K. C. Chang (1) (1931–2001)

If you are a serious student of Chinese history and culture, you must own, not just read, this book. Its cross-disciplinary perspective makes it a book you will find yourself returning to on a regular basis as your own knowledge and understanding of Chinese history and culture grows. Passages once oblique or of little interest to you previously, will suddenly become the glue of new associations and insights. Topics include many of the classic myths of Chinese culture, common motifs, and symbols.

A must have if ever there was one. The original publication date was 1977 and it hasn't been updated since, which is a crying shame. This is probably due to an excess of information, more than to any lack of it but for a layman such as me an updated version of this book would be great.

A soklid book with useful illustrations

The other Chinese classic on gastronomy. Anthropological & Historical Perspectives.