Abstract
Chung-Hao Kuo’s dissertation takes a macro view of Chinese history through the lens of one indispensable feature on the dinner table of almost every Chinese: pork. Writing in delicious detail, Kuo historicizes the production and consumption of pork, describing how it became the country’s most widely consumed meat in conjunction with broader social and economic change. He traces its evolution through an interdisciplinary perspective, involving anthropological theory, the latest findings from the history of food, and social and economic history. He also makes use of a wide array of Chinese-language primary sources from ancient times to the Qing Dyynasty.