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Chinese Recipes
hold a popular place among the entire population of the
world. You can find a Chinese restaurant in every major city and
in many smaller areas of the world as well. Why is Chinese food so
popular? Is Chinese food healthy? What is the history of Chinese
food?
The History of Chinese Food
The history of Chinese food is an interesting one. Unlike many
cultures the Chinese believe that the preparation of food is an
art and not simply a craft. The art of cooking Chinese food can
include dishes and food preparation techniques which are difficult
to develop and may require the expertise of a chef with lots of
experience. One such technique is noodle pulling (scroll down to
the bottom of the page to learn more about this technique). Noodle
pulling requires skill and lots of practice and results in a
delicious noodle dish. This article will refer to noodle pulling
later on, but for now, let’s go back to the history of Chinese
food.
Chinese food and the way it is prepared is very much influenced by
the two major philosophies, which influence the entire Chinese
culture. These dominant philosophies are Confucianism and Taoism.
Both have these philosophies have influenced the way that the
Chinese people cook and the way that they enjoy their food..
Confucianism and Chinese Cuisine
Confucius was the man behind the Confucianism beliefs. Among many
other standards Confucius established standards for proper table
etiquette and for the appearance and taste of Chinese food. One of
the standards set by Confucius (you might have noticed this at an
authentic Chinese restaurant) is that food must be cut into small
bite size pieces before serving the dish. This is a custom that is
definitely unique to the Chinese culture.
Knives at the dinner table are also considered to be a sign of
very poor taste by those who embrace Confucianism beliefs. The
standards of quality and taste that Confucius recommended required
the perfect blend of ingredients, herbs and condiments--a blend
which would result in the perfect combination of flavor. Confucius
also emphasized the importance of the texture and color of a dish,
and taught that food must be prepared and eaten with harmony.
Interestingly enough, Confucius was also of the opinion that an
excellent cook must first make an excellent matchmaker.
Taoism and Chinese Cuisine
Those who follow the Taoism beliefs focus on the health benefits
of particular foods vs. the presentation of the same. Taoists
search for foods that will increase their health and longevity.
They search for foods that have healing powers. Many times these
benefits were often referred to as ‘life giving powers’. For
instance, the Chinese found that ginger, which can be considered
to be a garnish or a condiment was found to be a remedy for upset
stomachs or a remedy for colds.
Is Chinese Food Healthy?
Chinese food, when authentic is probably the healthiest food in
the world. Some restaurants, which are not authentic, prepare
their menu with highly saturated fats or with meats that contain
unhealthy amounts of animal fat. These Chinese restaurants are not
recommended and they are both neither authentic nor healthy.
Good Chinese food however, is prepared and cooked with
poly-unsaturated oils. Authentic Chinese food does not require the
use of milk-fat ingredients such as cream, butter or cheese. Meat
is used, but not in abundance, which makes it easy for those who
love authentic Chinese food to avoid high levels of animal fat.
Many believe that authentic Chinese food is really the ideal diet.
Chinese Restaurants in Every Part of the Nation
Whether it is in a Tennessee Chinese Restaurant to a New York
Chinese restaurant you are going to find culinary dishes that are
both healthy and delicious. Savor the flavor with Chinese food!
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