Suiyuan Shi Dan (Illustrated Edition)

Author: Yuan Mei [Qing Dynasty]
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-06-01
Features: Suiyuan Shidan primarily introduces the preparation methods of distinctive culinary dishes from the Ting-Zhe region, making it a regional "Jiang-Zhe Food Manual." However, its content is quite extensive, encompassing fourteen categories such as seafood, special meats, poultry, aquatic creatures, vegetarian dishes, snacks, tea, and wine. It virtually covers all types of food in the daily lives of Jiang-Zhe people at the time. Each category lists a considerable number of dishes. For example, the Special Meats Category introduces over thirty dishes, involving various cooking methods for animals such as pigs, cows, sheep, deer, roe deer, and civets; the Snacks Category presents over fifty recipes for items like noodles, pancakes, dumplings, wontons, wrapped dumplings, steamed buns, milk tea, zongzi, tangyuan, cakes, and bean porridge. It compiles the rich culinary expertise accumulated over time by Jiang-Zhe chefs, making it invaluable. Suiyuan Shidan was written by Yuan Mei, a renowned literary figure of the Qing Dynasty. Yuan Mei was an experienced culinary scholar. His book Suiyuan Shidan is an important work from the Qing Dynasty that systematically discusses culinary techniques and northern and southern dishes. The book was published in 1792 (the 57th year of the Qianlong reign). It is divided into fourteen sections: Essentials, Cautions, Seafood, River Freshwater, Special Meats, Miscellaneous Meats, Poultry, Aquatic with Scales, Aquatic without Scales, Vegetarian, Small Dishes, Snacks, Rice and Porridge, and Dishes with Wine. The Essentials section outlines twenty comprehensive and strict operational requirements, while the Cautions section lists fourteen points to observe. Subsequently, the book dedicates extensive space to detailing 326 northern and southern dishes and rice/porridge items popular from the 14th to the 18th centuries in China, as well as renowned wines and teas of the time.