Do you use chopsticks while eating Chinese food?

While enjoying Chinese food for the first time, many foreigners may be confused by the distinctive facility - chopsticks! Getting used to fork and knife, it’s kind of hard to use this two simple sticks for foreigners. However, the use of chopsticks in this way is an art in itself and chopsticks have determined the way in which Chinese food is presented at table.

Chopsticks were developed about 5,000 years ago in China. In ancient times, chopsticks were called 'Zhu'. At that time, our ancestors liked to steam or boil food. It was difficult for them to use spoons to dip vegetables in the soup. So they cleverly invented 'Zhu' to nip food, thus it has become the most convenient tableware in their lives. Development of chopstick has experienced a long history. Early in Xia Dynasty (21st - 16th century BC), the shape of chopstick was still in development. Chopsticks only became two sticks of the same length in the Shang Dynasty (16th - 11th century BC). In the late Shang Dynasty, the tyrannical King Zhou ordered his craftsmen to make chopsticks from elephants' teeth, which was seen to be the most luxurious chopsticks in the early history of Chinese food culture.

Traditionally, chopsticks have been made from a variety of materials. Bamboo has been the most popular because it is inexpensive, readily available, easy to split, resistant to heat, and has no perceptible odor or taste. Cedar, sandalwood, teak, pine, and bone have also been used. The wealthy, however, often had chopsticks made from jade, gold, bronze, brass, agate, coral, ivory, and silver. In fact, during dynastic times it was thought that silver chopsticks would turn black if they came into contact with poisoned food. It is now known that silver has no reaction to arsenic or cyanide, but if rotten eggs, onion, or garlic are used, the hydrogen sulfide they release might cause these chopsticks to change color.

The appearance of chopsticks said goodbye to those days when our Chinese ancestors had to use their hands to grab food, so they featured the coming of civilization to food culture. The invention of chopsticks has many scientific theories. The lever principle of mechanics was applied into practice. The point where two chopsticks crossed is the pivot of the lever.

The use of chopsticks has been a part of Chinese food culture. There are some taboos of using chopsticks that you must pay great attention to, or you may make mistakes and be laughed at. First, don't use chopsticks to hit the side of your bowl or plate to make a lot of noise, because Chinese people think only beggars would do this to beg food. Second, when you use chopsticks, don't stretch out your index finger, which would be regarded as a kind of accusation to others. Never use chopsticks to point at others. Third, it is thought to be an impolite behavior when you suck the end of a chopstick. People will think you lack family education. Fourth, don't use chopsticks to poke at every dish without knowing what your want. And last, don't insert chopsticks vertically into the food. Chinese people do this only when they burn incense to sacrifice the dead.

Nowadays, chopsticks serve many new functions besides tableware. For example, you can buy a pair of exquisite chopsticks as a gift to your friends and relatives. In Chinese, 'chopsticks' reads 'Kuaizi', which means to have sons soon, so a newly-married couple will be very happy to accept chopsticks as their wedding gift. Skillful craftsmen painted beautiful sceneries on chopsticks to make them like fine artworks. Many people love to collect these dainty chopsticks as their treasure.

Chopsticks are small but they are adored by many people in the world. An interesting experiment shows that many joints and muscles are being exercised when you use chopsticks. They certainly make you cleverer, don't they?


How to use chopsticks
First, you must hold the upper part and don't cross the chopsticks. Second, hold the chopsticks with your thumb, index finger, middle finger and third finger. One stick is against your third finger and the other leans on your middle finger. Third, when you pick the food, use your index finger and middle finger to control the chopsticks. Practice a lot and then you will find it is an easy job.

Chinese cuisine----Cantonese cuisine

Cantonese cuisine (Guangdong cuisine or Yue Cai), has a great prestige among the eight great traditions of Chinese cuisine. Of all the regional varieties of Chinese cuisine, it’s also the best known outside China, due to its palatability to Westerners and the great numbers of early emigrants from Guangdong Province. Most "Chinese restaurants" in Western countries serve authentic Cantonese cuisine and dishes based on it.

Coming from Guangdong Province in Southern China, Cantonese cuisine is reputed as China's finest cuisine. Featuring diverse and delicate in material, its material includes almost all edible food in addition to the staples of pork, beef and chicken - snakes, snails, insects, worms, chicken feet, duck tongues, ox genitals, and entrails, etc. There is a famous saying, "Anything that walks, swims, crawls, or flies with its back to heaven is edible".

