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Chinese Menu: The History, Myths, and Legends Behind Your Favorite Foods Hardcover – September 12, 2023

by Grace Lin (Author)
4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 77 ratings
See all formats and editions
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The perfect gift book for anyone who loves good food—and an even better story!

Newbery and Caldecott honoree and New York Times bestselling author Grace Lin delivers a groundbreaking, lushly illustrated, and beautifully written full-color book that explores the whimsical myths and stories behind your favorite American Chinese food.

A New York Times bestseller!
An ALA Notable Book
A BookPage Best Book of the Year!
A New York Public Library Best Book of 2023!

From fried dumplings to fortune cookies, here are the tales behind your favorite foods.

Do you know the stories behind delectable dishes—like the fun connection between scallion pancakes and pizza? Or how dumplings cured a village’s frostbitten ears? Or how wonton soup tells about the creation of the world? 

Separated into courses like a Chinese menu, these tales—based in real history and folklore—are filled with squabbling dragons, magical fruits, and hungry monks. This book will bring you to far-off times and marvelous  places, all while making your mouth water. And, along the way, you might just discover a deeper understanding of the resilience and triumph behind this food, and what makes it undeniably American. 

Award-winning and bestselling author Grace Lin provides a visual and storytelling feast as she gives insight on the history, legends, and myths behind your favorite American Chinese dishes. Chinese Menu makes the perfect gift book for anyone who loves good food—and an even better story.

Don't miss: 
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon
Starry River of the Sky
When the Sea Turned to Silver 
The Year of the Dog
The Year of the Rat
Dumpling Days

Read more Read less
Previous page
  1. Reading age
    8 - 12 years
  2. Print length
    288 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Grade level
    3 - 7
  5. Dimensions
    8.95 x 0.91 x 10.4 inches
  6. Publisher
    Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
  7. Publication date
    September 12, 2023
  8. ISBN-10
    0316486000
  9. ISBN-13
    978-0316486002
  10. See all details
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From the Publisher

Chinese Menu: The History, Myths, and Legends Behind Your Favorite Foods by Grace Lin

"Destined to become a family classic." —Jennifer S. Lee, author of The Fortune Cookie Chronicles

A STORY FEAST AWAITS [Image of CHINESE MENU book cover: Smiling girl holding bowl of soup]

"An irresistible book...reminding us of the power of great storytelling." —Grace Young

"A stunning example of how what we eat can be a window into a vast and complex culture." —Lisa Ling

"The perfect book for food lovers of all ages!" —Michelle Tam, creator of Nom Nom Paleo

"Fascinating, informative, and entertaining! In short, this book is a delight." —Carolyn Phillips

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon Starry River of the Sky When the Sea Turned to Silver The Year of the Dog Ling & Ting: Not Exactly the Same A Big Mooncake for Little Star
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon Starry River of the Sky When the Sea Turned to Silver The Year of the Dog Ling & Ting: Not Exactly the Same! Big Mooncake for Little Star
Customer Reviews
4.8 out of 5 stars
4,036
4.8 out of 5 stars
781
4.8 out of 5 stars
1,010
4.7 out of 5 stars
649
4.7 out of 5 stars
214
4.8 out of 5 stars
811
Price — $7.99 $9.59 $7.49 $4.99 $12.99
Share Grace Lin's award-winning books with children of all ages! A fantasy crossed with Chinese folklore, this is a timeless story reminiscent of The Wizard of Oz and The Girl Who Drank the Moon. An enthralling fantasy featuring marvelous full-color illustrations, fascinating characters, and new adventures. This breathtaking, full-color illustrated fantasy inspired by Chinese folklore is a companion to Where the Mountain Meets the Moon. A special edition of a modern classic by the Newbery-Award winning and bestselling author of Where the Mountain Meets the Moon. Ling and Ting are twins. They have the same brown eyes. They have the same pink cheeks. They have the same happy smiles. This stunning picture book creates a heartwarming original story that explains phases of the moon.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Not to be missed, grab your chopsticks, some oolong tea, and dive into this culinary treasure trove.

―SLJ, starred

About the Author

Grace Lin is the award-winning and bestselling author and illustrator of Starry River of the Sky, Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, The Year of the Dog, The Year of the Rat, Dumpling Days, and Ling & Ting, as well as picture books such as The Ugly Vegetables and Dim Sum for Everyone! Grace is a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design and lives in Massachusetts. Her website is www.gracelin.com.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (September 12, 2023)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 288 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0316486000
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0316486002
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 8 - 12 years
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ 3 - 7
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.9 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 8.95 x 0.91 x 10.4 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 77 ratings

About the author

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Grace Lin

Grace Lin

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Hello! Thanks so much for your interest in me and my books!

I grew up in Upstate NY with my parents and 2 sisters, whom are featured in many of my books, including "Dim Sum For Everyone!" and my novels, "The Year of the Dog" and "The Year of the Rat." My mother and I were the star characters in my first book, "The Ugly Vegetables"--I cut both my sisters out of that story! They were quite upset with me and made me promise never to cut them out again. And since then, I haven't...yet.

