Chinese Cuisine Culture 中餐文化

Chinese cuisine is widely regarded as representing one of the richest and most diverse culinary（烹饪） heritages in the world. It originated from different regions of China and has been introduced to other parts of the world.

A meal in Chinese culture is typically consisting of two general components: a carbohydrate（碳水化合物）source or starch（淀粉）, known as “main food” (staple) -- typically rice, noodles, or steamed buns (mantou), and accompanying dishes of vegetables, fish, meat, or other items, known as “dishes”.

In many parts of China, particularly North China, wheat-based food including noodles and steamed buns dominates. However, rice is a critical part of much of Chinese cuisine in south China. However, at formal occasions, no rice will be served; in such a case, rice would only be provided at the end of the meal. Soup is also served at the end of a meal to satisfy diners’ appetite. 

Chopsticks are the primary eating utensil in Chinese culture for solid foods, while soups and other liquids are enjoyed with a wide, flat-bottomed spoon. wooden chopsticks are losing their dominance due to recent wood shortage in China and East Asia; Many Chinese eating establishments are considering a switch to a more environmentally sustainable eating utensil, such as plastic or bamboo chopsticks. In most dishes in Chinese cuisine, food is prepared in smaller pieces (e.g. vegetable, meat, tofu), ready for direct picking up and eating. Traditionally, Chinese culture considered using knives and forks at the table “barbaric”（野蛮的）due to fact that these implements are regarded as weapons. Fish are usually cooked and served whole, with diners directly pulling pieces from the fish with chopsticks. This is because it is desired for fish to be served as fresh as possible. A common Chinese saying “including head and tail” refers to the wholeness and completion of a certain task or, in this case, the display of food.

In a Chinese meal, each individual diner is given their own bowl of rice while the accompanying dishes are served in communal plates (or bowls) （公用盘或碗）which are shared by everyone sitting at the table. In the Chinese meal, each diner picks food out of the communal plates on a bite-by-bite basis with their chopsticks. For hygienic（卫生的）reason, additional serving spoons or chopsticks may be available. The food selected is often eaten together with a mouthful of rice.

Chinese meals do not typically end with a dessert or dessert course. Instead, sweet foods are often introduced during the course of the meal. For instance, the basi fruit dishes (sizzling sugar syrup coated fruits such as banana or apple)（拔丝香蕉/苹果）are eaten alongside other savory dishes. Chinese cuisine does not have many sweet foods, some of which are fried, and several others incorporate red bean paste (豆沙). The matuan and the doushabao is filled with red bean paste eaten for breakfast. Another dessert is “Eight Treasure Rice Pudding ”.

If dessert is served at the end of the meal, by far the most typical choice is fresh fruit, such as sliced oranges. The second most popular choice is a type of sweet soup, typically made with red beans and sugar. This soup is served warm.

In Chinese culture, cold beverages are believed to be harmful to digestion of hot food, so items like ice-cold water or soft drinks are traditionally not served at meal-time. Besides soup, beverages as hot tea or hot water are most likely served. And tea is believed to help in the digestion of greasy foods.

                     Abridged and revised from

http://www.fao.org/es/ess/yearbook/vol_1_2/pdf/China.pdf

Eight Regional Varieties of Chinese Cuisine 中国八大菜系

China covers a large territory and has many nationalities; hence there is a wide variety of Chinese foods, each with quite different flavors. It is widely agreed that Chinese food can be divided into eight regional cuisines: Cantonese Cuisine, Sichuan Cuisine, Anhui Cuisine, Shandong Cuisine, Fujian Cuisine, Jiangsu Cuisine(specifically Huaiyang cuisine), Hunan Cuisine, and Zhejiang Cuisine. These cuisines are distinctive from one another due to factors such as history, climate, geography, availability of resources (raw materials and ingredients), cooking techniques, local lifestyle, and basic methods of preservation such as salting, pickling and fermentation, etc. 

Cantonese cuisine, tasting light, crisp and fresh, is the Chinese cuisine perhaps most familiar to westerners. Cantonese Cuisine, most cooking techniques are used, especially stir-frying and steaming, which helps to preserve the ingredient’s natural flavors. Dim sum（点心）, literally “touch your heart”, is a Cantonese term for small hearty dishes. These bite-sized portions are prepared using traditional cooking methods such as frying, steaming, stewing and baking. It is designed so that one person may taste a variety of different dishes. Some of these may include rice rolls, lotus leaf rice, turnip cakes, buns, jiaozi, stir-fried① green vegetables, congee porridge, soups, etc. The Cantonese style of dining, yum cha（饮茶）, combines the variety of dim sum dishes with the drinking of tea. Yum cha literally means “drink tea”. Typical menu items of Cantonese cuisine are Chinese Steamed Eggs; Congee with Lean Pork and Century Egg; Sweet and Sour Pork; etc.