The seasonings in Cantonese cuisine are varied and well coordinated. Sauces made from ingredients like ginger, garlic, onion, vinegar, and sugar are complemented to enhance flavors. Somewhat lighter than most regional Chinese cuisine, the Cantonese dishes are prepared carefully and exquisitely. With the basic cooking techniques such as roasting, stir-frying, sauteing, deep-frying, braising, stewing and steaming, they turn out to be fresh, crisp, tender, slippery and not salty with all flavors and tastes.

The basic cooking techniques include. Steaming and stir-frying are most frequently used to preserve the ingredients' natural flavors. Guangdong chefs also pay much attention to the artistic presentation of their dishes.

An emphasis on preserving the natural flavor of the food is the hallmark of Cantonese cuisine. As cooking time is short, the flavors and nutrition of the food are preserved. Fresh live seafood is a specialty in Cantonese cuisine. Many authentic restaurants maintain live seafood tanks. The Cantonese people are very finicky when it comes to the freshness of their food. Even the amount of time taken for a live, swimming fish to be placed on a plate is kept to a minimum.

Cantonese barbecuing methods are unsurpassed. Another unique Cantonese specialty is slow-cooked soup. Sometimes, Chinese herbal medicines are added to the pot. Dim sum is, without a doubt, a trademark food in Cantonese cuisine. It is usually consumed in the mornings and afternoons. The Cantonese are also very inventive, and happy to incorporate non-native ingredients in their cooking.

It’s a pity that traveling to China without enjoying this wonderful Cantonese cuisine. So explore and try the long Cantonese menu!!

Chinese cuisine----Shandong cuisine

As an important component of Chinese culinary art, Shandong cuisine is considered to be the most influential in Chinese cuisine, with majority of the culinary styles in China having developed from it.

Also called Shandongcai or Lucai in Chinese, It is derived from the coastal province of Shandong in eastern China. Shandong cuisine boasts a long history and far-reaching impact. Dating back to the Spring and Autumn Period (770-221BC), Shangdong cuisine is representative of northern China's cooking and its technique has been widely absorbed in northeast China. The recipes are those that once delighted the royal court and were served to the emperor. Modern day schools of cuisine in North China, such as those of Beijing, Tianjin, and Northeast, are all branches of Shandong Cuisine. Also, the typical dishes in most North China households' meals are prepared in simplified Shandong methods.

Shandong is a large peninsula surrounded by the sea, with the Yellow River meandering through the center. As a result, seafood is a major component of Shandong cuisine. Shandong's most famous dish is the "sweet and sour carp". A truly authentic "sweet and sour carp" must come from the Yellow River.

Beyond the use of seafood, Shandong cuisine is famous for its wide selection of material and use of different cooking methods. The raw materials are mainly domestic animals and birds, seafood and vegetables. On another hand, Shandong is somewhat unique for its wide use of corn, a local cash crop that is not widely cultivated elsewhere. Unlike the sweet corn of North America, Shandong corn is chewy and starchy, often with a grassy aroma. It is often served simply as steamed or boiled cobs, or removed from the cob and lightly fried.

Condiments such as sauce paste, fistulous onion and garlic are freely used, so Shangdong dishes usually taste pungent. Possibly Shandong's greatest contribution to Chinese cuisine has been in the area of brewing vinegars. Hundreds of years of experience combined with unique local methods have led to Shandong's prominence as one of the premier regions for vinegar production in China. Unlike the lighter flavored, sharper vinegars popular in the southern regions, Shandong vinegar has a rich, complex flavor which, among some connisseurs, is considered fine enough to be enjoyed on its own merits.

Soups are given much emphasis in Shangdong dishes. Clear soup (or thin soup) features clear and fresh while milk soup (or creamy soup) looks thick and tastes strong, both of which are often choicely made to add freshness to the dishes. The dishes are mainly clear, fresh and fatty, perfect with Shandong's own famous beer, Qingdao Beer.

