Digging Into Chinese Food

Chinese food has an ancient pedigree, and many of its still-current ingredients date back to the Stone and Bronze Ages. It would be no surprise to learn that rice was grown there over 8000 years ago. But it is also an ever-changing and evolving cuisine, with many food items we take for granted—like spicy Sichuan chili pepper—only recently introduced. Archaeologist Bob Jones will talk about how Chinese cuisine has maintained an age-old consistency, at the same time becoming more inclusive and cosmopolitan, reflecting the gastronomical world within China and the delicious effects of its encounters with a world of foods from beyond China’s borders. After the illustrated talk, you are welcome to taste fresh samples of ancient foods, modeled upon the archaeological and historical record.