ELEVEN OF
THE MOST FAMOUS CUISINES OF CHINA
Chinese Cuisine
China's long history, vast territory and extensive contact with other nations
and cultures have given birth to the distinctive Chinese culinary art. With
several thousand years of creative and accumulative efforts, the Chinese cuisine
has become increasingly popular among more and more overseas gourmets, virtually
functioning as an envoy of friendship in China's cultural exchanges with foreign
countries. Modern Chinese enjoys a worldwide reputation as the Kingdom of
Cuisine. The exquisite Chinese culinary art, regarded indisputably as one of the
world's finest culinary traditions, has prevailed all over the world. The nearly
endless variety of natural ingredients and methods of preparation employed in
Chinese cuisine stand out unequaled in the world, which may very well account
for the universal popularity of Chinese restaurants and Chinese cooking overseas.
The three essential factors, or key elements, by which Chinese cooking is judged,
are known as color, aroma and taste. The color of Chinese food, the first of
these elements which is so evident at Chinese banquets, includes the layout and
design of dishes, best exemplified in particular by the large elaborately
prepared cold dish served at the beginning of the dinner. Aroma implies more
than what one's nose can detect directly; it also includes the freshness of the
raw materials used and the mixture of seasonings. Taste is the art of proper
seasoning, though it also involves the texture of food and the fine slicing
techniques. These three essential elements - color, aroma and taste - are
achieved by the careful coordination of a series of delicate activities:
selecting ingredients, mixing flavors, timing the cooking, controlling the heat
and finally, laying out the food on the plate before reaching the table.
Chinacovers a vast territory and has many ethnic groups, hence a variety of
Chinese food with different but fantastic and mouthwatering flavor. Since
China's local dishes have their own typical features, generally, Chinese food
can be roughly divided into eight regional cuisines, namely,Sichuan, Fujian,
Zhejiang, Shandong, Guangdong (Cantonese), Jiangsu, Anhui and Hunan,which has
been widely accepted around. Certainly, there are many other local famous
cuisines, such as Beijing cuisine and Shanghai cuisine.
Liaoning Cusine
Liaoning cuisine, originated from Shenyang City and developed on the basis of
Shandong cuisine, and was later strongly influenced by the Manchu cooking style
and foreign dishes, especially Japanese food, Korean food and Russian food. Such
a combination makes Liaoning cuisine unique in color, aroma and taste. It is
characterized by its use of strong flavors, salt and oil. It also pays attention
to different cooking techniques and to the complexity of shapes.
Thanks to meticulously selected materials and highly skilled preparations,
Liaoning cuisine is well known for its uniqueness and is spoken highly by
Chinese and foreign gourmets.
The most famous dishes are Shenyang Laobian ravioli (Laobian Jiaozi), white pork
with bloody intestines (bai rou xue chang), bear's paw (mostly not real bear's
paw but substitute), Mongolian pie, hot-pot, smoked chicken, fried vermicelli (Chao
mifen), crisp and hot egg dumpling (Danjiao) and shellfish with sugar candy (Hashima).
There's abundant seafood in Dalian, such as shrimps, oysters and clams.
Zhang Xueliang, a famous patriotic general spoke highly of four dishes, namely
stir-fried kidneys, stir-fried liver, fried meatballs, and stir-fried day lilies.
Hou Baolin, a famous artist of cross talks, thoughtLaobian Jiaozi(ravioli) the
most delicious.
Jiaozi(ravioli with minced pork and vegetable stuffing) is actually one of the
recommended foods in Shenyang.
You can easily have a taste of it in established restaurants that are said to be
best in the Northeast China. The most famous Jiaozi with various kinds is served
in Laobian Jiaozi Guan, old and well established restaurant with a history of
over 150 years.
Chaozhou Cuisine
Chaozhou is the name of a coastal region around the Shantou district of eastern
Guangdong Province. One of the major schools in Guangdong cuisine, Chaozhou
cuisine originated from Chaoshan Plain about one thousand years ago.
Naturally, as a fishing area, seafood features prominently in Chaozhou cuisine,
which is often enhanced by piquant sauces, such as tangerine jam for steamed
lobsters and broad-bean paste for fish. The mouthwatering prawns, oysters, crabs
and eels, combined with home-made pickles, play a symphony of traditional
cuisine and leave people with everlasting impression. Such richly flavored
dishes reflect the culinary influence of the Chaozhou people's northeastern
neighbors, the Fujianese.