While many of my books highlight my family, not all of them do. My Newbery Honor-winning novel "Where the Mountain Meets the Moon," is an Asian inspired fantasy that some people call a Chinese 'Wizard of Oz,' and my early reader "Ling & Ting" is inspired by the old 'Flicka, Dicka & Ricka' books I read when I was young.

I hope you enjoy my books. Please visit my website: www.gracelin.com for more info about them (behind the scene stories and pictures) as well as other amusing anecdotes!

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
77 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Joseph J. Truncale
5.0 out of 5 stars An absolutely beautiful and entertaining book for all Chinese food lovers.
Reviewed in the United States on September 13, 2023
Verified Purchase
First off, my wife and I have been voracious readers all our lives. We also love Chinese food and after we read a prepublication review of this fantastic large 288-page book (Chinese Menu: The myths and legends behind your favorite foods by Grace Lin) I immediately purchased it from Amazon.

To mention that we loved this book would be an understatement. The historical aspects and the stories behind Chinese food are completely fascinating. This giant size text has beautiful illustrations, and this is the kind of book that is definitely one that you can have out on a coffee table for your friends and guests to also enjoy.

This excellent book covers very interesting information, and the following are a few examples: facts on chopsticks, types of Chinese tea often served, appetizers, kinds of soup, rice, noodles, and numerous Chef’s specials like Kung Pao Chicken, sweet and sour pork, beef and broccoli, Empress chicken, Buddha’s delight and many others. They even have a desert section.

This delightful and entertaining book is for anyone who loves to read about the historical aspects and the development Chinese culture and food. My wife and I absolutely loved this book and intend to share it with our friends and relatives.
Rating: 5 Stars. Joseph J. Truncale (Author: Zen poetry Moments: Haiku and Senryu for Special Occasions).
11 people found this helpful
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Jess H
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book for kids and adults!
Reviewed in the United States on October 31, 2023
Verified Purchase
I love how well put together all the stories and myths are behind each dish, it definitely provides insight into Chinese food and culture. This is not a cookbook, but the stories are interesting and the illustrations are beautiful!
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Christina
4.0 out of 5 stars Really good book but some sections are tough to see because of light-colored ink
Reviewed in the United States on February 3, 2024
Verified Purchase
A basic graphic concept is to be careful with the use of colors, including red, for people with vision problems. Unfortunately, pretty much every chapter has a beginning section that is written in pale (not even vivid) red. The print could have been bigger too. That being said, the content is excellent and the stories fascinating! I look forward to sharing them. I bought the book for myself, but the stories would be great to share with kids.
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Pech
5.0 out of 5 stars Great for adults and kids combining history and folk stories
Reviewed in the United States on February 6, 2024
Verified Purchase
I initially bought a book to give my niblings but when I saw it myself I decided to keep it and purchased a separate copy for them! My dad/grandpa also wanted his own copy. The illustrations are lovely and I'm impressed by the work put in to weave together history and folktales for so many dishes by that we are familiar with adding additional richness. It would be a great activity to enjoy a dish and read it a story out loud as a family as a series.
One person found this helpful
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Lindsay
5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic for all ages!
Reviewed in the United States on October 12, 2023
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The illustrations are gorgeous and the stories are charming. Highly recommend! I'm reading it as a bedtime story with an 11 year old--we're both loving it! It will make you crave Chinese food!
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Alberto Mattiello
5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful book
Reviewed in the United States on April 6, 2024
Verified Purchase
Both my daughter and I enjoyed reading it. It has plenty of fascinating stories and legends and a lot of information on Chinese food, traditions, history and culture.
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Great for children
Reviewed in the United States on November 24, 2023
Verified Purchase
This book by acclaimed children’s book author Grace Lin is packed with wonderful stories about traditional Chinese Dining, and is suitable for youth and adults. I bought this for my daughter who throughly enjoyed it’s exciting tales and stunning pictures. Great Quality!
One person found this helpful
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MochiPants
5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely love it!
Reviewed in the United States on November 27, 2023
Verified Purchase
A very well written and illustrated coffee table book. Looks beautiful and good education for guests that visit our home. I love the illustrations and the stories that tell the origins of Chinese food. Reminds me of the stories my grandmother used to tell me. Highly recommend!!
One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Elaubile
5.0 out of 5 stars Delightful book :)
Reviewed in Canada on April 7, 2024
Verified Purchase
My kids love reading this book, nice illustrations and helps start talking and exploring about Chinese culture. Great read!
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Bea K Go
5.0 out of 5 stars Just sublime
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 6, 2024
Verified Purchase
Grace Lin is amazing. Her stories, her art - she weaves beautiful things and this substantial beautiful hardback book is a joy. SO much in this book. It's big! Bargain for the price really. Such a special book and FUN. Food is so much more and Grace shows us this.
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Jack
5.0 out of 5 stars great book
Reviewed in Canada on January 7, 2024
Verified Purchase
very informative
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Good book
Reviewed in Canada on October 1, 2023
Verified Purchase
Good book , love the story and myths , extremely enjoy the book . I live hard copies !!!
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