Shandong cuisine mainly consists of two major styles: Jiaodong style, This style encompasses dishes from Fushan, Qingdao, Yantai and surrounding regions. It is characterized by seafood cooking, with light tastes; and Jinan style: This style encompasses dishes from Jinan, dezhou, Tai'an and surrounding regions. It is famed for its soup and utilizing soups in its dishes. The typical menu can include many delicate dishes such as:

Braised abalone - smooth, delicate, fresh and savory

Sweet and Sour Carp - with crisp exterior and tender fish interior, a little sweet and sour. It’s one of the most famous dishes in Shandong cuisine. A truly authentic "sweet and sour carp" must come from the Yellow River.

Bree with a complex - clear, mild and fresh

Dezhou stewed chicken - known throughout the country; the chicken is so well cooked that the meat easily separates from the bone although the shape of the chicken is preserved.

'Eight Immortals Crossing Sea teasing Arhats' - This is a starter before a celebration feast. It is luxurious and traditionally uses as its eight main ingredients: fin, sea pumpkin, abalone, asparagus, prawns and ham. The stock is flavored with fish's swimming bladder and fish bones. These symbolize the eight immortals and the Arhats [Buddhist saints] are symbolized by the inclusion of chicken breast.

Chinese cuisine----Sichuan cuisine

Sichuan cuisine, another a hot style cuisine in China, is also called Chuan Cai. Originating in Sichuan Province of southwestern China, it is famed for bold flavors, particularly the spiciness resulting from liberal use of chilis and "numb" or "tingling" flavor of the Sichuan peppercorn. Just as we said in the former article, Sichuan cuisine, comparing to Hunan cuisine, lays great stress on its distinctive málà (hot and numbing) seasoning.

Sichuan food is famous for its many flavors, and almost every dish has its own unique taste. Actually, hot pepper, was introduced into China from South America only 200 to 300 years ago. Once it came to Sichuan, it became a favored food flavoring. Sichuan has high humidity and many rainy or overcast days. Hot pepper helps reduce internal dampness, so hot pepper was used frequently in dishes, and hot dishes became the norm in Sichuan cuisine. The Sichuan peppercorn is commonly used, which is an indigenous plant producing peppercorns with a fragrant, numbing, almost citrusy flavor. Also common are chili, ginger and other spicy herbs, plants and spices. Broad bean chili paste and yuxiang are also staple seasonings in Sichuan cuisine.

Common preparation techniques in Sichuan cuisine include stir frying, steaming, pickling, salting, drying, smoking and braising, but a complete list would include more than 20 distinct techniques. Beef is somewhat more common in Sichuan cuisine than it is in other Chinese cuisines, perhaps due to the widespread use of oxen in the region. Stir-fried beef is often cooked until chewy, while steamed beef is sometimes coated with rice flour to produce a very rich gravy.

There are many local variations of Sichuan cuisine within Sichuan Province and Chongqing Municipality. The four best known regional sub-styles are Chongqing style, Chengdu style, Zigong style, and Buddhist vegetarian style.Delicious dishes include:

Stir-fried Tofu with Minced Beef in Spicy Bean Sauce - A real feast of tender bean curd, minced beef, pepper and bean sauce. It is said that it was made by a pock-marked but ingenious woman, thus the name Ma Po Tofu (pock-marked woman's bean curd).

Lamp-shadow Beef - with larruping techniques, the beef is cut in very thin sheet. When a piece is carried, it looks like translucent paper, slippery and reddish. When put under the lamp or light, a red shadow will appear.

Gong Bao Ji Ding - This is a tender chicken dish, tender as the meat is quickly fried. Flavored with peanuts, this is tasty and very popular.

Lung Pieces by Couple - a quite popular in Chengdu. It got the name because the dish was ever sold be a couple and today it remains the original savor, tender meat, tingling and spicy.

Chinese cuisine----Hunan cuisine

While mentioning Hunan cuisine, the first word coming into mind must be hot for most people! It’s so hot that tears and nose are running down the first time I taste it.

Hunan cuisine, also called Xiang cuisine, is one of the eight regional cuisines of China and is well known for its hot spicy flavor, fresh aroma and deep color.

Due to the high agricultural output of the region and the special location, ingredients for Hunan dishes are abundant, such as game, fish, shrimp, crab, and turtle. It’s said that Hunan cuisine consists of more than 4,000 dishes, among which more than 300 are very famous.

With liberal use of chilli peppers, Hunan cuisine is known for being hot. Hunan cuisine is hot because the air is very humid, which makes it difficult for the human body to eliminate moisture. The local people eat hot peppers to help remove dampness and cold.