Sichuan cuisine, is a style of Chinese cuisine originating from the Sichuan Province of southwestern China famed for bold flavors, particularly the pungency（辛辣）and spiciness resulting from liberal use of garlic and chili peppers, as well as the unique flavor of the Sichuan peppercorn (花椒) and sky-facing pepper (朝天椒). Peanuts, sesame paste and ginger are also prominent ingredients in this style. Typical menu of Sichuan cuisine are: Hot Pot, Smoked Duck, Kung Pao Chicken, Mapo Tofu, etc.

Anhui cuisine is derived from the native cooking styles of the Huangshan Mountains in China and is similar to Jiangsu cuisine, but with less emphasis on seafood and more on a wide variety of local herbs and vegetables. Anhui Province is particularly endowed with fresh bamboo and mushroom crops. Anhui cuisine, focused on cooking temperature, is more often braised than fried. Ham is commonly used as a seasoning, and candied sugar is used for freshness. Typical local menu items are: Stewed Snapper; Huangshan Braised Pigeon ; Luzhou Roast Duck, etc.

Shandong cuisine is commonly known as Lu cuisine. With a long history, Shandong Cuisine once formed an important part of the imperial cuisine and was widely promoted in North China. Shandong cuisine, pure and not greasy, is characterized by its emphasis on aroma, freshness, crispness and tenderness. Shallots（青葱）and garlic are frequently used as seasonings so Shandong dishes taste pungent. Shandong cuisine features a variety of cooking techniques and seafood ingredients. The typical dishes are: Braised Abalone(鲍鱼),Braised Trepan(海参),Sweet and Sour Carp,Dezhou Chicken, etc.

   Fujian cuisine is influenced by Fujian’s coastal position and mountainous terrain. Woodland delicacies such as edible mushrooms and bamboo shoots are also utilized. Slicing techniques are valued in the cuisine and utilized to enhance the flavor, aroma and texture of seafood and other foods. Fujian cuisine is often served in soup, with cooking techniques including braising, stewing, steaming and boiling. It is renowned for its choice of seafood, beautiful color and magical tastes of sweet, sour and salt. The most distinct feature is their "pickled taste". Notable dishes in Fujian cuisine are: Buddha Jumping Over the Wall(佛跳墙), Braised Frog, Drunken Ribs, Red Yeast Chicken, and Yanpi, etc.

Jiangsu cuisine consists of the styles of Yangzhou, Nanjing, Suzhou and Zhenjiang dishes. It is famous for its distinctive style and taste. It is especially popular in the lower reach of the Yangtze River. Typical courses of Jiangsu cuisine are: Jinling Salted Dried Duck, Crystal Meat, Clear Crab Shell Meatballs, Yangzhou Steamed Jerky Strips, Triple Combo Duck, Dried Duck, Farewell My Concubine, Sweet and Sour Mandarin Fish, etc.

Hunan cuisine is well known for its hot spicy flavor, fresh aroma and dark color. Common cooking techniques include stewing, frying, pot-roasting, braising, and smoking. Due to the high agricultural output of the region, there are many varied ingredients for Hunan dishes, such as fish, rice and vegetables. The strong flavors that define the cuisine are chili, pepper and shallot. Typical courses of Hunan cuisine are: Changsha-style Stinky Tofu, “Dry-wok” chicken; Homemade  Bean Curd, Steamed Fish Head in Chili Sauce, etc.

Zhejiang cuisine derives from the native cooking styles of the Zhejiang region. The dishes are not greasy but a fresh, soft, tender, smooth flavor with a mellow fragrance. The cuisine consists of at least four styles, each of which originated from different cities in the province: Hangzhou style, characterized by rich variations and the use of bamboo shoots; Shaoxing style, specializing in poultry and freshwater fish; Ningbo style, specializing in seafood; Shanghai style, a combination of different Zhe styles, is also very famous for its dim sum. Typical dishes in Zhejiang cuisine are: Dongpo Pork, Beggar’s Chicken, West Lake Fish in Vinegar, etc.

Abridged and revised from

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_cuisine