Product Description

Xiaomei Martell was born on the borders of the Mongolian steppes just two years before Mao launched the Cultural Revolution that was to change China forever. The youngest of four daughters - her name translates as 'Little Sister' - her family had few material goods and, following the untimely death of her father, none of the vital connections needed to safeguard their futures, yet despite this her family and neighbours raised her with a thirst for knowledge and a love of food, ranging from the 'lion's head' meatballs her Uncle Deng cooked to the 'phoenix feet' that apparently cured wrinkles, by way of hundred-year-old eggs.Full of quirky facts - did you know that the Chinese say 'aubergine' when their photo is taken? - and fascinating episodes like the 'Small New Year', a prelude to the official New Year where houses are spring cleaned and offerings are made to the Heavenly God of Cooking, this is a unique and engaging account of a culture and cuisine that is a world away from the China we know today.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #194338 in Books
• Published on: 2009-04-02
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 224 pages

Review
An enchanting glimpse into a fascinating food culture --Michael Booth

Review
I found Lion's Head, Four Happiness a riveting memoir set in one of the most tumultuous times in modern Chinese history. It is evident from the salivating accounts of food and cooking that it was the cuisine that helped Xiaomei in her delicious and uplifting journey

About the Author
Xiaomei Martell was born in 1964 in Inner Mongolia, one of China's most remote regions, and spent her formative years there during the Cultural Revolution. After winning a coveted university place at the age of fifteen, she studied first English and then art in Beijing where she also worked after graduation, teaching English, acting as a travel guide and working for art galleries. She came to England in the late 1980s to pursue her studies and has lived in England ever since.

Customer Reviews

Aromatic Chinese Cooking
"Lion's Head, Four Happiness," named after two traditional Chinese dishes offers an interesting insight into Chinese culture. It is part memoir of Xiaomei who grew up in Inner Mongolia in the 1970's and 80's and her struggle to be educated. It is also a story of food and how the food she grew up with was integral to her memories. The importance of cooking is explained somewhat when you understand that the traditional greeting in Huhehot, the village where Xiaomei grew up is "chilema," literally "have you eaten?"

I would recommend this biography to anyone with an interest in China or Chinese food. The constant references to ginger, spring onions, chilli and soy sauce had my mouth watering. I would recommend buying Chinese Food Made Easy by Ching-He Huang to help recreate the recipes and flavours that Xiaomei depicts.