Chinese Foods Culture
China is very famous for its food in the world. There are many kinds of food in China
The Chinese have a common saying "People regard food as their prime want".
lt should clearly justify the importance that "food" holds in Chinese peoples lives. Food is not just meant to fill the stomach; having food at ones disposal, being able to consume a good amount of food, and knowing what and how to eat are all viewed as a good "fortune."
In traditional Chinese culture and education in the philosophy of yin and yang elements, the Confucian ethical concepts, nutrition Chinese medicine theory, there are cultural and artistic achievements, restaurants aesthetic fashion, national character traits under the influence of many factors to create a shine in the annals of the Chinese cooking skills, a profound knowledge of Chinese food culture.
There are eight major schools of cooking in China. Generally speaking, Cantonese food is a bit light, Sichuan food is very hot, Shanghai food is rather oily, and Hunan dishes are very spicy, having a strong and hot taste. Mapo Bean curd, steamed fish sweet and sour pork ribs, spring roll and many Chinese dishes are very delicious. In the north of China, people eat a lot of noodles and dumplings. In the south of China, people eat a lot of rice and seafood. Chinese food is good in color, flavor and taste.
Eight Major Schools
Sichuan Cuisine
Typical Dishes
Yuxiang rousi (shredded pork with garlic sauce)
Sichuan cuisine, known as Chuan Cai in Chinese is the most popular dishes in the eight major schools of China's culinary art. Sichuan cuisines consist of Chengdu, Chongqing and vegetarian dishes. Masterly used cooking techniques are sauteing, stir-frying without stewing, dry-braising, Pao (soaking in water) and Hui (frying then braising with corn flour sauce). Sichuan cuisine is famous for its distinct and various flavors, the most outstanding ones are fish flavors, pepper powder boiled in oil, strange flavor and sticky-hot.
Shandong Cuisine
Typical Dishes
Sweet and sour carp
Consisting of Jinan cuisine and Jiaodong cuisine, Shandong cuisine, clear, pure and not greasy, is characterized by its emphasis on aroma, freshness, crispness and tenderness. Shallot and garlic are usually used as seasonings so Shandong dishes tastes pungent usually. Soups are given much emphasis in Shandong dishes. Thin soup features clear and fresh while creamy soup looks thick and tastes strong. Jinan cuisine is adept at deep-frying, grilling, frying and stir-frying while Jiaodong division is famous for cooking seafood with fresh and light taste.
Chaozhou Cuisine
Typical Dishes
Sliced Chicken with Chicken Livers and Ham
Chaozhou Cuisine is the name of a coastal region around the Shantou district of eastern Guangdong Province. Naturally, as a fishing area, seafood features prominently in Chaozhou cuisine, which is often enhanced by piquant sauces, such as tangerine jam for steamed lobsters and broad-bean paste for fish. The mouthwatering prawns, oysters, crabs and eels, combined with home-made pickles, play a symphony of traditional cuisine and leave people with everlasting impression.
Zhejiang Cuisine
Typical Dishes
West Lake Fish in Vinegar Gravy
Zhejiang cuisine, also called Zhe Cai for short, is one of the eight famous culinary schools in China. Comprising the specialties of Hangzhou, Ningbo and Shaoxing in Zhejiang Province regarded as land of fish and rice, Zhejiang cuisine, not greasy, wins its reputation for freshness, tenderness, softness, and smoothness of its dishes with mellow fragrance.
Hangzhou cuisine is the most famous one among the three. Hangzhou cuisine is characterized by its elaborate preparation and varying techniques of cooking, such as sauteing, stewing, and stir- and deep-frying. Hangzhou food tastes fresh and crisp, varying with the change of season. Ningbo food is a bit salty but delicious. Specializing in steamed, roasted and braised seafood, Ningbo cuisine is particular in retaining the original freshness, tenderness and softness. Shaoxing cuisine offers fresh aquatic food and poultry that has a special rural flavor, sweet in smell, soft and glutinous in taste, thick in gravy and strong in season.
Jiangsu Cuisine
Typical Dishes
Steamed pork and crab meat ball
Jiangsu Cuisine, also called Huaiyang Cuisine, is popular in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River. Using fish and crustaceans as the main ingredients, it stresses their freshness. Its carving techniques are delicate, of which the melon carving technique is especially well known. Cooking techniques consist of stewing, braising, roasting, and simmering. The flavor of Huaiyang Cuisine is light, fresh and sweet and its presentation is delicately elegant.
Fujian Cuisine
Typical Dishes
Buddha-jumping-over-the-wall
Fujian cuisine, also called Min Cai for short, holds an important position in China's culinary art. Fujian cuisine comprises three branches -- Fuzhou, South Fujian and West Fujian. There are slight differences among them. Fuzhou dishes, quite popular in eastern, central and northern Fujian Province, are more fresh, delicious, and less salty, sweet, and sour; South Fujian dishes, popular in Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou and the golden triangle of South Fujian, are sweet and hot and use hot sauces, custard, and orange juice as flavorings; West Fujian dishes are salty and hot, prevailing in Hakka region with strong local flavor. As Fujian people emigrate overseas, their cuisine become popular in Taiwan and abroad. Generally speaking, Fujian dishes are slightly sweet and sour, and less salty, and often use the red distiller's grain for flavoring.
Hunan Cuisine
Typical Dishes
Chicken in chili sauce
Hunan cuisine, also called Xiang Cai for short, is one of the eight regional cuisines of China. Hunan dishes consist of local dishes from the Xiangjiang River area, Dongting Lake area and Western Hunan mountain area. Xiangcai is famous for its chilli and spicy flavor and it is similar to that of western China's Sichuan province. Chili, garlic and the unusual so-called "strange sauce" enliven many dishes.
Anhui Cuisine
Typical Dishes
Yan Xian Guiyu
Anhui cuisine (Hui Cai for short), comprises the specialties of South Anhui, Yanjiang and Huai Bei. The highly distinctive characteristic of Anhui cuisine lies not only in the elaborate choices of cooking materials but also in the strict control of cooking process.
Most ingredients in Anhui cuisine, such as pangolin, stone frog, mushroom, bayberry, tea leaves, bamboo shoot, dates, games, etc., are from mountain area. Huangshan Mountain has abundant products for dish cooking. Anhui cuisine chefs pay more attention to the taste, color of dishes and the temperature to cook them, and are good at braising and stewing. Generally， the food here is slightly spicy and salty.
Other Famous Dishes
Beijing Roast Duck
Jiaozi