Compared to another well-known Chinese cuisine------ Sichuan cuisine, Hunan Cuisine is often spicier by pure chili content, contains a larger variety of fresh ingredients, tends to be oilier, and is said to be purer and simpler in taste. The Sichuan cuisine, known for its distinctive málà (hot and numbing) seasoning and other complex flavor combinations, frequently employ Sichuan peppercorns along with chilies which are often dried, and utilizes more dried or preserved ingredients and condiments.

Another feature of Hunan cuisine is that the menu changes with the seasons. In a hot and humid summer, a meal will usually start with cold dishes or a platter holding a selection of cold meats with chilies for opening the pores and keeping cool in the summer. In winter, a popular choice is the hot pot, thought to heat the blood in the cold months. A special hot pot called lover's hot pot is famous for splitting the pot into a spicy side and a milder side.

Hunan cuisine is consisted of three styles: Xiang River style which is represented by dishes of Changsha, Dongting Lake style which is represented by dishes of Hengyang, and western Hunan style which is represented by dishes of Xiangtan. Common cooking techniques include stewing, frying, pot-roasting, braising, and smoking.

Chinese cuisine----Fujian cuisine

Want to taste fresh seafood or river fish? Try Fujian cuisine!!

Renowned for its choice seafood, soup, light but flavorful and umami taste, with particular emphasis on showing off and not masking original flavor of the main ingredients, Fujian cuisine is derived from the native cooking style of the province of Fujian, China. Also called Min Cai for short, it holds an important position in China's culinary art.

In general, Fujian cuisine consists of three styles: Fuzhou, South Fujian and West Fujian. There are slight differences among them. Fuzhou dishes, quite popular in eastern, central and northern Fujian Province, is light compared to other styles and famous for its soups; South Fujian dishes, popular in Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou and the golden triangle of South Fujian, are sweet and hot and use hot sauces, custard, and orange juice as flavorings; West Fujian dishes are salty and hot, prevailing in Hakka region with strong local flavor. As Fujian people emigrate overseas, their cuisine become popular in Taiwan and abroad. Generally speaking, Fujian dishes are slightly sweet and sour, and less salty, and often use the red distiller's grain for flavoring.

Fujian cuisine is characterized by the following four aspects:

(1)Various soup and broth: The most characteristic aspect of Fujian cuisine is that its dishes are served in soup. There is a sayings about the soup: "One soup can be changed in ten forms" and "It is unacceptable for a meal to not have soup".

(2) Ingredients of seafood and mountain delicacies: Fujian cuisine emphasizes seafood and mountain delicacies. Fujian Province has a favorable geographical location with mountains in its north and sea to its south. Many mountain delicacies such as mushroom, bamboo shoots and tremella are often found here. The coastal area produces 167 varieties of fish and 90 kinds of turtles and shellfish. It also produces edible bird's nest, cuttlefish, and sturgeon. These special products are all used in Fujian cuisine. The local people are good at cooking seafood, featuring in methods of stewing, boiling, braising, quick-boiling, and steaming, etc.

(3) Fine slicing techniques: Fujian cuisine stresses on fine slicing techniques so much that it is reputed as "sliced ingredients are as thin as paper and shredded as slim as hairs". Everything sliced serves its original aroma. Fine slicing techniques may better show the aroma and texture of food. Cutting is important in Fujian cuisine. Most dishes are made of seafood, and if the seafood is not cut well, the dishes will fail to have their true flavor.

(4) Exquisite culinary art: Fujian dishes are tasty because of their emphasis on a series of delicate procession: selecting ingredients, mixing flavors, timing the cooking and controlling the heat. When a dish is less salty, it tastes more delicious. Sweetness makes a dish tastier, while sourness helps remove the seafood smell.

Appealing dishes are countless, so we can only exemplify some of them:

Buddha jumping over the wall - the most famous and classical dish, which has a long history since the Qing Dynasty. The name implies the dish is so delicious that even the Buddha would jump over a wall to have a taste once he smelled it.

Fried golden bamboo shoot with chicken mince - every 100g of winter bamboo shoots will be cut into 500 - 600 strips with the same length and breadth. Then they can blend with the very small pieces of chicken.

Dongbi dragon pearl - it chooses materials from the rare longan trees of thousand year's history in Kaiyuan Temple in Quanzhou, the delicate scent is rather catching.

