To the People Food Is Heaven

the long version

In the world's next superpower, life is comfortable for some, but for many it's still a hand-to-mouth struggle for a full stomach, somewhere to call home, wages for work done, and freedom to speak openly. In a place where few things are more important than food, "Have you eaten yet?" is another way of saying hello. After traversing the country and meeting its people, Audra Ang shares her delicious experiences with us. She explains how a fluffy spring onion omelet encapsulates China's drive for rural development, tells of a clandestine cup of salty yak butter tea shared with a Tibetan monk during a military crackdown, gives bite-size histories of tea and Peking Duck, and even investigates mysterious lake monsters. You'll have lunch with some of the country's most enduring activists, savor heart-rending meals with earthquake survivors, and get to know a house cleaner who makes the best fried chicken in Beijing. Ang scrutinizes the gaping divide between rich and poor, urban and rural reform, intolerance for dissent, and the growing dissatisfaction with those in power through the stories of ordinary Chinese. To the People, Food is Heaven provides a fresh perspective beyond the country's anonymous identity as an economic powerhouse, offering a terrific, wide-ranging feast that is the new China.