‘Shark’s Fin and Sichuan Pepper’ out in paperback!
My most recent book, Shark’s Fin and Sichuan Pepper, is now out in paperback in the UK and worldwide! (The US paperback edition came out in 2009.) Look for it in bookshops, or on Amazon and other online booksellers. With a little notice (usually a couple of weeks), I’m happy to sign dedications and leave the signed books at Barshu restaurant.
13 Responses to “‘Shark’s Fin and Sichuan Pepper’ out in paperback!”
I’m curious why it took so long? I bought the US edition last year online (in the UK I think). I couldn’t believe the expected date for the UK paperback, I thought it must be an error.
Are the UK publishers not bothered that they were losing sales to the US editions?
When is the Revolutionary Cookbook going to appear in paperback?
I’ve been waiting for years!
Fergal
I agree, it’s a long time! Something to do with publication slots, can’t remember the exact explanation. But better later than never, huh?
Liuzhou Laiwai
Sorry to disappoint you but I don’t think there are any plans for a ‘Revolutionary’ paperback!
would love to puick up a signed copy made out to Julian but I’ll be at bashan this Thursday.
any chance?
Hi Julian
I was hoping I’d be able to pick up a copy and leave it at Bashan for you, but I’m afraid I haven’t had time! Happy to do it another time.
Fuchsia, Sent over an email but didn’t hear back. I’m in Sichuan for a couple of months, any clue as to the best specific spot or city to find the best Gong Bao Ji Ding.
Any direction would be wonderful. THANKS!
thanks for checking but i’m heading back on friday. i’ll pick up a copy whilst i’m here anyway.
Hi Alex
Specifically about Gong Bao chicken, I’ve no idea! I haven’t eaten it during recent trips to Chengdu. But if you find any scrumptious examples, I’m sure other blog readers would love to hear about them on your return!
Hi fuchsia, I have spent the last week glued to the paperback and have finally just finished it. Your prose is so enjoyable! You are not only a gourmet, but also a very fine writer.
As a Hong Kong Chinese who moved here to read English at uni almost 15 years ago and ended up staying in the UK, I find reading your book a very intimate experience on many levels. Firstly there is the food – most Westerners cannot fathom and articulate the intricacy of the many ideas and thinking in Chinese cuisine, and it’s almost a relief to be able to have something I have known all my life and inculcated into me by my family expressed in English/ through an English (somewhat!!) filter. It makes me feel closer to my own culture in a medium with which I am almost as at home, even though the two cannot be further apart in so many ways. Thanks for putting in all the leg work so I can dream about red braised pork belly in rainy London.
On the other hand your experience of losing yourself in a culture in which you didn’t grow up also deeply resonates. Your experience of feeling more Chinese than English at various points in yours life is also true for me. I can’t really tell what I think or do is Chinese or English most of the time. I guess like you, I must have crossed that line some while ago. Sometimes, it is not easy to be in such flux. I get lost with English manners as much as I do with Chinese ones nowadays. So it is good that I came across your book and it becomes an anchor of some sort and provides a respite whilst I negotiate East and West, past and future, childhood and adulthood.
Thank you.
Great news! I’ve been waiting for a paperback version for quite some time. I’ve yet to find a copy in the shops here in the Netherlands so I may have to order it from Amazon.
Just got my copy, and am really enjoying myself! Reading it super slowly to make it last as long as possible.
Somewhat related, I finally got your Hunan cookbook. I ended up with the US version, so the measurements are annoyingly in cups and ounces – I didn’t think about that when buying it. More worryingly it’s about 50 pages shorter than the UK version (256 vs 304).
Is it just laid out differently or is there a bit chunk of content edited out of the US version?
Silly me, the book is not actually 256 pages long. It’s 306! I wonder why all the websites say it’s 256?