When this book was translated and published in Finland, the exotic ingredients were impossible to find. I tested those recipes I could and they were all excellent. If you want a glimpse of the immense concept that is "Chinese kitchen", I highly recommend this book. It contains even all the controversial classics such as shark fin soup and bird's nest soup. The recipes are still useful since you can substitute shark fin with glass noodles and bird's nests with snow fungus (Tremella fuciformis) or egg white, for example.