Science and Civilisation in China, Part 5, Fermentations and Food Science

The first historical exploration of the origins and evolution of the major Chinese food processing techniques.

H. T. Huang (Author)

9780521652704, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 30 November 2000

769 pages, 61 tables
25.4 x 19.8 x 5 cm, 1.85 kg

'This is the most convenient and reliable presentation of this information in a Western langauge … Huang's work is a thorough analysis of the archaeological, classical, historical, medical, literary, scientific and secondary literature on food processing in China and the reader will find here all he needs for his research. … this large volume is a most welcome contribution to the study of Chinese food science and culinary history and it can be seen as the definitive work in any language on Chinese food science.' Ute Engelhardt, East Asian Science, Technology, and Medicine

Today Chinese cuisine is enjoyed in many parts of the world, yet little is known in the West about the technologies involved in making its characteristic ingredients. H. T. Huang's book is the first history of Chinese food technology in a western language. It describes the conversion of agricultural commodities into food and drink, and explores the origins, development and scientific basis of traditional Chinese technology as applied to the processing of four food categories: the fermentation of alcoholic drinks from grains; the conversion of soybeans into soyfoods and condiments; the preservation of foods and the production of noodles, vegetable oils, malt sugar, starch, etc; and, lastly, the processing and utilisation of tea. Where possible the Chinese experience is compared with equivalent systems in the West and elsewhere. The book ends with reflections on how nature, technology and human intervention have shaped the discovery and innovation of processed foods in traditional China.

1. Introduction
2. Literature and sources
3. Fermentation and evolution of alcoholic drinks
4. Soybean processing and fermentation
5. Food processing and preservation
6. Tea processing and utilisation
7. Food and nutritional deficiency diseases
8. Reflections and epilogue.

Subject Areas: History of science [PDX]