--- product_id: 8381627 title: "Shark's Fin and Sichuan Pepper: A Sweet-Sour Memoir of Eating in China" price: "494027₫" currency: VND in_stock: true reviews_count: 10 url: https://www.desertcart.vn/products/8381627-sharks-fin-and-sichuan-pepper-a-sweet-sour-memoir-eating store_origin: VN region: Vietnam --- # Shark's Fin and Sichuan Pepper: A Sweet-Sour Memoir of Eating in China **Price:** 494027₫ **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Shark's Fin and Sichuan Pepper: A Sweet-Sour Memoir of Eating in China - **How much does it cost?** 494027₫ with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.vn](https://www.desertcart.vn/products/8381627-sharks-fin-and-sichuan-pepper-a-sweet-sour-memoir-eating) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description Shark's Fin and Sichuan Pepper: A Sweet-Sour Memoir of Eating in China [Dunlop, Fuchsia] on desertcart.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Shark's Fin and Sichuan Pepper: A Sweet-Sour Memoir of Eating in China Review: Excellent culinary memoir - First off I should say that I love eating in China. In fact, that is what I most look forward to when I am heading to China. The variety and quality of the various cuisines in China is truly extraordinary. I really related to this book, not only for the eating adventures, but also because I also was once a young student in China trying to figure things out around me. Dunlop was a young girl studying Chinese in Chengdu when she became distracted by the heady smells and tastes that surrounded her. She enrolled in the local cooking school and dove headfirst into the wonderful world of Chinese cuisine, specifically 川菜 chuāncài, or Sichuan cooking, in her case. What makes this book so readable, and persuasive, is Dunlop's ability to engage the reader with personal and intimate stories of regular people and homestyle cooking. As a speaker of Chinese she is able to share experiences with ordinary Chinese that would not be possible without a knowledge of the language. For example, she befriends the cook at the local noodle shop and eventually persuades him to give her the recipe for his famous dandan noodles, which she shares with the reader. I know I have said this before in other book reviews, but knowing Chinese really opens up all kinds of doors and allows one to experience a China that would not be possible if you did not know the language. She correctly states on page 206, "Food has always been of exceptional importance in Chinese culture. It is not only the currency of medicine, but of religion and sacrifice, love and kinship, business relationships, bribery, and even, on occasion, espionage. `To the people, food is heaven,' goes the oft-repeated saying." Though the book focusses on Sichuan cuisine, she does give insight into China's other culinary traditions as well. The book is engaging, entertaining, and very informative. It is obvious that she has done her homework and knows her stuff. She gets added credibility because she experiences all this first hand while she lived in China and on subsequent trips back after returning to the UK. The reader comes away from this book fascinated with Chinese food, and really hungry. The food she describes in the real thing. This is a well written memoir and I highly recommend it. Review: flavors of China - Great adventure book about Chinese and the many different flavors of Chinese cuisine. ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #2,035,149 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #496 in Chinese Cooking, Food & Wine #1,351 in Gastronomy Essays (Books) #1,810 in Culinary Biographies & Memoirs | | Customer Reviews | 4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars (454) | | Dimensions | 5.5 x 0.9 x 8.3 inches | | Edition | First Edition | | ISBN-10 | 0393332888 | | ISBN-13 | 978-0393332889 | | Item Weight | 9.6 ounces | | Language | English | | Print length | 329 pages | | Publication date | August 24, 2009 | | Publisher | W. W. Norton & Company | ## Images ![Shark's Fin and Sichuan Pepper: A Sweet-Sour Memoir of Eating in China - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61NjNeZMk5L.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Excellent culinary memoir *by M***N on February 5, 2013* First off I should say that I love eating in China. In fact, that is what I most look forward to when I am heading to China. The variety and quality of the various cuisines in China is truly extraordinary. I really related to this book, not only for the eating adventures, but also because I also was once a young student in China trying to figure things out around me. Dunlop was a young girl studying Chinese in Chengdu when she became distracted by the heady smells and tastes that surrounded her. She enrolled in the local cooking school and dove headfirst into the wonderful world of Chinese cuisine, specifically 川菜 chuāncài, or Sichuan cooking, in her case. What makes this book so readable, and persuasive, is Dunlop's ability to engage the reader with personal and intimate stories of regular people and homestyle cooking. As a speaker of Chinese she is able to share experiences with ordinary Chinese that would not be possible without a knowledge of the language. For example, she befriends the cook at the local noodle shop and eventually persuades him to give her the recipe for his famous dandan noodles, which she shares with the reader. I know I have said this before in other book reviews, but knowing Chinese really opens up all kinds of doors and allows one to experience a China that would not be possible if you did not know the language. She correctly states on page 206, "Food has always been of exceptional importance in Chinese culture. It is not only the currency of medicine, but of religion and sacrifice, love and kinship, business relationships, bribery, and even, on occasion, espionage. `To the people, food is heaven,' goes the oft-repeated saying." Though the book focusses on Sichuan cuisine, she does give insight into China's other culinary traditions as well. The book is engaging, entertaining, and very informative. It is obvious that she has done her homework and knows her stuff. She gets added credibility because she experiences all this first hand while she lived in China and on subsequent trips back after returning to the UK. The reader comes away from this book fascinated with Chinese food, and really hungry. The food she describes in the real thing. This is a well written memoir and I highly recommend it. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ flavors of China *by M***N on October 3, 2017* Great adventure book about Chinese and the many different flavors of Chinese cuisine. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ An engrossing read that will revolutionize the way you think of Chinese food *by N***E on September 1, 2009* I bought this book having already used Ms. Dunlop's phenomenal cookbooks for about a year--to my mind, they are the holy grail of Chinese cookbooks in the English language--so when I found out that she had written her memoirs I was already on-board. That said, Shark's Fin and Sichuan Pepper went above and beyond my expectations when I read it. Dunlop writes beautifully--engagingly, even engrossingly, and I found myself staying up late just to read more. Moreover, what she has to say is fascinating. She really made clear the philosophy behind a lot of Chinese cooking, and though at times she described menu items that I could not imagine putting in my mouth, I found myself trying the most amazing and unexpected things at Chinese restaurants as a result of her narrative. Something else I appreciated about this book was that it was not unrelentingly positive, and that it did not wax poetic constantly. Dunlop is straightforward and honest, and she challenges the reader to take a fresh look at eating in China--in terms of taste and texture, in terms of cultural setting, in terms of economics and environmental impact. This is a fascinating book, and it will completely change the way you think of Chinese food. --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.vn/products/8381627-sharks-fin-and-sichuan-pepper-a-sweet-sour-memoir-eating](https://www.desertcart.vn/products/8381627-sharks-fin-and-sichuan-pepper-a-sweet-sour-memoir-eating) --- *Product available on Desertcart Vietnam* *Store origin: VN* *Last updated: 2026-06-04*