Veggie Blog

Eileen Yin-Fei Lo’s From the Earth: Chinese Vegetarian Cooking explores Chinese ingredients and techniques through a largely vegetable-led kitchen. Published in 1995, it draws on the author’s food memories and includes chapters devoted to vegetables, rice, noodles, soups and bean curd. The original description mentions around 200 recipes and illustrations; the book is as much about understanding a cooking tradition as collecting dishes.

An important qualification: it is not entirely vegetarian

Despite its title, From the Earth includes a chapter called “The Occasional Fish”, with recipes involving seafood. This is confirmed by the catalogue description and contents. Strict vegetarians and vegans should not assume that every recipe qualifies. Check fish, oyster sauce and other animal-derived ingredients, including those appearing in sauces, before cooking.

Why the technique sections matter

Readers interested in Chinese home cooking can learn from the attention to steaming, stir-frying and working with a wok. These techniques reward preparation: wash and cut vegetables first, have sauce components ready and cook ingredients according to their texture. Mushrooms and leafy greens behave differently from firm carrots or tofu. The goal is to understand the method, not to treat any one stir-fry formula as universal.

Tofu, greens and everyday variety

Bean curd provides a flexible centre for dishes that combine vegetables, aromatics and rice or noodles. For everyday nutrition, the NHS recognises tofu, beans and pulses as vegetarian protein options and recommends a varied diet. Soy sauce and other condiments can contribute considerable salt, so tasting and measuring are sensible. These are general kitchen and dietary considerations, rather than therapeutic promises from the book.

Finding a copy today

The original hardcover is identified by ISBN 0026329859. Mostly used copies are offered, and availability and condition of collectible copies can change.

Book: From the Earth: Chinese Vegetarian Cooking by Eileen Yin-Fei Lo

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