Yet Chaozhou cuisine has also been greatly influenced by its southwestern
neighbors, the Cantonese. Many Chaozhou classic dishes are light and tasty, with
the abundant use of vegetables. The crisp delicacy of deep-fried leaf vegetables
in Chaozhou dishes adds a gleaming green, edible garnish to many dishes.
Chaozhou cuisine stresses unique combinations of various soy sauces and
flavorings: salty, sweet, sour, spicy, or astringent. Fish sauce and oyster
sauce are favorite seasonings. Chaozhou dishes are usually cooked over a slow
fire, stewed, deep fired, steamed, stir-fried or pickled. The dishes boast the
skill of local chefs in vegetable carving.
Magnificent designs - flowers, birds, dragons and phoenixes made from carrots
and gingers - adorn Chaozhou banquets, especially the cold dishes. The tasty
dishes are not only yummy but also presentable. The region's chefs are also
acknowledged masters in the preparation and cooking of two delicacies, namely,
shark's fin and bird's nest. Chaozhou cuisine is famous, too, for its shellfish
dishes and wide variety of sweet dishes (with pumpkin and taro).
Other famous dishes include salt-baked goose with vinegar juice, steamed shrimp
with orange juice, black-bean chicken, vegetarian soup and crabs. A tea ceremony
is held during the serving of dishes, not just for performance but also to aid
digestion.
Henan Cuisine
Henan cuisine, also known as Yu cuisine, has the accolade of being one of
China's most traditional and oldest cooking styles. As the representative of
culinary civilization of Central China, Henan cuisine has preserved traditions
and made great innovations. With ingredients from all over the country, Henan
cuisine is characterized by meticulous preparation, and especially known for
delicious soup. No matter a dish is prepared by frying, stewing, braising or
boiling, it is well received by customers because of its taste, shape, aromas
and container. It is: moderately sweet and salty, tender and palatable, crispy
but not fragmentary.
In the past several thousand years, Henan chefs have created a large number of
famous dishes, many of which have the names depicting the ancient charm of the
Shang (17th-11th century BC) and Zhou (11th century-256 BC) Dynasties, the
traditions left over by the Han (206 BC-220AD) and Tang (618-907) Dynasties, and
the excellencies of the Song Dynasty (960-1279).
Henan cuisine is mainly represented in Luoyang and Kaifeng. The Gulou Night
Market in Kaifeng, which started in the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127), is
crowded with people every evening. Luoyang has a good selection of the varieties
of Henan cuisine, and the best way to sample them is by settling in for the
night with some friends and the many courses of the water banquet. The Luoyang
Water Banquet (Luoyang shuixi) is a local custom that has been running for over
a thousand years. There are two reasons why the banquet has this name. The main
reason is that, unlike most meal customs in China, the dishes served in this
banquet are brought one after another, like flowing water. The second reason is
that around one third of the dishes served are soup or semi-soup ones.
The Shaolin Vegetarian Food is one specialty, standing out among the drab
scenery of Henan cuisine. Chinese Buddhist belief has for centuries prohibited
the eating of animal flesh, and the monks here have spent an age perfecting the
cooking of all types of vegetarian food. Although not rich in fat or protein,
this cuisine is packed full of nutrition and is healthy.
Famous dishes and snacks include peony and swallow vegetable, fried purple crisp
pork, lightly fried bean curd, jadeite shredded fish, scallion stewed sea
cucumber, fruit juice and shrimps, stuffed bun steamed in small bamboo utensils,
sweet and pleasant buns, egg cakes which is crisp outside and tender inside,
steamed ravioli, hand-stretched noodles, braised cakes, etc.
Over the vast expense of Central China, people can feel the comprehensive charm
of culture and delicacy of Henan cuisine.
Yunnan Cuisine
Known as "the kingdom of plants and animals", Yunnan is home to a rich variety
of foods. As a province with 26 different ethnic groups, the variety of cuisines
is an important attraction for tourists.
Yunnan cuisine, also named Dian cuisine, consists of local dishes from Kunming,
Northeast Yunnan, Western Yunnan and Southern Yunnan. The characteristics of
Yunnan cuisine lie in moderate balance of sour and hot tastes mellow in deep oil,
fresh and tender with sweetness, striving for their original tastes. Most of the
ingredients are green, fresh and natural, including vegetables, fruit, bamboo
and flowers. The dishes are not too spicy but have excellent flavor.