'Fried Xi Shi's tongue'is made from the locally produced Fujian mussel. According to legend the concubine Xi Shi of the king of Wu state was thrown in the sea tied to a huge stone by the wife of Gou Jian, the king of Yue who destroyed Wu, to prevent her husband being seduced by her beauty. In the area of the sea where she sank, a special breed of mussel appeared and this was said to be Xi Shi's tongue.

Chinese cuisine----Jiangsu Cuisine

The elegant color, novel sculpts, with salt and sweet taste of the Jiangsu Cuisine will soothe your stomach!

Derived from the native cooking styles of the Jiangsu region in China, Jiangsu cuisine is one of the Eight Culinary Traditions of China. The style of this cuisine is both mild and healthy. Its main cooking techniques are braising and stewing, thereby enhancing the original flavor and sauce. In general, Jiangsu cuisine's texture is characterized as soft, but not to the point of mushy or falling apart. For example, the meat tastes quite soft but would not separate from the bone when picked up.

The main characteristics of Jiangsu cuisine include:
(1) Distinguished for exquisite ingredients, freshness and aliveness.
(2) High cutting techniques.
(3) Have a good command of duration and degree of heating and cooking.
(4) Good at keeping the original taste one particular taste for one dish. All dishes have light, mellow and refreshing tastes. Yangzhou Cuisine is light and elegant; Suzhou Cuisine is slightly sweet; and Wuxi Cuisine is fairly sweet.
(5) Pay great attention to soup, which is strong but not greasy, and delicious.

The Jiangsu cuisine has several branches: Nanjing cuisine - its dishes emphasize an even taste and matching color, with excellent dishes incorporating river fish/shrimps and duck; Suzhou cuisine - emphasis on the selection of material, stronger taste than Nanjing cuisine, and with a tendency to be sweeter than the other varieties of the cuisine; Wuxi cuisine - famed for the numerous types of congee.

The menu of Jiangsu cuisine is long and the most highly recommended dishes include:

Butterfish in Creamy Juice with Lotus Smell - Butterfish is one of the three treasures (including hilsa herring, cutlass fish and butterfish) from the Yangtze River. Butterfish in Creamy Juice with Lotus Smell features thick and tender fish meat, no fishbone, and a delicious taste.

Caigen Large Meatballs - A representative of Jiangsu Cuisine. At the banquet to celebrate the founding of the People‘s Republic of China, Premier Zhou Enlai entertained Chinese and foreign honored guests with this dish, which was spoken highly by guests. Though made of meat, this dish is not greasy, but delicious and refreshing.

Sanfengqiao Soy Sauce Spareribs - Sanfengqiao Soy Sauce Spareribs, which is prepared with high-quality spareribs, and more than 20 natural precious seasonings, features a red and bright color, soft bones, tender meat, a slightly sweet taste. This dish has been well known at home and abroad.

Three sets of ducks - an interlinking dish, that is to put pigeon into wild duck, then put the wild duck into a fowl duck. When stewed, the fowl duck is tender, the wild one crisp, and the little pigeon delicate!

Boiled dry thread of Tofu - thanks to the exquisite skill of the chefs, the Tofu can be cut into very thin threads which have chances to absorb the savor of soup. When chicken pieces added to the soup, the dish is called 'chicken dry thread'; likewise, when shrimp added, it makes 'shrimp dry thread'.

Lion's head braised with crab-powder - there is a metaphor in the dish name. In actual fact the Lion's head is a conglomeration of meat that is shaped like a sunflower and resembles a lion's head. It can be braised in a clear soup, or be red-cooked in a dense soup. A seasoning of crab powder enhances the flavor.

Chinese cuisine----Zhejiang cuisine

Derived from the native cooking styles of the Zhejiang region in China, Zhejiang cuisine (Zhe cai) is one of the most famous types of cooking.

Zhejiang, as a famous coastal province, is rich in produce and has long been known as "the land of fish and rices". Naturally, therefore, it has always been a great place for eating. Especially after 1127 when Hangzhou become the capital of the Song Dynasty, moved from Kaifeng in the north. Some of the best chefs from both these cities were brought together, and as a result northern methods of cooking were introduced to the south. Now, taking in Hangzhou's fineness and diversification, Ningbo's softness and originality, and Shaoxing's pastoral interests, Zhejiang cuisine is not greasy, having instead a fresh and soft flavor with a mellow fragrance.

