Taro enters the bamboo grove looking for his dinner and comes away with much more than he expected.

A natural and cultural history of this important and useful plant. We may think of bamboo only as a snack for cuddly panda bears, but we use the plant as food, clothing, paper, fabric, and shelter. Drawing on a vast array of sources, this book builds a complete picture of bamboo in both history and our modern world. Susanne Lucas shows how bamboo has always met the physical and spiritual requirements of humanity while at the same time being exploited by people everywhere. Lucas describes how bamboo’s special characteristics, such as its ability to grow quickly and thus be an easily replaced resource, offers potential solutions to modern ecological dilemmas. She explores the vital role bamboo plays in the survival of many animals and ecosystems, as well as its use for some of the earliest books ever written, as the framework for houses, and for musical instruments. As modern research and technologies advance, she explains, bamboo use has increased dramatically—it can now be found in the filaments of light bulbs, airplanes, the reinforcements of concrete, and even bicycles. Filled with illustrations, Bamboo is an interesting new take on a plant that is both very old and very new.

Fermented food can be produced with inexpensive ingredients and simple techniques and makes a significant contribution to the human diet, especially in rural households and village communities worldwide. Progress in the biological and microbiological sciences involved in the manufacture of these foods has led to commercialization and heightened interest among scientists and food processors. Handbook of Plant-Based Fermented Food and Beverage Technology, Second Edition is an up-to-date reference exploring the history, microorganisms, quality assurance, and manufacture of fermented food products derived from plant sources. The book begins by describing fermented food flavors, manufacturing, and biopreservation. It then supplies a detailed exploration of a range of topics, including: Soy beverages and sauce, soymilk, and tofu Fruits and fruit products, including wine, capers, apple cider and juice, mangos, olive fruit, and noni fruits Vegetables and vegetable products, including red beet juice, eggplant, olives, pickles, sauerkraut, and jalapeño peppers Cereals and cereal products, including fermented bread, sourdough bread, rice noodles, boza, Chinese steamed buns, whiskey, and beer Specialty products such as balsamic vinegar, palm wine, cachaça, brick tea, shalgam, coconut milk and oil, coffee, and probiotic nondairy beverages Ingredients such as proteolytic bacteria, enzymes, and probiotics Fermented food products play a critical role in cultural identity, local economy, and gastronomical delight. With contributions from over 60 experts from more than 20 countries, the book is an essential reference distilling the most critical information on this food sector.

Recipes from the Garden of Contentment: Yuan Mei’s Manual of Gastronomy is the first English edition of the Suiyuan Shidan 随園食单, one of the world’s most famous books about food. It is both a culinary treatise and a cookbook, written in the late eighteenth century by the poet Yuan Mei 袁枚. This translation by Sean J. S. Chen conveys the charm, humor, and erudition of one of China’s greatest writers. The book includes recipes for well-known yet exotic dishes such as bird’s nest and shark’s fin, and offers modern readers a unique perspective on Chinese history and culinary culture.

Fermented food can be produced with inexpensive ingredients and simple techniques and makes a significant contribution to the human diet, especially in rural households and village communities worldwide. Progress in the biological and microbiological sciences involved in the manufacture of these foods has led to commercialization and heightened int