A bold and eye-opening new book of magnificent photos, unforgettable stories and exotic home-cooking from the most ethnically diverse, geographically varied and intriguing regions of China.

In the West, when we think about food in China, what usually comes to mind are the signature dishes of Beijing, Hong Kong, and Shanghai. But beyond the urbanized eastern third of China lie the high open spaces and sacred places of Tibet, the Silk Road oases of Xinjiang, the steppes of Inner Mongolia, and the steeply terraced hills of Yunnan and Guizhou. The peoples who live in these regions are culturally distinct, with their own history and their own unique culinary traditions. In Beyond the Great Wall, the inimitable duo of Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid–who first met as young travellers in Tibet–bring home the enticing flavours of this other China.

For over twenty-five years, both separately and together, Duguid and Alford have journeyed all over the outlying regions of China, sampling local home-cooking and street food, making friends and taking lustrous photographs. Beyond the Great Wall is a rich mosaic of recipes, photos and stories–a must-have for every food lover, and an inspiration for cooks and armchair travellers alike.

Sample recipes: Mongolian Hotpot, Chicken Pulao with Pumpkin, Hand-rolled Rice Noodles, Kazakh Stew, Tibetan Rice Pudding

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WINNER 2009 - Cuisine Canada Culinary Book Awards -- Special Interest Category

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Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid’s previous books have won numerous awards. Their most recent book was Mangoes and Curry Leaves: Culinary Travels through the Great Subcontinent. They live in Toronto with their two sons.

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