It has also become associated with female sassiness and sexiness, from the peppery character Wang Xifeng in the classic 18th-century novel Dream of the Red Chamber to a modern pop song, ‘Spicy Girls’, by the Hunanese singer Song Zuying (the chilli-laced video of this song, available on YouTube, is fun to watch). The Chile Pepper in China is a valuable resource for anyone interested in Chinese culinary culture or the global history of the chilli as symbol — ‘vitamin, vegetable, preservative and spice’. Dott’s research is extensive, while his writing is entertaining, digestible and peppered with much fascinating information.