Not yet widely known outside the province, Dian cuisine is known mainly for its
famous Guoqiao (Across the Bridge) rice noodle. Guoqiao rice noodles are a dish
that has long been famous in Yunnan. It came from a story in southern Yunnan. A
scholar, preparing for the imperial examinations, isolated himself on an island
in a lake to concentrate on his study. His devoted wife was dismayed that the
meals she took to him always arrived cold after crossing a long, wooden bridge.
But by chance, she discovered the way to keep soup boiling hot - to top it with
a thin layer of vegetable oil. Of course, her husband passed the exams. Soon it
got quite popular and was named Guoqiao rice noodles. The dish is made of soup,
sliced meat, rice noodle and seasonings. A big china bowl will be served with
boiling soup and a cover of oil. The soup is made of boiled chicken and pork
bone and the clearer, the better. Chicken, pork, liver, kidney, fish and pickled
pork are cut into slices. Seasonings are made of boiled vegetables. The raw
sliced meat should be the first to put into the soup. After a few minutes,
noodles and seasonings follow. The smell and the taste never fail the gourmands.
No visit to Yunnan is complete without trying this unique and delicious dish.
Other typical dishes include: steamed-pot chicken, earthen pot fish, Xuanwei
ham, spiced squab, and chicken wing with goat stomach and local fungus.
1. Steamed-pot chicken
Steamed chicken is a famous Dian flavored dish. The chicken is sealed in a pot
and steamed for several hours. Sometimes, special medicinal herbs are added,
making this tasty dish even more nutritious. It is a high-quality dish of Yunnan
Province, featuring tender chicken and delicious and nutritious soup.
2. Earthen pot fish
With breathtaking scenery, Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture of Yunnan is known as
Oriental Hawaii. Dali earthen pot fish, delicious, refreshing and nutritious, is
a traditional dish peculiar to places where the Bai ethnic group live in a
compact community.
3. Xuanwei ham
Xuanwei ham, produced in Xuanwei City in Qujing Prefecture, Yunnan Province,
enjoys a high reputation both at home and abroad. In 1915 Xuanwei ham won a gold
medal at the Panama International Fair. In the shape of pipa (a plucked string
instrument with a fretted fingerboard), Xuanwei ham has thin skin, thick meat,
bright color and strong aroma. Thanks to the high quality, it is also known as
"Yunnan ham".
Shaanxi Cuisine
Shaanxi cuisine is represented by Guanzhong, south Shaanxi and north Shaanxi
cuisine styles. Shaanxi Province occupies an important position in the
development history of Chinese culture. Its cooking techniques can be traced
back to Yangshao Culture period. In the Han (206BC-220AD) and Tang (618-907)
Dynasties, Shaanxi's cooking techniques reached a splendid period. Thanks to its
unique position in Chinese history, Shaanxi chefs gathered all eating and
cooking advantages from all over the country, and formed its own characteristics.
Local chefs of Shaanxi Province are good at using local materials to prepare
delicious dishes, such as hump and hoof of camels, fat sheep from north Shaanxi,
Qinchuan oxen, carps from the Yellow River, and black rice from Hanzhong.
Through boiling, stewing, braising, frying and cooking, they produce a wide
variety of dishes of different tastes. Famous dishes include: bottle gourd
chicken, mustard and upper part of a pork leg, white lotus in a limpid pond,
scorpion and fish on bamboo plate, Guozi fish in milky soup, Chrysanthemum pot,
Han cinnamon chicken slices saute, chicken rice and sea cucumber, tomato juice
and ox tongue, steamed mutton, etc.
1. Bottle gourd chicken
It is a famous traditional dish of Shaanxi Province, with golden red color,
crisp skin, tender meat, strong smell and mellow taste.
2. White lotus in a limpid pond
This dish was created by Van Culinary Research Institute based on historical
records. It features well selected ingredients, meticulous preparations, a crisp
and tender and refreshing taste, just like a white lotus flower in a limpid
pond, hence the name.
3. Scorpion and fish on bamboo plate
This dish is a creation of Van, featuring delicious and tender fish, a strong
fragrance of scorpions, a graceful smell of bamboo and abeautiful shape, with a
role of dietotherapy.