The cuisine consists of four styles, each originating from a city in the province: the Hangzhou style, the most well-known one, is characterized by rich variations and the utilization of bamboo shoots. Some of its representative dishes include Dongpo Pork, Jiaohua ji (beggar's chicken) and Xi Hu cu yu (West Lake fish in vinegar), Shelled shrimps cooked in Longjing tea, Fried Eel Slices and Steamed Pork in Lotus Leaves. About half the dishes on a Hangzhou menu contain bamboo shoots, which add a tender element to the food. The Shaoxing style specializes in poultry and freshwater fish, and the Ningbo style specializing in seafood, with emphasis on freshness and salty dishes. Some sources also include the Wenzhou style as a separate subdivision, characterized as the greatest source of seafood as well as poultry and livestock.

Some of the most popular dishes include:

Dongpo Pork - First created by Su Dongpo, a well-known writer and poet of the Song Dynasty, when he served as a local official of Hangzhou, Dongpo Pork is red and bright in color, oily but not greasy, crisp but not smashed, plus mellow juice.

West-lake braised fish in vinegar - is a traditional delicacy in Hangzhou. It is said that there was once a boy who made his living by fishing. When he fell ill, his sister-in-law fished for him and braised the fish she caught with a marinade of vinegar and sugar. He was said to have made an immediate recovery after eating it. The boy's story aroused the attention of the emperor and the recipe has been used ever since.

Jiaohua Young Chicken - Select fat and young Yue chicken, clean the chicken thoroughly, add seasonings to the chicken, wrap it with special materials, and bake it over a low fire. Jiaohua Young Chicken is aromatic, tasty, and soft, with tender meat.

Shelled shrimps cooked in Longjing tea - as the Longjing tea is taken from the best tea in Hangzhou, which is recognized for greenness, fragrance, pure taste and elegant looks, when the living shrimps are stir-fried in the Long tea, the dish sends an artistic aroma and is quite delicious.

Chinese cuisine----Anhui cuisine

Anhui cuisine, Hui Cai for short, is one of the eight most famous cuisines in China. It is derived from the native cooking styles of the Huangshan Mountains region in China , comprising the specialties of South Anhui, Yangtze River region, Huai River region.

Anhui cuisine is known for its use of wild game and herbs. Most ingredients in Anhui cuisine, such as pangolin, stone frog, mushroom, bayberry, tea leaves, bamboo shoot, dates, games, etc., are from mountain area. Huangshan Mountain has abundant products for dish cooking. Huangshan Chukka has tender flesh and a sweet taste. It can be boiled in clear soup or braised in soy sauce. The dishes help relieve internal fever and build up vital energy. The white and tender bamboo shoots produced on Huangshan Mountain can be made into very delicious food. Xianggu, a kind of top-grade mushroom grows on old trees, is also very tasty.

Braising and stewing are common techniques. Frying and stir-frying are used much less frequently in Anhui cuisine than in other Chinese culinary traditions. Anhui cuisine chefs are experts especially in cooking delicacies from mountains and sea. Anhui dishes preserve most of the original taste and nutrition of the materials. Generally the food here is slightly spicy and salty. Some master dishes usually stewed in brown sauce with stress on heavy oil and sauce. Ham is often added to improve the taste and sugar candy added to gain freshness.

Some famous dishes include:
1. Stewed soft shell turtle with ham
One whole soft shell turtle, pork, ham, bamboo shoots, a clove of garlic, shallot, ginger, soy sauce, salt, rice wine, black pepper, lard are all stewed together in a pot on charcoal fire. The dish is not greasy and can lead diners to endless aftertastes.

2. Steamed stone frog
Inhabited in caves, stone frog is a special product in Huangshan Mountain. It weights 250 grams or so, whose belly is white and back black with stripe. Stone frog is rich in protein, calcium and so on. It has the functions of clearing heat, improving vision and nutrition. It is one of the best exotic dishes from mountains.

3. Bamboo shoots cooked with sausage and dried mushroom
It is one traditional flavor in Huizhou mountainous area. Cooked with sausage and dried mushrooms, the bamboo shoots are more fragrant. It is delicious, and noted for its good color, juicy meat and thick soup.

