Universally recognized as one of the great cuisines of the world, Chinese food in all its variety and complexity is unquestionably one of the finest pleasures a visitor can experience in China.
There is a vast rang of restaurants, from street stalls serving noodles to revolving restaurants top hotels and converted courtyards where the imperial family once dined.
China’s vast territory and long history have give birth to distinct regional cuisines over the centuries. The precise number of regional cuisines in China is till under dispute, but experts agree on at least eight: Sichuan, Shangdong, Guangdong(Cantonese), Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian, Huan and Anhui, the eight provinces in China.
Eight Distinct Regional Cuisines in China
Guangdong Cuisine
One of the eight major schools of China’s culinary art, Guangdong Cuisine is perhaps the most
popular. Guangdong Cuisine, known as Cantonese Cuisine in the West, was developed in Guangzhou, Huizhou and Chaozhou, and Hainan Island. As the climate of Guangdong is hot, these dishes are fresh, tender, and lightly seasoned. The raw material for Guangdong Cuisine is very rich, which includes snake, cat and pangolin. Cooked snake is considered a delicacy. The most famous snake dish is the Dragon and Tiger Locked in Battle, in which cobra, leopard cat, and over twenty spices are used.
Roast snake with Chrysanthemum Blooms is provided in autumn. The dish is creamy in colour and is garnished with beautiful petals of chrysanthemum, mushrooms, and various flavorings. Other delicacies in Guangdong Cuisine include Roast Suckling Pig, Duck Web in Oyster Sauce, and Braised Chicken Feet with Wild Herbs.
Sichuan Cuisine
Sichuan Cuisine is well-known for its hot and pungent at flavoring. Yet the highly distinctive pungency is not its only characteristic. In fact, Sichuan cuisine boasts a variety of flavors and different methods of cooking. A Sichuan dish can be hot, sweet, sour, salty, or tongue-numbing. Typical dishes of Sichuan are Twice cooked pork Slices, Spicy Diced Chicken with peanuts, Dry-fried Shark Fin, and Fish-flavored Pork Shreds. One of the popular dishes is Pockmarked Women’s Bean Curd which was invented by a Chengdu Chef’s pockmarked wife decades ago. Te cubed bean curd is cooked over a low flamed in a sauce which contains ground beef, chili, and pepper. When served, the bean curd is tender, spicy and appetizing.
Shandong Cuisine
Shandong Cuisine includes many well-known seafood dishes. The dishes are usually fresh, tasty, but not greasy. Some of the famous dishes are Deep-fried Red-scale Fish.
Shandong Cuisine has been influenced by the “Confucius Family Dishesâ€, which are renowned for their taste, aroma, colors and shape. Most famous ones are Jadeite Shark Fin, Agate Sea Cucumber, Shrimps Wearing Jade Belts, and Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea.
Jiangsu Cuisine
Developed from the local food of the four cities, Suzhou, Yanghzou, Nanjing and Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Cuisine is popular in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. It is characteristically sweet. Sweet-sour Fish, Sweet-sour pork and Sweet-sour soup are common dishes at the table of the ordinary families. The most popular dishes are Sweet-sour Boneless Fried Fish, Watermelon Chicken, Salted Duck and Creamed Abalone Soup.
Zhejiang Cuisine
Developed from the local food of the four cities in zhejiang province: Hangzhou, Ningbo, Shaoxing, Wenzhou. Zhejiang Cuisine makes crisp, tender, light and fresh dishes. The ways of the cutting and the temperature of cooking are closely observed, which is the key to the success of Zhejiang Cuisine.
Fujian Cuisine
Fujian Cuisine is developed from the local food of the three cities of Fujian Province: Fuzhou, Quanzhou and Xiamen. This region is very close to the sea and sea food making is, of course, the chef’s culinary art. They are good at steaming, frying, braising the food, particularly good at pickling 7 the ingredients before cooking. The popular dishes are Wined Chicken, Wined Sliced Fish, Deep-fried Prawns, Wined Sea Cucumber with Brown Sauce, and Braised Abalone with OysterSauce, Flavor, color and appearance are important in Fujian Cuisine.
Hunan Cuisine
Hunan Cuisine is developed from the local food of the Xiangjiang Valley, Dongting Lake Area, and Western Mountainous Hunan Province. Its characteristics are: a great variety of ingredients, shiny and strong colors, hot and spicy tastes, smoked and pickled flavors. Cooking techniques are pickling, smoking, spicing, simmering, steaming, braising and frying. The noted dishes are Hot and Spicy Chicken, Simmered Shark’s Fin in Brown Sauce, Gold-Coir Fish, and Sweet Lotus Seeds Soup.
Anhui Cuisine
Anhui Cuisine is developed from the local food at the Yangtze banks In Anhui Province, the Huai River Valley, and Huizhou region. Is characteristics are natural ingredients selected; original color and flavor preserved. Deep-frying, roasting, simmering and steaming are the usual cooking techniques applied. The noted dishes are Fuli Stewed Chicken, Salted Mandarin Fish, milky Fish King, Ham Simmered with Bamboo Shoots and Ham Simmered with Softy-shelled Turtles.
As the famous saying goes, “Eating in Guangzhou”, Catering has been the relatively active industry of the economy of Guangzhou and also the sensitive industry to the society. Judging from the history, as long as the society is stable, the economy develops, the restaurants must be flourishing. Therefore, people regard catering industry as the weather glass of the politics and economy of the society.
The “morning tea”, which becomes popular all of China, has delicate and tasty dim sum.The most famouse one you can’t miss is Guangdong Dim-sums!!It’s the best way for you to join Chinese Guangdong Food culture.