4.Guozi fish in milky soup
As a traditional dish of Van of Shaanxi Province, Guozi fish in milky soup
evolves from an imperial dish of the Tang Dynasty of more than 1,000 years ago.
It features delicious and tender fish meat and milk-like and mellow soup. It is
a nutritious dish rich in protein, minerals and vitamins.
5. Chrysanthemum pot
With a time-honored history, this traditional dish is full of fragrances of
flowers, wine, meat, and vegetables.
6. Han cinnamon chicken slices saute
It is a famous dish of Hanzhong of Shaanxi. Legend has it that when Liu Bang
became King of Hanzhong, Prime Minister Xiao He, planted this cinnamon tree in
person in Shengshui Temple in the south of Hanzhong, hence the name Han cinnamon.
This dish features tender and delicious chicken slices, with aroma of cinnamon,
and a graceful color.
Hubei Cuisine
Hubei cuisine consists of dishes from Wuhan, Jinnan, Xiangyun and Southeast
Hubei. Wuhan cuisine originated in an area where there is a major-scale inland
fishery. Fish is the main ingredient of many dishes, such as steamed Wuchang
fish, penholder-like fish belly, brown-sauce-stewed fish and quick-boiled fish
with oranges. Other typical local dishes include steamed triplet from Mianyang,
chicken broth stewed in an earthen jar, thousand-sliced pork, calipash soup with
wax gourd and medicinal soups made by the long and gentle stewing of fried
chicken with seasonings.
There are also some famous local snacks in Wuhan such as "Flower"Shaomai, where
the dumpling corners are drawn up into five little pockets and filled with
different-colored stuffing; hot and dry noodles flavored with a sesame-paste
sauce; Laotongcheng, bean-paste omelets; and steamed dumplings.
1. Steamed Wuchang fish
Wuchang fish lives in the Fankou section of the Yangtze River. The fish meat is
delicate. Being the most famous and representative dish in Wuhan, this course is
very delicious. It is usually braised in distinctive stocks and tastes fresh and
tender. Late-chairmen Mao Zedong highly-praised the taste of Wuchang fish and
ever mentioned it in his widespread poems. Since then, the blunt-stunt bream
Wuchang fish has earned a nationwide fame.
2. Mandarin fish in tomato juice
This dish requires complicated process: the fish needs to be steeped in scallion
and ginger sauce and cooking wine for 30 minutes before being deep-fried in
8-fold hot oil till it changes color into golden brown and looks like grapes.
Then pour the cooked tomato sauce over the fish. It has an elegant shape with
bright color and tastes crispy and rich.
3. Eight-treasure sea cucumbers
In this dish, sea cucumbers are cooked with bamboo shoots, ham, chicken and
water chestnuts in the chicken soup. It is stir-fried first then stewed with
mushrooms, scallion and ginger. It has different colors, mouthwatering in the
plate, and the soup is rich and thick, tasting fresh with strong fragrance.
4. Eight delicacies orange cups
This dish is fun to look and has special taste. The mushrooms, bamboo shoots,
water chestnuts, ham, chicken breast and walnuts are chopped and mixed first,
then spooned into the elegantly cut orange cups. This dish not only tastes
delicious but also is nutritious.
Huai-Yang Cuisine
Huai-Yang Cuisine originated from the Pre-Qin Period (221-206BC), became famous
during the Sui (581-618) and Tang (618-907) Dynasties, and was recognized as a
distinct regional style during the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911)
Dynasties. This cuisine includes dishes from Huai'an, Yangzhou, Suzhou, and
Shanghai.
Raw materials of Huai-Yang dishes include fresh and live aquatic products. The
carving techniques are delicate, of which the melon carving technique is
especially well-known. The flavor of Huai-Yang cuisine is light, fresh and sweet.
If Shandong cuisine is characterized by stirring and frying over a hot fire,
Huai-Yang cuisine is characterized by stewing, braising, and steaming over a low
fire for a long time. Famous dishes cooked this way are chicken braised with
chestnuts, pork steamed in lotus leaf, duck stewed with eight treasures,
meatballs with crab meat in Yangzhou style, and butterfly sea cucumber (sea
cucumber cut into butterfly shapes and cooked with flavorings). Other famous
dishes include stewed crab with clear soup, long boiled
dry shredded meat,
crystal meat, squirrel with mandarin fish, Sauteed Eel Shreds and Liangxi crisp
eel.
