English writer and cook Fuchsia Dunlop is considered the Western world’s most influential writer on regional Chinese, especially that of Sichuan—and for good reason! The author of five books, including the autobiographical Shark’s Fin and Sichuan Pepper (2008), Dunlop was the first westerner to train as a chef at the Sichuan Institute of Higher Cuisine in Chengdu.
Over the last two decades, Dunlop explored China and its food, with her articles and recipes appearing in top tier publications—including The Financial Times, The New Yorker, Lucky Peach, Gourmet, Saveur and The Observer.
Her most recent book, Land of Fish and Rice: Recipes from the Culinary Heart of China, is an introduction to the food and flavors of Shanghai and the Lower Yangtze or Jiangnan region, and has won the UK Guild of Food Writers Cookbook of the Year Award and the Andre Simon Food Book Award.
Describing Chinese cuisine as both very ancient and very contemporary, Dunlop explained in an interview with Eater that “China really was the original foodie culture, and people over the centuries have written about food.”
She relayed that “there is a Song dynasty, which is to say 12th or 13th century cookbook by a man called Lin Hong, which I think reads a bit like something that could have been written by René Redzepi of Noma in Copenhagen. It’s very esoteric, lyrically titled dishes, foraged ingredients, an interest in closeness to nature.”
According to Dunlop, Chinese gourmets through the centuries have been very concerned about the providence of their ingredients—with eating things in the right seasons. She adds that Sichuanese chefs and Sichuanese food aficionados will always say it’s not just about heat. “The thing about Sichuanese food is the thrilling variety,” says Dunlop.
Aside from writing, Dunlop leads expert culinary tours of China, which were designated “Tour of a Lifetime” by National Geographic Magazine. You’d want to follow her on Instagram.
