About this Event
When people in ancient China spoke of the 'five tastes', they were talking not only literally about five tastes recognised in Chinese gastronomy - sour, bitter, sweet, pungent and salty - but also metaphorically about all the ingredients and flavours at a cook's disposal. They were part of the dynamic process of the cosmos, like the five elements and the constant flux of ying and yang. A chef was a kind of a magician, someone able to harness the virtues of the five tastes and combine them harmoniously in a dish.
These recipes - which celebrate the Chinese philosophy that good health and pleasure are inseparable when it comes to food - will show you how to celebrate the irresistible flavours of China in your own kitchen.
Fuchsia Dunlop was the first Westerner to train as a chef at the Sichuan Higher Institute of Cuisine, and has been travelling around China, researching and cooking Chinese food, for some 30 years. Her award-winning and bestselling books include The Food of Sichuan, Shark's Fin and Sichuan Pepper, Every Grain of Rice and Land of Fish and Rice, several of which are now published in translation in China. Based in London, she speaks, reads and writes Chinese.
Angela Clutton is an award-winning food writer, cook and presenter. Her debut book, The Vinegar Cupboard (2019), won the Jane Grigson Trust Award, two Guild of Food Writers Awards, was shortlisted for the André Simon Food and Drink Awards, and was named Debut Cookery Book at the Fortnum & Mason Food and Drink Awards. Her subsequent titles are Borough Market: The Knowledge (2022), shortlisted for the 2023 Guild of Food Writers Awards, and Seasoning – How to Cook and Celebrate the Seasons (2024).
The discussion will be followed by an audience Q&A and book signing.
Tickets: £10 General Admission, £8 Foyalty Member / £35 Book and Ticket, inc. a copy of Five Tastes (RRP £30)
Venue: The Auditorium (Level 6) at Foyles, 107 Charing Cross Road*
*Please note that the Auditorium at Foyles is fully accessible from the Ground floor lifts.
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Foyles, 107 Charing Cross Road, London, United Kingdom
GBP 8.00 to GBP 35.00
