Hom - Complete Chinese cookbook

Set to become a kitchen classic, this all-encompassing work guides you through the essential techniques, equipment and ingredients, all with Kens trusted blend of experience and enthusiasm. Featuring 250 recipes covering all aspects of Chinese food, Ken offers tips and inspiration for a wealth of dishes that use simple, healthy ingredients to create quick and delicious meals.

Over the past 25 years Ken has brought Chinese cookery into mainstream British homes, and in this beautifully photographed new package he brings together all of his expertise to offer the ultimate guide to the flavours of China.

Ken Hom is widely regarded as the worlds leading authority on Oriental cuisine, and with the Complete Chinese Cookbook has created a seminal collection of his best-loved dishes. With Cantonese stir-fries and spicy Sichuan favourites alongside new discoveries from the lesser-known culinary styles of Yunnan and Hong Kong, this comprehensive collection is filled with accessible and easy-to-follow recipes, demonstrating the amazing depth of flavour that is only now being fully appreciated in modern Chinese cuisine.

This ebook is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorised distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the authors and publishers rights and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.

Epub ISBN: 9781409074199

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Published in 2011 by BBC Books, an imprint of Ebury Publishing.
A Random House Group Company

Copyright Promo Group Ltd 2011
All photography copyright Woodlands Books Ltd 2011

Ken Hom has asserted his right to be identified as the author of this Work in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner.

The Random House Group Limited Reg. No. 954009

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A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN 978 1 849 90082 9

Commissioning editor: Muna Reyal
Project editor: Joe Cottington
Copy-editor: Annie Lee
Designer: Two Associates
Food photography: Jean Cazals
Location photography: Noel Murphy
Food stylist: Marie-Ange Lapierre
Prop stylist (food photography): Rachel Jukes
Prop stylist (location photography): Wei Tang

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When I first began teaching Chinese cooking over forty years ago, I never imagined it would become as popular worldwide as it is today. Nor would I have dreamt in a million years that China would arise from its turbulent past of social and political turmoil to take its rightful place in the world. Today, you cannot read a newspaper or magazine without seeing several articles every day on China. Its vast international trade has had a major impact on Chinese food and created a rush to export their ingredients, making them available at an affordable price as well. There is no better time to cook Chinese than now. I have seen Chinese food go from a culinary and exotic niche to being part of the global table. Its quick cooking methods hold enormous appeal for those who are rushed but want to eat well and in a healthy way.

I remember when travelling in China in the early 1980s how disappointed I was at the general level of cooking and how I lamented the lack of attention to quality. Now, I am just astonished how quickly the Chinese have reclaimed their cuisine, as a rising middle class has clamoured for excellence and quality. All this in a short period of thirty years.

I am proud to have witnessed in my lifetime this transformation of the country of my ancestors and I revel in its future, which appears brighter than ever. This book contains memories of recipes from my family home, my mother, my village in China, the Chinese restaurant I worked in and the countless Chinese meals I have had. I am only too delighted to share all of this with you.

I wish you happy eating and good health!

Chinese cookery has taken an amazing journey since I first began to teach it forty years ago. Perhaps the best metaphor is reflected in contemporary China today. Awareness of China, its culture, history and cuisine in the 1970s was limited mostly to academics, a few travellers who had been to the Far East and pockets where there were Chinese restaurants. China had been for the most part closed to the world as it went through a century of political and social turmoil before transforming itself in the 1980s to emerge on the world scene as a strong economic dynamo taking up one-third of the worlds economic growth. This transformation has had a deep impact on China itself, as it modernises its infrastructure, education and society. Foreigners began opening restaurants in China to take advantage of the boom, five-star hotels popped up to meet the demand of travellers from all over the world and with this came a re-emergence of Chinese cuisine. As the ever-growing middle class demanded higher standards of cooking, this was met by enterprising restaurant owners and food companies. Free markets inspired chefs and home cooks alike, as they revisited old recipes and started inventing new ones. Chinese food has never been better than in China today.

But what of the awareness of Chinese cuisine in the West? In many countries, it has become one of the most popular cuisines. In the UK, to eat Chinese is almost as normal as eating fish and chips, whether it be a takeaway or local restaurant. Readymade Chinese meals are a favourite in many homes. Top Chinese restaurants have been awarded the coveted Michelin stars in Asia and the UK, while travel magazines vie to promote the hottest new Chinese restaurants for the travelling public.

I have often been asked why Chinese food is such a global phenomenon. I think it is perceived as healthy; it is quick (certainly with a wok), which is perfect for todays fast-paced lifestyle; it has a wide variety of flavours and combinations, with something for everyone, from vegetarians to those who love spicy food, and it is so wonderfully tasty and colourful.

However, to discover the deep roots of this ancient cuisine, it is helpful to explore the various regional styles that make it so eclectic.