Renowned sinologist Thomas O. Höllmann tracks the growth of Chinese food culture from the earliest burial rituals to today¿s Western fast food restaurants, detailing the cuisine¿s geographical variations and local customs, indigenous factors and foreign influences, trade routes, and ethnic associations. Höllmann describes the food rituals of major Chinese religions and the significance of eating and drinking in rites of passage and popular culture. He also enriches his narrative with thirty of his favorite recipes and a selection of photographs, posters, paintings, sketches, and images of clay figurines and other objects excavated from tombs.