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Chinese Cuisine
Colorful, Aromatic And Delicious
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Colorful, aromatic and delicious are characteristics of China's varied cuisines. Wherever you find yourself in China, your senses are tested to the extreme whilst enjoying the unusual dishes, often unique for the area you are visiting.
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China covers a large territory and has many nationalities; hence there is a wide variety of Chinese foods, each with quite different but fantastic and mouthwatering flavors. Because China's local dishes have their own typical characteristics, Chinese food can be divided into eight regional cuisines, the distinction of which is now widely accepted. Certainly, there are many other local cuisines that are famous, such as Beijing Cuisine and Shanghai Cuisine.
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Beijing Cuisine
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This is the cuisine of the Northern Provinces. It is well known as Beijing cuisine, covering the regions of Hupeh, Shandong, Honan and Shansi Province. Beijing being the capital of many dynasties is the epicenter of Chinese culture and civilization. It is hardly surprising that the lavish Man Han banquet originates from Beijing.
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Due to its particular location, Beijing cuisine has been subjected to many other foreign influences. Firstly, Beijing was subjected to the marauding Mongols who started the Yuan dynasty (1279-1368) in Beijing. They introduced mutton the ubiquitous ingredient in Mongolian hotpot, a must-have pick-up during chilly autumns and freezing winters in the capital.
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The Manchus arrived next, setting up the Qing dynasty (1644-1911). They introduced the use of pork in a vast array of dishes into the cuisine. As the capital of China for the past eight centuries, Beijing, the seat of government, saw the arrival of gentry officials from the wealthy provinces of Jiangsu and Zhejiang who brought along their own chefs, to provide for their palate.
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The most significant influence came no doubt from Shangdong with the arrival of the merchants of Shangdong who introduced food elements of Shangdong who introduced food elements of Shangdong such as sea cucumber, sharks fin and scallops.
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The Northern cuisine is noted for its more substantial mixed stews and soups, climatically suited for its harsh winters and hot-dry summers. Wheat is the staple diet featuring in noodles and dumplings regularly consumed during meals. Flavours generally tend to be milder than those characteristics of the south and west. Buns, pancakes and noodles are popular.
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Beijing's most famous dish, Beijing Duck is roasted in wood fired ovens and savoured in three courses: the crispy skin is wrapped in pancake with crunchy cucumber and strands of spring onions in a sauce, the meat is stir-fried with vegetables and the carcass used to flavour a soup.
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Shanghai Cuisine
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The cuisine of the Eastern provinces is commonly known as the Kiangsu, Chekiang or Ningpo cuisine. When the Grand Canal was built in the Sui dynasty (AD581-618) a number of southern node including cities such as Yangzhou. This region is located at the lower end of the Yangtze River, an area renowned for its seafood such as prawns, eels, and crabs. This cuisine was developed by the great family homes of the imperially appointed salt merchants living in Yangzhou, Shanghai cuisine is part of the regional cuisine. Both rice and wheat are staple grains in this part of China, with rice and porridge popular in Fukien to the south whilst wheat is more popular in the north as in the consumption of noodles and bread, especially around the area near Shanghai. Shanghai chefs seek to enhance the natural flavour of ingredients used with the cautions use of sauces. Shanghai chefs pay close attention to aroma and flavour derived from the careful control of the heat of the wok. Shanghai cuisines favour steaming, stewing and broiling. Due to its location amidst rivers, lakes and long coastlines. Freshness is emphasized. Seafood, which is easily available, is predominantly used and enjoyed. Rice is a staple diet in the region and dishes are designed to accompany rice. The region favours "red cooking" involving the slow simmering of meat in a combination stock of soy sauce and rice wine. Other famous examples of Eastern cuisine are Lion Head meatballs and Pearl Balls.
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Cantonese Cuisine
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This is the cuisine of the southern provinces. It is well-known as Cantonese cuisine with Guangdong cuisine as its main representative. It is the most internationally renowned Chinese cuisine. This cuisine covers the areas of Guangdong, Kwangsi, Fukien and Taiwan. Geographically, the region enjoys fertile soils producing a wide diversity of ingredients. Its long coastline has allowed the development of a bustling fishing industry, which provides a rich assortment of fresh seafood for the area. Cantonese cuisine is distinct in its refined blend of the freshest variety of ingredients with sauces like oyster sauce. Cantonese chefs are open to hybridizing their recipes with "new" ingredients from overseas like lemon, curry and mayonnaise.
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Frying, braising, roasting plays a key role in Southern cooking. Harmony in food is significant in Cantonese food especially in the unity found in super fresh ingredients, colours, textures, the subtle use of sauces, the garnishing of dishes. Cantonese chefs love to stir-fry, roast and braise.
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Roasts and barbecued meats (chicken, duck, goose, pork) are seldom prepared at home by Chinese families. They are the reserve of Cantonese chefs who excel in the crispy skin and yet retain the natural juices of roast pork or goose. Some families travel extensive miles just to find the best barbecued duck for that very special dinner with loved ones.
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Cantonese chefs are also renowned for their dim sum, literally translated as "those, which touch the heart". Dim sum is a popular cooking style made famous in Dim sum restaurants throughout the world especially in the foodie cities of the world like Hong Kong, London, San Francisco and Vancouver. Dim sum is an extensive variety of snacks taken with cups upon cups of hot tea like jasmine or oolong. Dim sum celebrates variety and taste. It can be starkly crispy, subtly steamed or meltingly braised. Dim sum is steamed, baked, fried, braised. They are served piping hot and fresh in little bamboo steamers, which are stacked on the trolley wheeled around by waitresses declaring their signature ware, sometimes in charming singsong fashion.
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Sichuan Cuisine
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The cuisine of the Western Provinces. It is otherwise known as the Hunan food cuisine. This cuisine is expressive of those in the provinces of Sichuan, Hunan and Yunnan. It ranks second to Cantonese cooking in terms of its international popularity. The region is a land-locked mountainous region although blessed by rich soil rendering fresh and abundant produce of the land. Generally, fiery mouth-burning hot, spicy, sour, pungent and salty flavours predominate with rice-based dishes. Geographical reasons account in large part for the Sichuan palate for spicy food. Strong spices provide a foil from the cold and humid weather found in this agricultural basin. Spices also act as a preservative in preserving fresh foods like fish and meat, chicken and pork.
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However, some famous Sichuan dishes are not spicy including the famous camphor and tea smoked duck. Frying and steaming feature in this cuisine together with strong and fiery spices like chili / peppers and the famous Sichuan peppercorn. Spanish traders introduced chillis in the 16th century from Mexico via the Philippines. Some famous specialities of Sichuan cuisine is Ma Po bean curd with spicy bean sauce, eggplant in garlic and Gongbao chicken which is evenly cut chicken cubes fried in a spicy and rich concoction of garlic, onions, chilli oil, Sichuan pepper corn. Signature dishes are Ma Po tofu, lightly stewed bean curd and minced meat in a spicy hot sauce, "fish" flavoured sauce and twice cooked pork with vegetables in a piquant sauce.
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