Some 10,000 kinds of Chinese dishes have been created so far but that is not the sole achievements of professional chefs. Recipe contributions have also come from kings, emperors, officials, scholars and ordinary citizens. And the creative process varies from continued improvement by several generations of cooks to an instant clever idea. Still there have been cases where a good recipe came up by pure chance.

The nearly eighty entries in this book not only list the ingredients and ways of preparation of the dishes, but also tell stories associated with them, to give people an opportunity of being acquainted with some fantastic tales while trying superb flavors. Color Illustrations.