Floyd explores the cuisine of the enormous continent of China. He travels to different regions bringing to our attention a vast range of food types.
Floyd immerses himself in Chinese culture and traditions, mixing with the locals, buying produce from the markets, bartering with the shopkeepers, and doing lots of sightseeing as well as cooking! We share in all these experiences and are told interesting anecdotes along the way.
Floyd dispels the illusion that there is only one sort of Chinese cuisine. On the contrary, from one city to another, the gastronomy can vary greatly. Floyd concentrates on the food of Beijing, Shanghai, Guangdong and Sichua. Different cooking methods are demonstrated i.e. stir-frying, pan-frying, deep-frying, baking, blanching, smoking and drying and steaming. He explains the ingredients and seasonings that create bitter, sweet, sour, spicy, salty, rich, or fresh flavours. In keeping with his typical style, Floyd shares his enjoyment of the various tastes and textures achieved from these different techniques.
About the author
Keith Floyd was born in 1943 and educated at Wellington School, Somerset. Until his death in 2009 Keith devoted his life to cooking, except for a few brief excursions into the army and the antiques and wine trades. He presented 14 highly successful television cookery and travel series, and was the author of 15 bestselling books. When not hurtling around the world, he spent his time fishing and sailing in Marbella, Spain.