The vegetarian banquet is a special feature of Huai-Yang cuisine, and the
vegetarian dishes in Beijing cuisine are mostly variants of Huai-Yang cuisine.
Huai-Yang snacks and refreshments are exquisite, such as boiled, shredded, dried
bean curd; steamed dumplings with minced meat and gravy; steamed meat dumplings
with dough gathered at the top.
Shanghai Cuisine
Shanghai cuisine is the youngest among the ten major cuisines in China though
with a history of more than 400 years.
Traditionally called Benbang cuisine, it originated in the Ming and Qing
Dynasties (1368-1840). Shanghai dishes usually look red and shiny, for they are
often pickled in wine and their cooking methods include baking, stewing, teaming,
deep-frying, etc. In the later part of 19th century after Shanghai became a
major domestic and international trading port, Benbang dishes underwent some
substantial changes by adopting certain merits of other cuisines. It formed a
complex flavor structure, cooking style and technique norms. It stresses on
using condiments and keeping the original flavors of the materials and has
features of being fresh, smooth and crispy. Shanghai Dishes aim at lightness in
flavor,
and beautifulness in decoration.
The raw materials of Shanghai dishes are well cut, and the colors harmoniously
arranged. Now, special attention is being paid to low-sugar and low-fat food, a
good quantity of vegetables and nutritional values. Generally Shanghai cuisine
is mellower and slightly sweet in taste. Sweet and sour is a typical Shanghai
taste. Another characteristic is the use of a great variety of seafood. Rice is
dominantly served over noodle or other wheat products.
To meet the appetites of people at different levels, Shanghai style offers a
wide range of homey selections as well as gourmet-show pieces. Some famous local
dishes are:
1. Steamed crab
Late autumn is the best time for eating crabs in Shanghai. During that time, the
best-quality Yangcheng Lake hairy crabs with green shells and white bottoms,
rich in fat and ovary, are shipped to restaurants. When the crabs are properly
cooked, the fragrance appeals to diners' palate. There are such famous dishes
like the crab meat bean curd, lily fruit in crab fat, rice cake in crab meat,
delicacies much appreciated by diners. The most popular one is the steamed crab
which maintains the original flavor of the crab. It focuses on bringing out the
natural crab flavor. The meat is tender, juicy and delicious.
2. Shrimp with colorful vegetables
This is a stir-fried shrimp dish. The shrimps are peeled and then stir-fried
with Chinese bean sauce. The dish looks beautiful and tastes tender. There will
be no grease remaining on the plate when finished.
3. Squirrel-shaped mandarin fish
This dish uses very fresh mandarin fish. The fish is deep-fried and has a crispy
exterior and soft interior. Yellow and red in color, it is displayed in the
shape of a squirrel on the plate. Hot broth is poured over it. It sounds like a
squirrel crying when the broth is poured. Sour and sweet flavors are harmonized
quite well in this dish.
Beijing Cuisine
People also call it the Capital City cuisine. Beijing was the capital city for
the Liao, Jin, Yuan, Ming, and Qing Dynasties. Except for the Ming Dynasty
(1368-1644), all the rulers of these dynasties were from northern nomadic
tribes. For those 500-odd years, the dishes available from Beijing's catering
trade were dominated by meat dishes, which corresponded to the eating habits of
the ruling class. The Mongolian rulers of the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) were
especially fond of mutton, and 80% of the dishes in their palace were made of
mutton. These mutton dishes are still made today, such as stewed mutton,
instant-boiled mutton, quick-fried mutton tripe, and fried dumplings with minced
mutton.
Many of the dishes classified as "Beijing" style originated in the Imperial
courts, which had at their command the best of all the food inChina.
Beijing cuisine makes liberal use of stronger flavored roots and vegetables such
as peppers, garlic, ginger, leek and coriander (Chinese parsley). The most
popular methods are roasting, frying, stewing, braising, and steaming. It does
not emphasize strangeness or uniqueness, only delicious food made from common
ingredients with tastes that are very agreeable. It is China's most typical
cuisine. Because of its more northerly location, Beijing food tends to be more
substantial, to keep the body warm. Instead of rice, which is the staple diet in
Cantonese cuisine, more noodles, dumplings (Jiaozi), and bread (baked, steamed
or fried) are served in Beijing-style restaurants. Demonstrations of the highly
skilled art of turning a lump of dough into even-sized noodles can be observed
in some noodle restaurants.
