Today I spoke with the James Beard Award-winning  Fuchsia Dunlop about her 7th book, “Invitation To A Banquet. The Story of Chinese Food.”  

Based in London, she speaks, reads, and writes Chinese and has traveled, often writing down recipes, for 30 years all around China.

Rather than another cookbook, “Invitation to a Banquet” is an exploration of the history, techniques, and philosophies of Chinese cuisine. She presents this through a "menu" of thirty dishes from different parts of the country including Mapo tofu, drunken crabs and stir-fried greens. 

TUNE IN for what many non-Chinese people most misunderstand about Chinese food along with a glimpse into Fuchsia Dunlop’s adventures as the first westerner to train at the influential Sichuan Institute of Higher Cuisine in mainland China.