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 and intricately prepared dishes in Chinese cuisine, thanks to imperial influence.Today, the best features of this style of cooking are evident in many of China’s most famous chefs.

Highlights of Chinese cooking

Many of the dishes in Chinese cuisine are prepared in small, bite-sized cuts which make them easy to pick up with chopsticks and placed directly in the mouth.Some dishes, such as fish, are served whole and diners who wish to partake only have to use chopsticks to break up pieces and eat them directly.

Some of the most popular and well-loved foods courtesy of Chinese cooking include: noodles (plain and fried), stir-fried vegetables, hot pot, dumplings (fried, steamed or as part of a soup dish), soy milk, Peking duck, glutinous rice with either sweet or meat-based filling, steamed buns, filled or coated rice balls, pickled vegetables, hard boiled eggs, seasoned tofu, rice porridge and tea.

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 & Bean Sauce:
Hot sauce made from combination of hot spices and beans. Red or brown in color. Use sparingly in sauteed dishes or cold dishes. In north, people often mix this sauce to stir fried minced meat and serve with noodles (make it Noodles with Meat Sauce).

Hot Pepper Oil:
Made from sesame oil and red pepper. Serve with meat dumplings, buns, etc.

Sesame Oil:
Flavor is too strong for use in frying and sauting. Use only for enhancing flavor of cooked and cold dishes, noodles, hot pot sauce, soups, etc.

JiangXi Vinegar:
A special vinegar produced in JiangXi province. Light amber in color with a distinctive fragrance. Use for meat dumplings and cold dishes.

Spices

Star Fennel:
Shaped like eight cornered star, brown in color. Use for cooking with chicken, meat, offal and fish.

Anise Pepper:
Dried brown round spice. Added sparingly in chicken and meat can remove the unpleasant smell (fishy smell). Can also be used for making pickles or even some deserts.

Five Flavored Powder:
A mixture of anise pepper, star fennel, clove, cinnamon, and dried tangerine peel. Sparingly used in cooking fish and meat.

Pepper Salt:
Mixture of anise pepper powder with salt. Serve with fried chicken, meat, and fish.

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About the Author

Jacklyn Chen – Webmaster of news-blogs.com, satellite info, and emobile-news.com.