Prime examples of Beijing cuisine are Beijing Roast Duck and Shuan Yangrou
(instant-boiled mutton) or "Hot Pot", which are especially popular in cold
winter months ofBeijing.
In ancient times, Beijing was the gathering place of the literati, businessmen
and officials, and many skilled chefs followed these people to Beijing, bringing
with them different cuisines, Shandong cuisine in particular, to the capital and
greatly enriched the flavors of Beijing cuisine. The quick-frying techniques
ofShandong cuisine and its use of onions greatly influenced Beijing cuisine. For
example, quick-fried mutton, a popular and common dish, is a typical Beijing
dish that uses Shandong cooking skills and flavoring methods. On the other hand,
some of them wanted to eat the dishes of their native cuisines without leaving
the city, which stimulated the development of other provincial cuisines in
Beijing.
As an international city, Beijing also offers many choices in western-style and
non-Chinese cuisine, and the range of International cuisines here should satisfy
even the most westernized of palates. Beyond this, there are plenty of fast food
options, handy shopping expeditions or whenever you just need a cheeseburger.
McDonald's, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Pizza Hut, Starbuck's Coffee, Subway Subs
and Dunkin-Donuts have all established chain stores in the city.
Beijing Roasted Duck
Beijing Roasted Duck has the reputation of being the most delicious food in
Beijing. It is usually a fixed item of dinner on any Beijing tour itinerary.
Eating Beijing Roasted Duck is also one of the two things you are absolutely
supposed to do while in Beijing - the other one is climbing the Great Wall.
The hometown of roasted duck is actually Nanjing City of Jiangsu Province in
East China. In the 19th year (1421) during the Yongle reign of the Ming Dynasty
(1368-1644), the emperor moved the capital from Nanjing to Beijing, and hence
roasted duck was introduced toBeijing and became an imperial dish.
Beijing ducks are called force-fed ducks, which are raised for the sole purpose
of making the food. Force-fed, they are kept in cages which restrain them from
moving about, so as to fatten them up and make the meat comparably tender.
Beijing Roasted Duck has two kinds: Menlu Roasted Duck (duck roasted in the
oven) and Gualu Roasted Duck (duck roasted over the hire). The preparations
include: first rubbing the ducks with spices, salt and sugar, and then hanging
them in the air for some time. To make a Menlu Roasted Duck, first burn the
Kaoliang stalks in the oven till the sides of the oven turn hot, then put the
ready-duck inside until the duck is baked date-red and shining with oil by the
heat of the oven and the remaining heat of the ash. To make a Gualu Roasted
Duck, the ready-duck is baked in the oven directly over the burning wood of
peach, jujube or date trees, which give off a special fragrance, with very
little smoke; bake until the duck becomes brown with rich grease perspiring
outside and have a nice odor. The best roasted duck has a crisp skin and tender
meat.
Beijing Roasted Duck is always served in well-cut slices. The chef cuts the meat
into thin slices, each having a piece of skin and perfect with the complete
layers of the meat. Then the meat is served with very thin pancakes, Chinese
onions and special sauce, usually sweet bean sauce. The way to eat it is to coat
the thin pancake with sauce, slap on a few pieces of meat and roll up the
pancake. Chopsticks are optional: it is much easier just to grab the thing with
your bare hands. Normally there are many dishes served with the duck, including
a dish of fine-cut shallot bars, a dish of cucumber bars and finally a dish of
paste-like soy of fermented wheat flour. The dinner usually ends with a rich
cream-colored duck soup made from the duck.
Hunan Cuisine
Also known as Xiang Cai, Hunan cuisine has already developed into a famous
culinary school in China.
Hunan dishes consist of local dishes from the
Xiangjiang River area, Dongting Lake area and Western Hunan mountain area.
Hunan's culinary specialties are akin to those of the chili-rich Sichuan dishes.
It is also characterized by thick and pungent flavor. Chili, pepper and shallot
are usually necessaries in this division. However, Chili, peppers, garlic (suan)
and an unusual sauce, called "strange-flavor" sauce (guai wei jiang) on some
menus, enliven many dishes, with a somewhat drier intensity than that of their
Sichuan counterparts. Sweetness, too, is a Hunan culinary passion, and honey
sauces are favored in desserts such as water chestnut or cassia flower cakes.
