This blog is adapted from my Substack newsletter, The Curious Eater. Here, I revisit questions of what it means to eat right--both in China and in Europe in the fourteenth century. If you are curious about vegetarianism in China, you might also take a look at this older post of mine, from the pandemic days. It’s the fourteenth century. A blond noblewoman wrinkles her pale brow as she sprinkles ash into her porridge. Meanwhile, half a world away, her Chinese counterpart smiles

What’s in a name? That which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet -- Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet Mr. Shakespeare was admittedly not thinking about food when he wrote those lines about young love. But he should have. Roses taste great in Yunnan rose pastry. Such quibbles aside, these three lines capture our shared conundrum. For the last few weeks, we have debated whether ‘mint bibimbap’ is ‘bibimbap’ and whether Chinese wheat noodles or sopa de fideos can

The idea for this blog goes back a ways. Five summers ago, I was sitting at a table with Yang Yong, a visiting student from China. We were doing what scholars usually do: acting like gluttons for punishment. So we decided to translate a group of medical manuscripts, discovered in a tomb from ancient Northwest China (first century AD). Each day, we sat at my desk on the fifth floor of Thayer and put our endurance to the test. Character by character, we transcribed the Chinese

As the parties awaited the verdict , temperatures soared outside. Not that this would have surprised anyone. It was late July in Taipei. By noon, the thermometer hit ninety-seven degrees, with fifty-four percent humidity -- a perfect time for a tall serving of energizing boba, or bubble tea. Picture the boba. Sweet milky tea poured over cubes of ice, with a generous scoop of black tapioca pearls. Maybe you have a preference for the flavoring -- taro, lychee, even matcha? Wh

Do you like halva or flaky Chinese New Year candy? Then read up on the history of this cosmopolitan treat.

Ever wonder what the rulers of China ate? Read all about the history of a sweet milk curd made with.... none other than rice beer.

Spicy, fragrant, and mint, this pastry reportedly came out of the emperor's own kitchen. Read all about it.

Who came up with the idea of mixing milk with black tea? If you think Europeans were the first to do this, think again.

Think cheese wontons were invented in the USA? Think again. Here's a 16th-century recipe!

Buttery, fluffy, and fragrant -- these steamed buns used to delight people in the Song dynasty.

It can be hard to imagine Chinese food full of dairy. Here's a recipe that will not only help you imagine the past, but also tempt you.

Wanna get away from milk, but not sure about soy? There’s good news. I have an ancient Chinese recipe. It tastes better than the almond milk

If tapioca pudding doesn’t sound like a Chinese food, you’d be right. In my mother’s kitchen, it was much more. It was also medicine.

Song-dynasty cooks liked their butter. Here is a recipe for a crispy sesame cookie from China's South.

Milk consumption is on the rise in China. Some predict this will lead to a billion tummy troubles. Here's why they are wrong.

You don't need European genes to enjoy dairy.

Are Chinese Lactose Intolerant? Traditional Chinese Medicine says otherwise.