Chinese cuisine has a rich history dating back more than three millennia. Increasingly, those of us living outside of China are getting a clearer picture of the complexity that’s developed. Regional Chinese specialties are (thankfully) beginning to arrive on US shores, and a contemporary Chinese meal is no longer the egg foo yung of yesteryear. Still, one element of Chinese cookery that we haven’t seen, perhaps ironically, is much more popular in China than sit-down restaurants: street food! Every day, nearly one-fifth of humanity consumes quick meat-filled buns, skewers of meat, and cheap noodles on every street corner across China. And―you are more likely to faithfully recreate these dishes at home than you are to master the wok! The dishes described throughout Fire & Spice are simple, delicious, and not the first thing that comes to mind when you consider Chinese food. Yet, they are arguably closer to China’s everyday grub and well within your trip to the local supermarket. Come along as we present surprisingly and deeply Chinese morsels of goodness. Along with traditional recipes and methods of street cookery adapted for the home kitchen, Fire & Spice is filled with beautiful photos, anecdotes, history, and folklore related to this beloved cuisine. From genuinely surprised foreign friends to globetrotting chefs, our fellow Sinophiles share their tales from the Chinese street.