Hunan is known as "the land of fish and rice". Like the west in latitude, it has
the added bonus of lowlands for rice cultivation and a rich ocean's edge for
fish. Hunan food is characterized by its hot and sour flavor, fresh aroma,
greasiness, deep color, and the prominence of the main flavor in the dishes.
Hunan food is hot because the climate is very humid, which makes it difficult
for human body to eliminate moisture. The local people eat hot peppers to help
remove dampness and cold. The main cooking methods for Hunan dishes are braising,
double-boiling, steaming and stewing. It is also renowned for its frequent use
of preserved meat in cooking.
Rice is the staple in Hunan, but northern-style side dishes and fillers are also
popular: bean curd "bread" rolls or dumplings and savory buns. They are further
signs that Hunan is one of China's culinary heartland, incorporating many
flavors and regional influences.
Typical courses include: Dong'an chick; peppery and hot chick, stir-fried tripe
slivers, tripe in duck's web soup, lotus seed with rock candy, Xiaoxiang turtle,
steamed pickled meat, and hot and spicy frog leg.
Anhui Cuisine
Anhui cuisine (Hui Caifor short), one of the eight most famous cuisines in
China, features the local culinary arts of Huizhou. It comprises the specialties
of South Anhui, Yanjiang and Huai Bei. The highly distinctive characteristic of
Anhui cuisine lies not only in the elaborate choices of cooking materials but
also in the strict control of cooking process.
Most ingredients in Anhui cuisine, such as pangolin, stone frog, mushroom,
bayberry, tea leaves, bamboo shoot, dates, games, etc., are from mountain area.
Huangshan Mountain has abundant products for dish cooking. Huangshan Chukka has
tender flesh and a sweet taste. It can be boiled in clear soup or braised in soy
sauce. The dishes help relieve internal fever and build up vital energy. The
white and tender bamboo shoots produced on Huangshan Mountain can be made into
very delicious food. Xianggu, a kind of top-grade mushroom grows on old trees,
is also very tasty.
Anhui cuisine chefs pay more attention to the taste, color of dishes and the
temperature to cook them, and are good at braising and stewing. They are experts
especially in cooking delicacies from mountains and sea. Anhui dishes preserve
most of the original taste and nutrition of the materials. Generally the food
here is slightly spicy and salty. Some master dishes usually stewed in brown
sauce with stress on heavy oil and sauce. Ham is often added to improve the
taste and sugar candy added to gain freshness. High up on the menu are stewed
soft shell turtle with ham, Huangshan braised pigeon, steamed stone frog,
steamed rock partridge, stewed fish belly in brown sauce, bamboo shoots cooked
with sausage and dried mushroom, etc.
1. Stewed soft shell turtle with ham
One whole soft shell turtle, pork, ham, bamboo shoots, a clove of garlic,
shallot, ginger, soy sauce, salt, rice wine, black pepper, lard are all stewed
together in a pot on charcoal fire. The dish is not greasy and can lead diners
to endless aftertastes.
2. Steamed stone frog
Inhabited in caves, stone frog is a special product in Huangshan Mountain. It
weights 250 grams or so, whose belly is white and back black with stripe. Stone
frog is rich in protein, calcium and so on. It has the functions of clearing
heat, improving vision and nutrition. It is one of the best exotic dishes from
mountains.
3. Bamboo shoots cooked with sausage and dried mushroom
It is one traditional flavor in Huizhou mountainous area. Cooked with sausage
and dried mushrooms, the bamboo shoots are more fragrant. It is delicious, and
noted for its good color, juicy meat and thick soup.
4. Li Hongzhang Hotchpotch
Li Hongzhang hotchpotch is a popular dish named after one of Anhui's famous
personages. Li Hongzhang was a top official of the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911
AD). When he was in office, he paid a visit to the US and hosted a banquet for
all his American friends. As the specially prepared dishes continued to flow,
the chefs, with limited resources, began to fret. Upon Li Hongzhang's order, the
remaining kitchen ingredients were thrown together into an impromptu stew,
containing sea cucumber, squid, tofu, ham, mushroom, chicken meat and other less
identifiable food materials! Thus appetites were quenched and a dish was created.