The bilingual version of Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) poet and scholar Yuan Mei's manual of gastronomy, Suiyuan Shidan, will be released in the United States on Feb 5. [Photo provided to China Daily]

"The expressions were different, and there was no punctuation, "says Chen, who learned classical Chinese using the Kangxi Dictionary along with other online resources.

However, as he became more proficient in classical Chinese, Chen began spending more time figuring out the recipes and their ingredients.

"There was this 'white tendon' that had to be cleaned from fish. That took a lot of research," says Chen.

"A lot of time was also spent figuring out the scientific names of the animals and plants referred to in the book."

The task of translating the book was split into multiple chapters and sections, which made it easier.

Each day, when he finished dealing with his work and family responsibilities, he picked up where he had left off.

"Basically, it involved doing the translation and research work whenever I had free time, which included commuting to work, "says Chen.

Chen says he has a deeper understanding of Chinese cuisine after translating the book.

"I notice what was eaten and cooked in the past is very similar to what is eaten now, and there is something of an unbroken lineage."

He also says there are huge influences of other cultures-Central Asian, Middle Eastern and European-on Chinese food.

"Fusion cuisine is not something new and modern but has been alive for centuries," says Chen.