The Six Flavors Collection

Name: The Six Flavors Collection
ISBN: 9787555913948

汪朗Henan Literature and Art Publishing House · ChinaAug 2024

4.0

Word count: 96K words
Chapters: 32
ISBN: 9787555913948

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Summary

This is a collection of essays on food by the renowned media figure, writer, and gourmet Wang Lang. Writing freely around all kinds of delicacies and everyday ingredients—from what the ancients recorded in their notes to his own personal experience—he seems to roam at large, yet in fact discusses Chinese culture from an entertaining angle. The author's father, Wang Zengqi, was a famous writer and gourmet. Influenced from childhood, Wang Lang's writing has his father's composure along with a media professional's rigor. He also has many connections in gourmet circles and is widely experienced, so his essays of this kind are substantial, humorous, and lucid, with a lingering savor.

Editor's review

Six Flavors is Wang Lang's second collection of essays and sketches after Food and Clothing in the Grand Scheme. The title borrows the "six flavors" of the traditional Chinese medicine Liuwei Dihuang Wan, suggesting the myriad tastes and countless facets of life and society. The book gathers more than sixty essays from recent years, covering food culture, historical anecdotes, literary figures' stories, and social observation, among other dimensions. With his consistently plain, humorous, and yet incisive touch, Wang Lang deftly blends everyday reflections with a deep accumulation of history and culture. The book includes affectionate recollections of ordinary foods such as chive pockets and noodles with gravy, vivid portraits of historical figures such as Wang Zengqi (his father) and Qi Baishi, and no shortage of distinctive commentary on current social phenomena. This style of "high elegance drawing near the commonplace" makes the book both readable and culturally rich. It is not a serious academic work but a record of fireside chats with a culturally seasoned elder who has seen much of the world; behind the relaxed and witty prose is conveyed an insight into the essence of life and a warm guardianship of traditional values. Reading this book is like tasting a carefully prepared spread of home cooking: plain at first bite, infinitely flavorful on closer savoring.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in modern and contemporary prose, especially cultural essays
Readers who enjoy savoring history and cultural flavor in everyday trifles
Fans of Wang Zengqi's works who wish to understand the perspective of his children and the family's literary lineage
Urban readers seeking light reading who also hope to gain knowledge

Not a good fit for

Research-oriented readers seeking rigorous academic argument or systematic theoretical exposition
Readers who prefer strong plot and fast-paced fiction

Reading tips

There is no need to sit up straight and read straight through; the book can be kept on a desk or bedside table for dipping into a piece or two in spare moments.
While reading, connect the text with your own life experience and memories, and savor how the author finds unusual interest in ordinary things.
If a historical figure or event mentioned in the book interests you, use it as a thread for further reading to deepen your understanding.

About the publisher

Henan Literature and Art Publishing House China · Founded in 1996

Founded in 1996, Henan Literature and Art Publishing House mainly publishes books on literature and art, social sciences and broadly cultural subjects, and also edits and publishes the journal Celebrity Biography, gradually forming a publishing style characterized by full-length historical novels and biographical literature. Judging from the 269 titles in the database, its publishing scope also covers mystery and detective fiction, foreign literature, classic works and world classics. Representative books include Ellery Queen's four tragedies, Slaughterhouse-Five, Blindness, The Siege of Lisbon, The History of the Siege of Lisbon, the ten-volume Collected Works of Wang Zengqi, Old Tales Retold and the two-volume Classic Short Stories of Stanisław Lem, the God of Science Fiction. In terms of authors, it includes foreign masters such as Kurt Vonnegut, José Saramago and Ellery Queen, as well as translators such as Yang Xi, Yu Jianhua and Fan Weixin.

版权信息
宫廷、延安和鸡蛋
茄子之交
四川饭店杂忆
他乡异味他乡异味
假如餐桌少了胡食
洋餐土食
川菜杂谈
猪头的前世今生
古往今来说火腿
地羊际遇
涮肉寻源
烤鸭辨踪
螃蟹味寻
豆腐的贵与贱
豆腐西行记
宫廷、延安和鸡蛋
歪批莱菔
黄瓜活吃
白菜随想
韭菜的辈分
葱之品格
大蒜食经
大话稀粥
锅巴往事
面之高下
吃醋的代价
脂膏说道
月饼杂拾
冰糖葫芦
臭食巡礼
自序味外有味

FAQ

What is the connection and difference between Six Flavors and Wang Lang's earlier work, Food and Clothing in the Grand Scheme?

Both are collections of cultural essays in the same vein, concerned with the cultural connotations of food, clothing, and daily life. Food and Clothing in the Grand Scheme focuses more on the concrete objects and cultural examination of "food" and "clothing"; Six Flavors has a broader range of subjects, adding more character reminiscences and social essays, with a stronger flavor of personal life reflection, and can be seen as a further expansion of the author's writing horizons.

What is author Wang Lang's background? Is his style heavily influenced by his father, Wang Zengqi?

Wang Lang is the eldest son of the famous writer Wang Zengqi and a veteran media professional. His style indeed inherits the "plain, simple, and lingeringly flavorful" side of Mr. Wang Zengqi, and he is good at discovering poetry and interest in ordinary life. But Wang Lang's pen also carries a media professional's keenness and direct observation of contemporary society; his language, while calm, often reveals humor and banter, forming his own distinctive style.

What is the book's Douban rating? How do readers generally evaluate it?

According to Douban Books data, the book has maintained a rating above 8, placing it among well-received works. Readers generally find its writing warm and flavorful, with knowledge and interest well combined, allowing them to gain something from light reading. Many readers particularly praise the chapters on old Beijing's sights and literary anecdotes, finding them full of human warmth and cultural temperature.

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About the author

汪朗 Author

Public information about Wang Lang is limited: his birth and death years, native place, and professional career are not clearly documented. Judging from the works held in the library, there are ten titles under his name, most of them related to the writings of Wang Zengqi, such as *Ordination* and volumes in the "Wang Zengqi Small Complete Works" series, including *Big Nan River Chronicle*, *The Rain of Kunming*, *Four Directions of Food*, *Father and Son Through the Years*, *New Year Offerings*, *Journey to the Tianshan Mountains*, and *Masters of Chickens and Ducks*. These works span fiction and prose, and are commonly classified under classic works and essays. They generally center on daily life, food and local customs, family and old friends, and travel observations, with a calm, restrained style that emphasizes detail and the flavor of ordinary life. Because no public sources document the author's personal biography, this introduction makes no speculation and presents only the editorial and compilation focus reflected in the library's holdings.