As we can see, Chinese food enjoys a high reputation in the world also for its sheer abundance. It is due to the diversity of the climate, products and customs that there are widely different food styles and tastes in local regions.
Chinese culinary arts has a long history , famous all over the world. Chinese cuisine has developed and matured over the centuries, forming a rich cultural content. It is characterized by fine selection of ingredients, precise processing, particular care to the amount of fire, and substantial nourishment.
The diversity of geography, climate, costumes and products have led to the evolution of what are called the ‘Four Flavors（四大风味 sìdà fēngwèi）’ and ‘Eight Cuisines(八大菜系 bādà càixì）’ but as catering is a living art sub-classifications continue to increase. Cuisine in China is a harmonious integration of color, redolence, taste, shape and the fineness of the instruments. 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.
Beijing cuisine(北京菜 Běijīng cài )combines the best features of different regional styles. Shangdong cuisine leads the Northern dishes. Shangdong cooks are good at cooking seafood. Sichuan cooks specialize in chilies and hot peppers andSichuan dish is famous for aromatic and spicy sauces. Guangdong cooking makes use of many ingredients. They look for fresh, tender, crisp textures. Huai Yang cuisine stresses the natural flavors. Dishes are strong but not greasy, and light but delicate. Tan cuisine is both sweet and salty. There is a saying that “southerners have a sweet tooth, and northerners crave salt”, but Tan dishes manage to satisfy both. Because China’s local dishes have their own typical characteristics, Chinese food can be divided into eight regional cuisines, the distinction of which is now widely accepted.
Shandong Cuisine(鲁菜 lǔ cài) consisting of Jinan cuisine and Jiaodong cuisine, clean, pure and not greasy, is characterized by its emphasis on aroma, freshness, crispness and tenderness. Shallots and garlic are frequently used as seasonings so Shandong dishes taste pungent. Soups are given much emphasis in Shandong cuisine. Thin soups are clear and fresh while creamy soups are thick and taste strong. Jinan chefs are adept at deep-frying, grilling, pan-frying and stir-frying while Jiaodong chefs are famous for cooking seafood with a fresh and light taste.
Typical menu items: Bird’s Nest Soup( 燕窝羹 yànwō gēng ); Yellow River Carp in Sweet and Sour sauce(糖醋黄河鲤鱼 tángcù huánghé lǐyú )
Sichuan Cuisine (川菜 chuān cài ), known more commonly in the West as Szechuan Cuisine, is one of the most famous Chinese cuisines in the world. Characterized by its spicy and pungent flavors, Sichuan cuisine, with a myriad of tastes, emphasizes the use of chili. Pepper and prickly ash are always in accompaniment, producing the typical exciting tastes. Garlic, ginger and fermented soybean are also used in the cooking process. Wild vegetables and meats such as are often chosen as ingredients, while frying, frying without oil, pickling and braising are used as basic cooking techniques.It can be said that one who doesn’t experience Sichuan food has never reached China.
Typical menu items: Hot Pot(火锅 huǒ guō); Smoked Duck( 熏鸭 xūn yā); Kung Pao Chicken(宫保鸡丁 gōngbǎo jīdīng); Twice Cooked Pork(回锅肉 huí guō ròu); Mapo Dofu(麻婆豆腐 mápó dòufǔ)
Guangdong Cuisine (Cantonese Cuisine 粤菜 yuè cài) tasting clean, light, crisp and fresh, familiar to Westerners, usually has fowl and other meats that produce its unique dishes. The basic cooking techniques include roasting, stir-frying, sauteing, deep-frying, braising, stewing and steaming. 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.
Typical menu items: Shark Fin Soup(鱼翅汤 yúchì tāng ); Steamed Sea Bass( 清蒸鲈鱼 qīngzhēng lúyú ); Roasted Piglet(烤乳猪 kǎo rǔzhū)
Fujian Cuisine(闽菜 mǐn cài ) combining Fuzhou Cuisine, Quanzhou Cuisine and Xiamen Cuisine, it is renowned for its choice seafood, beautiful color and magical tastes of sweet, sour, salt and savory. The most distinct feature is their “pickled taste”.
Typical menu items: Buddha Jumping Over the Wall(佛跳墙 fó tiào qiáng); Snow Chicken(白雪鸡 bái xuě jī); Prawn with Dragon’s Body and Phoenix’s tail( 龙身凤尾虾 lóngshēn fèngwěi xiā )
Jiangsu Cuisine(苏菜 sū cài), also called Huaiyang Cuisine, is popular in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River. Using fish and crustaceans as the main ingredients, it stresses their freshness. Its carving techniques are delicate, of which the melon carving technique is especially well known. Cooking techniques consist of stewing, braising, roasting, and simmering. The flavor of Huaiyang Cuisine is light, fresh and sweet and its presentation is delicately elegant.
Typical menu items: Duck Triplet(三套鸭 sān tào yā), Crystal Meat, Squirrel with Mandarin Fish(松鼠鳜鱼 sōng shǔ guì yú), and Liangxi Crisp Eel( 梁溪脆鳝 Liángxī cuìshàn )
Zhejiang Cuisine (浙菜 zhè cài)comprising local cuisines of Hanzhou, Ningbo, and Shaoxing, it is not greasy. It wins its reputation for freshness, tenderness, softness, and smoothness of its dishes with their mellow fragrance. Hangzhou Cuisine is the most famous one of the three.
Typical menu items: Sour West Lake Fish(西湖醋鱼 xīhú cùyú ), Longjing Shelled Shrimp(龙井虾仁 lóng jǐng xiā rén), Beggar’s Chicken(叫花鸡 jiào huā jī)
Hunan Cuisine(湘菜 xiāng cài) consists of local cuisines of Xiangjiang Region, Dongting Lake and Xiangxi coteau areas. It is characterized by thick and pungent flavors. Chili, pepper and shallot are usually necessities in this variation.
Typical menu items: Dongan Chicken(东安子鸡 Dōngān zǐ jī); Peppery and Hot Chicken(麻辣子鸡 málà zǐ jī)
