Just days into his first visit to China in 2006, Frank Kasell knew that his new teaching contract would ignite a lifetime’s love and passion for the country. While the people, scenery and boundless culture were life-changing, Chinese street food became an obsession that nothing else could contend with.
Street food is a way of life in China, with western hot dogs and beef burgers being replaced with all manner of exotic (and sometimes shocking) offerings that change from city to city.
In his new book, aptly titled ‘Chinese Street Food’, Kasell takes readers on a journey across the country, onto the streets and into a world of edible delights unlike anything else on the planet.
Synopsis:
Street food is the fuel of daily life in China, just as it has been for generations. In every Chinese city, adventurous travelers seeking a deeper understanding of authentic Chinese culture can find unique local street foods unavailable anywhere else in the world.
If you want to sample these treasures but don’t know where to start, look no further. With full-color pictures, taste descriptions, Chinese characters and pinyin names of hundreds of foods from 53 Chinese cities, this book gives you all the information you need to find the most delicious local dishes China can offer.
“The book actually started life as a blog,” explains the author. “As my posts grew, there was greater scope to expand into a book unlike anything else on the market. It’s a true cross-country adventure that will broaden readers’ palates, show them what local lettering to look out for so they can try the foods and teach them how to enjoy each dish the most. Even if you never get a chance to visit, the photographs alone will get your taste buds buzzing.”
Continuing, “We think we “know” Chinese food, but there’s an incredible diversity to the various cuisines that you just can’t appreciate until you get your boots onto the street — it definitely shocked me. We explore this in great depth, along with meticulously-researched information on each dish’s history, cultural significance and geographic impact.”
Early reviews have been extremely positive. Food writer and blogger, Fiona Reilly, comments, “For those new to the wonders of Chinese street food, or seasoned food explorers, Chinese Street Food: A Field Guide for the Adventurous Diner is the definitive guide and the only handbook you’ll need, covering the specialty street foods of nearly every province in China. Ready to get tasting beyond chao mian or guo tie fried dumplings? Read this.”
Sam Chapple-Sokol adds, “With a keen tongue and a panoptic palate, Frank Kasell has written a blueprint for the best kind of adventure — an on-the-ground tour of the everyday flavors of China. Frank is a true culinary diplomat, urging us to follow hungrily in his footsteps.”
‘Chinese Street Food’, from Blacksmith Books, is due for imminent release: https://bit.ly/2XldLMx.
Copies can also be pre-ordered from Amazon: https://amzn.to/2U6gHup.
About the Author:
Frank Kasell’s first foray into China was in 2006, when he and his future wife spent a year teaching English in Jiangxi province. It didn’t take long to find that China was exactly where he wanted to be. After returning to the United States, a piece of his heart (and stomach) always remained in China. Years later, with his very understanding wife’s blessing, he abandoned a perfectly comfortable job to spend three months in China riding trains, crashing on strangers’ couches, and eating any street food he could get his hands on, all so that he could write this book.
These days, when he is not roaming the US as an international visitor liaison with the Department of State, he spends his time at home in Pittsboro, North Carolina. He writes about food at his blog, www.chinesestreetfood.com, which receives more than 5,000 page views a month.
