Introduction to Chinese Food

Chinese food  attach a special meaning towards the Chinese people. They have a common saying: “The masses regard food as their heaven”, which means that food is people's primal want. Eating does not just mean to fill the stomach. Having food at one's disposal, being able to consume a good amount of food, and knowing what and how to eat are all viewed as a good fortune.

The Chinese Philosopher Lao Tzu once said: "Governing a great nation is much like cooking a small fish." He meant that governing a country required just the right seasonings and adjustments for successful results. This metaphor clearly illustrates the significance of food in Chinese culture.


Chinese Food Culture - Cultural characteristics
    (Figure) Chinese snack food culture
China is an ancient civilization, is also a long-standing food culture of the situation.Food culture will be summarized by the following characteristics:
First, the flavor variety. Because China is a vast, vast land, the climate, products, and customs are different there, long time, and then form in eating a lot of flavor. China has always had "Meter north," saying, taste the "sweet south western North Chatham East sour spicy" parts, mainly Sichuan, Lu, Huaiyang, Guangdong, Fujian and four flavors.
Second, the seasons are different. Throughout the year, according to season food, is another major feature of Chinese cooking. Since ancient times, China has been seasoned by seasonal changes, side dishes, winter diethylene glycol strong, light and cool in summer; winter stew stew simmering over the summer and more freezing cold.
Third, pay attention to beauty. China cuisine, not only skilled, but also pay attention to the traditional dishes beauty, attention to food, color, smell, taste, shape and coherence devices. The performance of the dishes are many aesthetic, whether it is a carrot or a cabbage heart, can be carved out of a variety of shapes, unique, to color, smell, taste, shape and beauty of harmony and unity, to give moral and materialspecial to enjoy a high degree of unity.
Fourth, pay attention to taste. Focus on very early taste of Chinese cuisine delight, not only for the meal snacks color, smell and taste, there are strict requirements, but also their name, taste the way, the rhythm of meals, entertainment, interspersed others have certain requirements. Chinese cuisine, the name can be superb, tastes. Dishes under the name of both the main, auxiliary, spices and cooking methods of realistic names, but also based on historical stories, myths and legends, celebrity interest in food, dishes named after the image, such as "family portrait", "general bridge", "lion head" "Beggar Chicken", "Dragon and Phoenix", "Banquet," "Dongpo."
Fifth, the food and medical treatment. Chinese cooking, and health care are closely linked, in thousands of years ago, 'Medical and Edible' and 'Diet with the power' to say, use of the medicinal value of food raw materials, made of a variety of delicious food, meet on The purpose of prevention and treatment of certain diseases. "
China and the United States is China's traditional culture of the highest aesthetic ideal. "Also who is also the world of Big Ben; and also those who have reached the world of. To medium and, days of the status of Yan, Yu-Yan things" ("Book of Doctrine of the Mean"). "The Ancient Book of that life" in there "if for soup, but Seoul salt plum," the famous line, which means to make soup, the key is to reconcile the good salt (salt) acid (plum) 2 flavor, this analogy country. "Zuo Zhuan" Yan Ying (Qi Guoxian phase) also talked about what is Qi Jinggong "and" that "and" not "with", and is to create different views based on the coordination. Therefore, the Chinese philosopher, that all things are "and in" a state to find their place in reproduction and development.This aesthetic ideal of building the individual and society, the harmony between man and nature above. Achieved this by tuning "of the Beauty," the idea is to practice and theory in the ancient culinary inspiration and under the influence, which in turn affects people's diet throughout life, the pursuit of artistic life, life art the ancient literati, in particular.
And "neutral" is the opposite extreme, extreme cooking is not perceived as authentic on, those "salty too far, too far spicy, sour too far" will be subject to a number of food though the body is in an abnormal state of people's pursuit of But in the long run it is harmful to the body. Social life, political life is not extremist plagued victory statement.
Of the Chinese nation's diet reflects the characteristics of traditional culture, although some characteristics of the modern people can not understand, or is not scientific (the last century, "scientific" word almost religious belief in China, it is only to measure all in the field of a non-ruler.