The study of food practices in different cultures and societies has long been an important part of anthropological studies. In recent years anthropological literature on food has generated new theoretical findings on this important aspect of human behavior that help explain cultural adaptation and social grouping in a more general way.
In this volume the authors make use of ethnographic examples collected within and beyond the boundaries of China to demonstrate the theoretical relevance of Chinese-inspired foodways, tastes, and consumption.
"An excellent collection.... It is a real qualitative leap upward in the richness and detail of Chinese food ethnography! We have previously had many general works but few richly detailed studies of local ways, let alone of the transformations of Chinese food as it wanders around the world."