Get to Know the Rich and Varied Style of Chinese Cooking
Chinese cooking is arguably the most popular of all the Asian cuisine, thanks to its richness and diversity.The Chinese style of cooking we know today is the result of the combination of different regions in China, whose flavors and ingredients reflect their sub-culture, geography and history.From Asia to America to Europe, Chinese cooking is a force to reckon with, popular for its flavorful approach to cooking and food presentation.
What Chinese cooking offers
Chinese cooking may be divided into four major cooking styles, depending on the region.Canton style cooking, for example, is considered as the most popular.Because the region enjoys good weather, almost anything may be included as part of a dish.From seafood to fresh fruits and vegetables, this style of Chinese cooking has some of the most varied and sophisticated flavors to offer, characterized by meals cooked by deep frying and highlighted by rich sauces.
Another Chinese cooking style is that made famous in the provinces of Hunan and Szechwan.Rice-based foods are abundant, partnered with some really spicy dishes.The eastern and western sides have dishes that are dominated by fish and seafood.
Further up north, where the Arctic winds rule, lamb and mutton are common without pork, because most of the population are Muslims.Simplicity is the key word to describe the type of Chinese cooking here, as evidenced by the way rice, noodles and bread are served with cut vegetables and fruits.
In contrast, the cuisine in Beijing is more high-brow, featuring some of the most exotic… Continue reading
Chinese Cooking: Sauces & Spices
Sauces and spices are the key in any cooking. No dishes would taste good without them. The only exception is that some sea animals can be simply steamed or boiled before serve. Well, that is because they are salty already in their body. Imagine eating steamed river shrimp? I wouldn’t bother!
I’d like to introduce some of the most popular sauces and spices that we use everyday. You may already know some of them, but I bet you haven’t heard of others.
Sauces
Bean Curd Sauce (Dou Fu Ru): Fermented bean curd, rich in proteins. May be kept for fairly long time. Comes in two types – red and white. Red is typically used to cook Braised Pork. White tastes spicy and is normally used as a side dish along with noodles, buns, or congee. Some like to serve with soy sauce and vinegar for meat dumplings, hot pot dishes, and others. Favored by north and west of China.
Oyster Sauce: Oil from oyster. Heavily salted. Use sparingly for sauted dishes. Popular in Hong Kong, Cantoon (Guang Dong, to be exact), and some areas in south of China while not used at all in north and west of China except for hotels and some restaurants.
Shrimp Sauce: Oil from salted baby shrimp dried and fermented. Use sparingly for sauted dishes. Used heavily for dishes from south of China.
Sesame Sauce (Zhi Ma Jiang): Ground sesame seed with strong flavor. Used for cold dishes.
Hot Pepper &… Continue reading
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