 documentary-style travel photographs. From Buddhist vegetarian dishes enjoyed on the snow-capped mountains of Tibet to lamb kebobs served on the scorching desert of Inner Mongolia, Western cooks will find healthy, easily prepared recipes brimming with authentic ingredients and flavours. A comprehensive glossary of Chinese ingredients and their equivalent substitutions complete the book.
Feeding the Dragon is not an Americanized adulteration of classic Chinese cuisine. Instead, the Tates offer readers and cooks a beautiful journey through Chinese history, culture, tradition, and food. This is a heart-warming and often gripping tale of a brother-sister team who bike back roads, slog muddy fields, trudge across mountains, and navigate ancient alleyways to explore the kitchens and culinary soul of China.
