The Tastes of Chairman Mao.

This article examines instances in which Mao Zedong used food as a symbol or administrative contrivance for mass mobilization and political maneuvering during the Great Leap Forward and its aftermath. This type of “food politics” was based on some seemingly trivial matters, such as Mao’s personal preferences for certain foods, a steamed bun brought to his attention by his bodyguard, his diet during the famine, and so on. On one hand, in a political environment dominated by Mao’s personality cult and in a culture that placed great importance on culinary matters, the “triviality” of Mao’s food preferences or comments nevertheless had a cascade effect that endlessly multiplied and extended into much broader statecraft. On the other hand, in a subtle and savvy way, grassroots society circumvented the established political legitimacy with the very same comments, effectively using Mao’s own words against the policies that Mao himself advocated and enforced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]