Although there are plenty of meats, they should not be cooked more than staple food. When the food was not prepared with the right sauce, man would not eat. When the meat was not cut properly, man would not eat. When it was cooked bad, man would not eat. When it was not cooked right, man would not eat. Confucius discussed the principles of dining: 'The rice would never be too white, the meat would never be too finely cut. īy the time of Confucius in the late Zhou, gastronomy had become a high art. The flavor of the meat was enhanced by cooking it in animal fats though this practice was mostly restricted to the wealthy. Grain was stored against famine and flood and meat was preserved with salt, vinegar, curing, and fermenting. Nobles hunted various wild game and consumed mutton, pork and dog as these animals were domesticated. These grains were typically served as warm noodle soups instead of baked into bread as in Europe. By 2000 BC, wheat had arrived from western Asia. The first domesticated crops seem to have been the foxtail and broomcorn varieties of millet, while rice was cultivated in the south. Chinese culture initially centered around the North China Plain.

Sliced ginger and spring onion is usually spread on top.Ĭhinese society greatly valued gastronomy, and developed an extensive study of the subject based on its traditional medical beliefs. Cooking should be appraised with respect to the ingredients used, knifework, cooking time, and seasoning. Ĭolor, scent and taste are the three traditional aspects used to describe Chinese food, as well as the meaning, appearance, and nutrition of the food. The modern Eight Cuisines of China are Anhui ( 徽菜 Huīcài), Guangdong ( 粤菜 Yuècài), Fujian ( 闽菜 Mǐncài), Hunan ( 湘菜 Xiāngcài), Jiangsu ( 苏菜 Sūcài), Shandong ( 鲁菜 Lǔcài), Sichuan ( 川菜 Chuāncài), and Zhejiang ( 浙菜 Zhècài) cuisines. The most praised Four Great Traditions in Chinese cuisine are Chuan, Lu, Yue, and Huaiyang, representing cuisines of West, North, South, and East China, respectively. There are numerous regional, religious, and ethnic styles of Chinese cuisine found within China and abroad. Because of imperial expansion and trading, ingredients and cooking techniques from other cultures have been integrated into Chinese cuisines over time. Imperial royal and noble preference also plays a role in the change of Chinese cuisine. Geographic features including mountains, rivers, forests, and deserts also have a strong effect on the local available ingredients, considering that the climate of China varies from tropical in the south to subarctic in the northeast. The preferences for seasoning and cooking techniques of Chinese provinces depend on differences in historical background and ethnic groups. Chinese food staples such as rice, soy sauce, noodles, tea, chili oil, and tofu, and utensils such as chopsticks and the wok, can now be found worldwide.

Because of the Chinese diaspora and historical power of the country, Chinese cuisine has influenced many other cuisines in Asia and beyond, with modifications made to cater to local palates. ' Lion's head with crab meat' ( 蟹粉獅子頭) is a traditional eastern Chinese meatball soup.Ĭhinese cuisine encompasses the numerous cuisines originating from China, as well as overseas cuisines created by the Chinese diaspora.

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