Jia! : the food of Swatow and the Teochew diaspora
Diana Danzxia Zheng (Author)
"Jia" means "eat" in Teoswa, the local pronunciation of Chaoshan, the area that encompasses the cities of Teochew (Chaozhou), Swatow (Shantou), and Gigyong (Jieyang). Extensive immigration has spread Teoswa-speakers around the globe. As Zheng, who was born in China but raised largely in the US, began studying the cooking of her Swatow-born father's family, she came to understand that, as extensive as the Teoswa diaspora is, in the US its influence has been diluted by mixing with other Chinese cuisines, as well as American influences. Here she seeks to highlight the distinctive character of the region's food: "Compared with other Chinese regional cuisines, there is a greater emphasis on delicate, clean, and light flavors--but there is plenty of funky fermentation and decadence to go around, too." As with any robust culinary tradition, Teoswa food has also been adapted by cooks who found themselves cooking far from home, with access to different ingredients and tools. Zheng includes dishes from those immigrant kitchens as well, carefully noting their adaptations, as well as her own changes to recreate dishes she ate in China. Her collection is friendly and engaging, nicely enlivened by family stories and accounts of learning from widespread cooks."--Provided by publisher
Print Book, English, 2018
Gwam-im, Los Angeles, 2018