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When it comes to
food, the Chinese have a common saying, “The masses regard
food as their heaven,” which means that food is people’s primal
want. It should clearly justify the importance that “eating” holds
in Chinese people’s lives. Eating is not just meant to fill the
stomach; having food at one’s disposal, being able to consume a
good amount of food, and knowing what and how to eat are all
viewed as a good “fortune.” Those who promote food culture often
use the words of Chinese philosopher Confucius, “diet and
love-making, all primal needs of every human being,” finding an
aspiring and positive thought basis for such an epicurean
lifestyle. There’s probably not another place in this world that
has as great a variety of delicious fare as China. If judging by
the art and techniques of cooking, aside from France and Italy,
perhaps the skills of chefs of no other country can gain
recognition from the Chinese.
Extremely developed culinary techniques can make seemingly
inedible ingredients, to foreign eyes, into dish after dish of
delicious treats by the hands of Chinese chefs. The Chinese
cookbook also contains quite an extensive list of foods, including
just about anything edible with very few taboos. The Chinese, who
see eating as a fortune and life as an art, not only created
various kinds of regional food styles in its own vast lands, but
have also spread Chinese food culture to far across the seas.
Today, in this world where even the farthest corners can seem as
close as one’s backyard, Chinese food can be enjoyed in each and
every metropolitan throughout the world.
Like many other countries with a vast territory, Chinese cuisines
are differentiated largely by its northern and southern regional
tastes. Although the best quality rice in China is grown in its
northeastern regions, people in those regions, however, just as
other northerners, prefer to eat pasta or pastry instead. In the
north, classic dishes include Beijing’s lamb hotpot (fondue) and
roast duck, and Shandong province’s Lu style cuisines. In the
south, the principal foods (foods that are the main source of
carbohydrates and dietary fibers, e.g. bread and cereal in the
west) are rice-based. A relatively greater variety of dishes are
found in the south. There you can find the hot and heavily spiced
Sichuan food, Xiang (Hunan) food, sweet and delicate Huaiyang food
and the Yue (Cantonese) style which are mostly seafood and soups.
Thus foreigners who have been to China are often pleasantly
surprised by the great differences in taste and food types by
region.
Having Chinese food not only indulges people’s sense of taste, the
sense of sight is also entertained. The Chinese culinary arts rely
on the canon of “color (aesthetic beauty), aroma, and taste,”
missing any one element would not make a good dish. To make the
food pleasing to the eye, usually the appropriate meat and
non-meat ingredients are selected; it would include a single main
ingredient and two or three secondary ingredients of different
colors. Blue, green, red, yellow, white, black and brown sauce
colors are to be mixed in the right combination. Through proper
cooking techniques, aestheticism in food is achieved. “Aroma” is
achieved by using the right spices, such as scallion, ginger,
garlic, cooking wine, aniseed, cassia bark, black pepper, sesame
oil, shiitake mushrooms and so on, to stimulate the appetite with
the aroma from the cooked food. When preparing food, techniques
such as fry, stir-fry, roast, steam, deep-fry, quick-fry, simmer
and others are put to use, with the goal of preserving the natural
taste and juices of the food. One can also add the right amounts
of soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, spices, spicy pepper and other
seasoning, making the dishes taste salty, sweet, sour, hot and
much more. With tomatoes, turnip, cucumber and other sculptural
vegetables to create elegant and intricate decorations to the
plate, and the use of exquisite fine china for dining ware,
Chinese cuisines really become a true art form complete with
aesthetic beauty, wonderful aroma, and great taste.
Americans rely on calculating calories and cholesterol content
from food to maintain good health and a shapely figure.
The Japanese are into trying various health foods to preserve an
everlasting youth. Different from both, the Chinese way of looking
at health lies in its philosophy of “food and medicine sharing the
same roots.” The firm belief that food has healing powers and
therapeutic effects has led to the introduction of many edible
plants and herbs. And with the benefits of disease prevention and
health preservation, they have become regular dishes in Chinese
homes. At the same time, there is the pursuit of refinement in
cooking. The amount of food and mixing of ingredients is very
essential, and it is recommended that meats and non-meats be used
in combination. Whether making dishes or soups, foods with suited
nutritional contents are put in combination so as to achieve the
goal of balanced nutritional intake. And it is recommended to dine
until the stomach is about 70% to 80% full, as this practice is
passed down the generations as a secret to long life.
At the dinner table, the Chinese has their own set of manners and
customs. When dining, the eater must be seated. When people of all
ages and both sexes sit at the same table, the elderly must be
seated with priority. One must eat food held with chopsticks; when
having soup, a soupspoon must be used. There’s also to be no noise
when eating and so on. These etiquettes have continued to this
day, but the biggest change is none other than the fact that more
and more Chinese have proactively given up the rule of “No talking
when eating.” Indeed, when dining with the Chinese, one would
frequently encounter a dining environment full of chatting and
noises. Many people who have their mouths full still intend to
chat away. This phenomenon may be due to the reason that
contemporary Chinese have come to consider dining as an important
social opportunity. People need, at this time, to relax and talk
about certain soothing and joyous topics to increase understanding
between those sitting at the table.
In recent years, due to the accelerated development of industries
and commerce, aside from traditional menu-ordered food services,
Chinese fast foods have dawned onto the scene. And not only this,
cuisines from every corner of the world have, one after another,
made their grand appearances in all major cities in China; Italian
pizza, French gourmet, Japanese sushi, American burgers, German
beers, Brazilian barbeque, Indian curry, Swiss cheese and more.
Anything one can think of can be found, a true all-inclusive list
of dining choices. It justifies the saying “Eat in China” even
more so.
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