---
product_id: 8381627
title: "Shark's Fin and Sichuan Pepper: A Sweet-Sour Memoir of Eating in China"
brand: "fuchsia dunlop"
price: "$129"
currency: NZD
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 12
url: https://www.desertcart.nz/products/8381627-sharks-fin-and-sichuan-pepper-a-sweet-sour-memoir-eating
store_origin: NZ
region: New Zealand
---

# Shark's Fin and Sichuan Pepper: A Sweet-Sour Memoir of Eating in China

**Brand:** fuchsia dunlop
**Price:** $129
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** Shark's Fin and Sichuan Pepper: A Sweet-Sour Memoir of Eating in China by fuchsia dunlop
- **How much does it cost?** $129 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.nz](https://www.desertcart.nz/products/8381627-sharks-fin-and-sichuan-pepper-a-sweet-sour-memoir-eating)

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- fuchsia dunlop enthusiasts

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## Description

Shark's Fin and Sichuan Pepper: A Sweet-Sour Memoir of Eating in China

## 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

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5.0 out of 5 stars







  
  
    Excellent culinary memoir
  

*by M***N on Reviewed in the United States 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.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.0 out of 5 stars







  
  
    Four Stars
  

*by J***L on Reviewed in the United States on June 8, 2015*

Fun read, especially for anyone who has been an expat.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5.0 out of 5 stars







  
  
    As good as Peter Hessler
  

*by J***E on Reviewed in the United States on January 18, 2014*

For me, this book has a very special place in my heart. I was in Chengdu at the same time, living in the same area and eating in the same restaurants as Ms. Dunlop. I never met her and I don't ever remember seeing someone who looked like her. But her description of Chengdu, of Sichuan cuisine, of being a foreigner in China in the 90s, of decompressing in Hong Kong, and the reverse culture shock when one returns to the West are exactly what I experienced and felt when I lived there. She captures it perfectly, but what she does that I have never been able to do is to verbalize it so precisely and profoundly in writing what all of it means--being someone caught between two cultures and of losing your principles or ideas of what is right or wrong. I think her understanding of China is as accurate and well-articulated as Peter Hessler. I put her on an equal par with him. So if you want to really understand China from an outsiders perspective, add Fuchsia Dunlop's memoir to your list of books to read (along with her cookbooks.) I also think this is a good book for anyone who has lived in China or is going to live there or maybe has lived in any country is eastern Asia.

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*Product available on Desertcart New Zealand*
*Store origin: NZ*
*Last updated: 2026-01-25*