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The Other Milk: Reinventing Soy in Republican China
✍️ Fu, Jia-Chen
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📝 Description: The Other Milk: Reinventing Soy in Republican China
In the early twentieth century, China was stigmatized as the "Land of Famine." Meanwhile in Europe and the United States, scientists and industrialists seized upon the soybean as a miracle plant that could help build modern economies and healthy nations. Soybeans, protein-packed and domestically grown, were a common food in China, and soybean milk (doujiang) was poised for reinvention for the modern age. Scientific soybean milk became a symbol of national growth and development on Chinese terms, and its competition with cow's milk reflected China's relationship to global modernity and imperialism. The Other Milk explores the curious paths that led to the notion of the deficient Chinese diet and to soybean milk as the way to guarantee food security for the masses. Jia-Chen Fu's in-depth examination of the intertwined relationships between diet, health, and nation illuminates the multiple forces that have been essential in the formation of nutrition science in China.
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⭐ Reader reviews
The starting rating comes from the team Eatbook Family —
Reader rating
4.6
Based on 1 reviews
E
Eatbook Family editorial team
This is a dense academic study rather than a practical culinary guide, making it unsuitable for casual readers seeking recipes or simple cooking tips. It demands patience from those unaccustomed to historical theory and scientific discourse. However, for scholars of food history, the analysis of soy milk as a tool for national self-definition is compelling and well-researched. The book succeeds in illuminating the complex relationship between diet, health, and nation-building without resorting to superficial narratives. It is essential for understanding the intellectual history of Chinese nutrition but remains inaccessible to those preferring light reading or practical kitchen advice.
