There is a widespread saying about foods and drinks in China – “food is the first necessity of the people.” It shows the important place of “eating” in Chinese people’s life. Chinese people pay attention to eating and know how to eat. Foreigners who have been to China not only marvel at the numerous types of Chinese local foods, but also admire the changeful tastes of Chinese dishes. Though dishes in various areas have different tastes, “good colors, smells and tastes” are pursued for all dishes. Chinese people set great store by enjoyment of good foods, demonstrating joyful and leisurely eating in all aspects of daily life and pursuing their own “art of eating.” This eating culture’s influence on the world’s diversified cultures is far beyond eating itself.

About Author

Liu Junru, an associate professor at Beijing Language and Culture University, engaged in teaching and research of Chinese literature and culture for long, and taught Chinese language and culture at Murray State University in the United States in 2009. The main works include: Modern Stylistic Writing, A Kaleidoscope of Chinese Culture (co-author), Chinese Foods and more than ten academic essays.

Foreword
Origins of Foods
Traditional Foods
Foreign Foods
Eating Utensils and Eating Systems
Art of Chopsticks
Warm Dinner Parties
Eating Etiquettes
Foods and Eating Customs
Taste of Home Dishes
Eating during Festivals
Minority Ethnic Groups’ Eating Habits
Drinking Tea and Drinking Wine
Chinese People’s Fondness of Tea Drinking
Joy of Wine Drinking
Delicacies and Health
Harmony of Five Flavors
Culinary Art
Ways of Health Preservation
Eating Taboos
Eating around China
Local Dishes with Distinct Flavors
Snacks in the South, North, West and East
Comparison of Restaurants in Various Regions
Postscript: My Meal in a US Cafeteria