Golden Pheasants Welcome Spring, prepared by Lu Jiaming
Dieter Mackenbach, the person behind the Instagram @chinese plating, never would have guessed that a trip to the local library would send him on a path toward being obsessed with culinary history. Mackenbach is the person behind the Instagram account @chinese plating, which posts images of 20th-century Chinese food design in archival magazine collections, highlighting their intricate creations. The images are fun to look at and they offer a new perspective on the cuisine, telling historical stories and showcasing impressive techniques.
“Everywhere I ve lived, I ve always made extensive use of the local libraries. I spent a lot of time in the Chinese National Library in Beijing and became really interested in Chinese culinary magazines,” Mackenbach said, specifically citing the ’80s magazines China Culinary and Sichuan Gastronomy. He checked them out from the library and started taking pictures because he was fascinat