4. Li Hongzhang Hotchpotch
Li Hongzhang hotchpotch is a popular dish named after one of Anhui's famous personages. Li Hongzhang was a top official of the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911 AD). When he was in office, he paid a visit to the US and hosted a banquet for all his American friends. As the specially prepared dishes continued to flow, the chefs, with limited resources, began to fret. Upon Li Hongzhang's order, the remaining kitchen ingredients were thrown together into an impromptu stew, containing sea cucumber, squid, tofu, ham, mushroom, chicken meat and other less identifiable food materials! Thus appetites were quenched and a dish was created.

Eight traditional Chinese cuisines

Chinese cuisine enjoys a high reputation in the world also for its sheer abundance. Due to the diversity of the climate, products, historical factors, and eating habits, there are widely different food styles and tastes in local regions. Even many minorities have their own fantastic traditions and appeal, as well as the cuisine of the majority Han people.

The most influential and typical known by the public are the 'Eight Cuisines', the distinction between which is now widely accepted. They are:
Anhui cuisine
Cantonese cuisine
Fujian cuisine
Hunan cuisine
Jiangsu cuisine
Shandong cuisine
Szechuan cuisine(Sichuan cuisine)
Zhejiang cuisine
We will give details on every of them in the following articles.

Chinese cuisine(overview): Do you like Chinese food?

Do you like Chinese food?

As one of the Chinese cultural treasures, Chinese cuisine is famous all over the world. Being harmonious integration of color, redolence, taste, shape and the fineness of the instruments, Chinese cuisine is not only about eating, but also a perfected art. It is no exaggeration to say that Chinese cuisine is dainty, in its items, esthetics, atmosphere, and effects.

Chinese cuisine has a long history, which even can be traced back to the Peking Man and his use of fire and the invention of "cuisine" some 400,000 years ago. Some other accounts of the history of Chinese cuisine takes the beginning to the Chinese stone age, where the cultivation of rice and the production of noodles, both typical representations of Chinese cuisine, are known from archeological findings.

After development and maturation over the centuries, new food sources and techniques were invented, new recipes were created. The art of food preparation reach its peak during the Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911). The dinner called Man Han Quan Xi that incorporates all the very best of Man and Han Cuisine is held in high esteem involving as it does countless dishes, each with its own distinctive flavor and appeal. Till now, Chinese cuisine has formed a rich cultural content. It is characterized by fine selection of ingredients, precise processing, particular care to the amount of fire, and substantial nourishment.

For the cooking process, chefs pick choice and various ingredients and seasonings while employing unparalleled complicated skills handed down from their fathers, ever aspiring to their ideal of perfection for all the senses. Among the many cooking methods they use are boiling, stewing, braising, frying, steaming, crisping, baking, and simmering and so on. When they finish their masterpieces they are arranged on a variety of plates and dishes so that they are a real pleasure to view, to smell and ultimately to savor.

Chinese Cuisine can rise to many different occasions from luxury court feasts, fetes, holy sacrificial rites, joyous wedding ceremonies to simple daily meals and snacks. The art of a good cook is to provide a wholesome and satisfying dish to suit the occasion.

travel to Beijing: You will never get hungry in Beijing

You will never get hungry in Beijing.

While in Beijing, historical and cultural legacies come to mind more quickly than any of its dishes. However, as the capital of China for centuries, Beijing has absorbed the culinary traditions of provinces around the country. Today, also as a large modern city, you can find almost anything you want to eat in Beijing, both Chinese and western. With a thriving international food scene, globally famous dishes, and a legacy of royally sanctioned cuisine, it surely won’t disappoint anyone either.

When talking about eating in Beijing, it’s uncompleted without mentioning Beijing roast duck (Originally prepared for a Yuan Dynasty emperor). It really belongs to a famous Beijing specialty, few visitors leave Beijing without trying it. Beijing duck is served with thin pancakes, plum sauce，and slivers of scallions and cucumbers. You dip the duck in the sauce and roll it up in the pancake with a few slivers of scallions and/or cucumbers. The end result is a mouthwatering combination of the cool crunchiness of the cucumber, the sharpness of the scallions, and the rich flavors of the duck. Your best bet is to try one of the centuries-old institutions specializing in the dish, such as Quanjude, Bianyifang, Guolin Home-style Restaurant and Dadong Duck Restaurant, which are nationally renowned.