Feasts and Dreams

Where else in the world can you find chefs as immersed in literature as in China? It is also probably the only country in the world where the naming of each dish demands knowledge of rhythm and rhyme, and where the kitchen gods constantly draw inspiration from the scholar's shelves.

Similarly, where else would you find both poetry and prose peppered with references to seasonal ingredients or a well-made dish?

References to food are also a sign of the times.

In many past periods of China's glory days, the preparation of food - especially for the aristocracy and royalty - became more an art than a craft.

And in this aspect, scholars all agree that A Dream of Red Mansions, written by Cao Xueqin (1715-63) in the latter half of the 18th century, encapsulated some of the best descriptions of the processes.

The novel mirrors the complications and conflicts of a feudal family, the hype and hypocrisy that veiled the rot of corruption. But it is a story well told, of teenage romances in a household full of women all revolving around one pampered youth.

The book also provided detailed descriptions of the lifestyle of that time: the poetry, drama, art, architecture, gardens and food.

More than 40 dishes are intricately described and it is thanks to these passages that modern chefs find inspiration to recreate the culinary perfection in Red Mansion banquets, which has gradually become a cuisine style of its own. more