Just how far back good cooking actually goes in China is hard to determine, but the Chinese were early discoverers of fire, and have been farmers for well over four thousand years. In the course of their long history they have evolved a high sense of harmony in the delicate blending of tastes and textures.
Some cooks believe that Chinese food is too exotic to be attempted in the home kitchen, but nothing could be further from the truth, for no special utensils are needed and the few special extras - soy sauce, bean sprouts, bamboo shoots and water chestnuts - can now be bought, bottled or tinned, throughout the country.