Chinese Food Introduction

Index-China.com

There is an enormous variety of Chinese food that differs greatly from region to region. One interesting thing about Chinese traveling in China or Hong Kong is to try out different food.

You will find how different from what you have known from the fast food stand and how enjoyable it will be if you just release yourself from traditional food paradigm.

Famine and hardship
Famine and hardship played a large role in the development of the cuisine. China has been an agricultural civilization for thousands of years and has suffered from poor harvests.

Energy Saving
The lack of cooking fuel from thousands of years of settlement and clear-cutting prompted the development of stir-frying. The need to save fuel became so influential that most Chinese dishes require a lengthy preparation but only a few minutes cooking time.

Healthier and Tasteful
Most Chinese dishes are cooked with meat and vegetables together, so the foods contain lower calories and are less rich than Western style food.

Beijing Food
Beijing food is the most famous food of China, particularly known for Beijing Duck The northern part of China has a cold climate unsuitable to grow rice, so wheat is the primary grain consumed. Northern Chinese eat more breads than those in the south, where rice predominates.

Cantonese Food
Cantonese food or Guangdong food is typically steamed, boiled or stir-fried. It is a very healthy food since it uses minimum of oil. The main ingredients of this type of Chinese food are seafood, pork, chicken and vegetables, but could include almost anything. You need white rice to accompany the meal to make it complete unless it is a special banquet.

Sichuan Food
What is typical of this southwestern province of China is the spicy taste of its food. Many Sichuan dishes are prepared using chili pepper oil, which gives a special taste to the food. The most famous Sichuan dish is the Gongbao (Kung Pao) chicken, fried with peanuts and chili pepper.

Some noodle knowledge
There are egg noodles, wheat noodles, and rice flour noodles.

• Wheat noodles are often found in Shanghai noodle dishes. These are round wheat noodles that are cooked then stir-fried in a savory sauce with chicken, pork and shrimp.
• Rice flour noodles are often found in Singapore-style noodle dishes and use rice vermicelli noodles cooked with curry powder, shrimp, barbecued pork and ham.
• Egg noodles are often found in Cantonese restaurants as noodle soup (like won ton mien), or stir-fried in a dish.

There are two types of noodle dish.

The first is lo mien which is a plate of cooked (boiled) noodles with some barbeque pork or duck and some vegetables on the side of the plate, and accompanied with a bowl of broth.

The second is Chow mien in which the noodles are pan fried and then mixed with stir-fried vegetables, meat, and seafood.

Soup
Chinese soups have been part of Chinese meals for a long time. There are many different types of Chinese soups. Sweet corn and hot/sour soups are the most popular soups to westerners. Chinese make their soups with chicken, meat or vegetable stock. Chinese soups are very tasteful and can be light in both texture and flavor. Yet some of the soups are filling enough to be a meal by themselves.

Chinese Tea
Tea drinking is an integral part of Chinese life and the Chinese food experience. Tea is believed to be good for you. The Chinese were the first to discover the tea leaf and have been drinking tea ever since in many varieties.

More
Food and cooking in China can be divided into 4 main types or styles

Northern style:
more wheat than rice is eaten in the north. Jiaozi (Steamed dumplings) are a special dish as are spring rolls. Peking Duck too is a famous dish from the north.
The city of Xi'an is famous for it's dumplings known as jiaozi. There are many different types and each type is shaped differently, depending on what is inside. Some contain chicken, some pork, and there is one dumpling which is pinched to make three sections, each containing a different filling.

Peking Duck
Ducks are fed a rich paste made of grain and soybean to fatten them. After killing and plucking, the ducks are rubbed with spices, salt and sugar and the body cavities are filled with boiling water.
The ducks are roasted in an oven, or hung over an open fire where the skin absorbs the smells of burning fruitwood. Slices of Peking Duck are served wrapped in a thin pancake with sliced cucumber, shallots and a sauce/paste made of soy.

Eastern style:
Fish is the ingredient for many dishes from this part of China. Fish tail stew, hot and sour fish soup, steamed crabs and deep fried fish with bamboo shoots are some dishes served in restaurants.

Western style:
Red chilli, garlic, peppercorns and ginger used in the cooking make the dishes of this style hot and spicy. Stir fried pork with hot sauce, stewed eel with garlic, stir fried beef with chilli and Chinese cabbage soups are some dishes of the Western Style.

Southern style:
Dishes cooked in this style include steamed lobster, sweet and sour pork with pineapple, stir fried snake meat with mushrooms, prawns with chilli, roasted pork ribs and stir fried chicken with bok choy.