19 Most Popular Chinese Dishes Easy Chinese Dishes (Paperback)
Chinese Recipes- In a country where the traditional way to greet someone translates to 'have you eaten yet?' (ni chile ma), be rest assured, the food will be extraordinary. China has the most popular culinary heritage in the world. Their cuisine dates back about 1000 years, with varied cooking styles, techniques, and evolved ingredients.
A typical Chinese meal will have two things - a carbohydrate or starch like noodles, Rice, or buns, and accompanying stir fries or dishes of veggies, fish, and meat. They use a lot of fresh vegetables like mushrooms, water chestnuts, bamboo, and even tofu. In North China, wheat-based accompaniments like noodles and steamed buns dominate the table, in contrast to South China, where Rice is a favourite. The short-grain sticky Rice, grown throughout Southern China, is irresistible.
Each dish focuses on creating a balance between three aspects - appearance, aroma, and taste. They pay a lot of attention to the aesthetic appearance of the food with diversified colours. Sauces and seasonings like fish sauce, five spice powder, oyster sauce, soy sauce, vinegar, root garlic, fresh ginger, and others are used generously to offer a complex play of flavour and aroma.
Much like Japanese cuisine, Chinese dishes are rich in umami which is described as a 'pleasant savoury taste. The umami taste is typical of many ingredients in their cuisine, like Chinese cabbage, spinach, celery, green tea, or fermented products like soy sauce and pastes.
Chinese food and the way it is prepared is influenced by the two major philosophies - Confucianism and Taoism. One of the standards set by Confucius was that food must be cut into small bite-size pieces before being served. Those who follow Taoism focus more on food that promotes health and longevity and those with healing powers.
A typical Chinese meal will have two things - a carbohydrate or starch like noodles, Rice, or buns, and accompanying stir fries or dishes of veggies, fish, and meat. They use a lot of fresh vegetables like mushrooms, water chestnuts, bamboo, and even tofu. In North China, wheat-based accompaniments like noodles and steamed buns dominate the table, in contrast to South China, where Rice is a favourite. The short-grain sticky Rice, grown throughout Southern China, is irresistible.
Each dish focuses on creating a balance between three aspects - appearance, aroma, and taste. They pay a lot of attention to the aesthetic appearance of the food with diversified colours. Sauces and seasonings like fish sauce, five spice powder, oyster sauce, soy sauce, vinegar, root garlic, fresh ginger, and others are used generously to offer a complex play of flavour and aroma.
Much like Japanese cuisine, Chinese dishes are rich in umami which is described as a 'pleasant savoury taste. The umami taste is typical of many ingredients in their cuisine, like Chinese cabbage, spinach, celery, green tea, or fermented products like soy sauce and pastes.
Chinese food and the way it is prepared is influenced by the two major philosophies - Confucianism and Taoism. One of the standards set by Confucius was that food must be cut into small bite-size pieces before being served. Those who follow Taoism focus more on food that promotes health and longevity and those with healing powers.