Chinese cuisine is rightly considered one of the cradles of civilization. It has gifted the world numerous scientific inventions and cultural treasures, and its historical and geopolitical influence is simply immeasurable. But the true phenomenon of this country is its cuisine. The renowned scholar and archaeologist Kwan-Chi Chang once remarked that the people of China attach immense importance to food, and he was absolutely correct. Food truly lies at the heart of any social interaction here. Around the dining table, family members, colleagues, business partners, and high-ranking politicians gather to eat and converse. A plethora of religious and domestic rituals in the Celestial Empire are also associated with food. Ultimately, it is Chinese cuisine—one of the principal “agents of influence”—that has spread the culture of the Celestial Empire far beyond its borders.
The Philosophy of Chinese Cuisine
The culinary art in this country has been perfected over five millennia. The greatest ancient philosopher and thinker, Confucius, stated that food in China is one of the three fundamental conditions for governing a state, alongside the army and the trust of the people. As far back as the 6th century BCE, he established culinary standards that continue to exist in Chinese cuisine to this day and defined many aspects of dining etiquette. Daoism, which also emerged during that period, influenced the formation and development of the idea that properly prepared food can have medicinal value. All of this transformed Chinese cuisine into a high art form. If we were to summarize the millennia-old philosophy of food culture in China into several theses, they would sound like this:
- Food and its preparation techniques should correspond to the seasons.
- The selection of high-quality ingredients is one of the main skills of a good chef.
- Each dish has its own story and rituals of consumption, which educated individuals should know to fully enjoy them.
- Medicine and food originate from the same source.
- Perfect ingredient slicing is the foundation of proper food preparation.
- The balance of the five tastes—sour, sweet, bitter, spicy, and salty—allows for the creation of harmony in a dish.
- Choose the simplest and most rational culinary techniques that preserve the nutritional value and natural taste of the ingredients.
- Huohou—control of temperature and cooking time—is the key to a chef’s success or failure.
- The aesthetics of food presentation are as important as its taste. The Major Regional Cuisines of the Celestial Empire China’s territory is vast, highly diverse in its geographical characteristics, and spans four climatic zones—equatorial, tropical, subtropical, and temperate. Therefore, in different parts of China, residents have access to unique local ingredients for cooking dishes, as well as specific preferences in flavor combinations and spice choices, culinary customs, and traditions. Among the dozens of regional cuisines of the Celestial Empire, eight of the most influential and well-known are commonly distinguished:
- Cantonese—The most popular and widely known outside of China. Characterized by its fresh, mild, and natural taste, dishes from the Guangdong province and Hong Kong actively use various sauces that give a sweet flavor to the food.
- Sichuan—Incredibly popular within China itself. It is famous for its spicy, pungent, and richly flavored dishes, which always contain plenty of chili, garlic, ginger, and, of course, Sichuan pepper.
- Fujian (Min cuisine)—Known for dishes made from wild plants and mushrooms, as well as gifts from the sea. Its masters are recognized virtuosos in slicing and creating textures, and the local menu features many broths and soups.
- Shandong (Lu cuisine)—Widely spread in the east and northeast of the country. Its tastes are umami, salty, and sweet-sour. Here, people eat many wheat dishes as well as seafood and soups.
- Jiangsu (Su cuisine)—Highly diverse. It is characterized by the exquisite and colorful presentation of dishes, the desire to preserve the original taste of the ingredients, and a large amount of fish and seafood in the menu.
- Anhui—Particularly attractive due to its many wild plants, resulting in fresh flavors. The most common cooking methods here are stewing, simmering over low heat, and steaming. Fried food is served relatively rarely.
- Zhejiang (Zhe cuisine)—Actively uses bamboo shoots, freshwater fish, and seafood. Its menu features many dishes with minimal thermal processing, delicate and light flavors, and crispy textures.
- Hunan—The spiciest, most pungent, and sour. The main seasoning here is chili pepper. Hunan chefs are not afraid of an abundance of smoked foods, as well as pickled and canned vegetables.
Traditional Chinese Dishes that Conquered the World
The variety of dishes in China is so vast that it can shock an unprepared traveler. It’s hard to choose when each item on the menu sounds even more appetizing than the last. But traditional Chinese dishes, with their rich palette of flavors and ancient history, are known and loved all over the world.
Peking Duck (Beijing Kaoya)
Peking Duck is the favorite Chinese dish of all foreign tourists visiting the capital of the Celestial Empire. In the Middle Ages, it was the star of the imperial kitchen. The first restaurant specializing in this type of meat appeared in Beijing in 1416. In the 1970s, Beijing Kaoya was designated a national dish for hosting foreign guests. Preparing Peking Duck takes three days, and eating it is a true ritual. The chef presents the bird to the table whole to demonstrate its perfectly crispy skin. Then, in the presence of guests, it is sliced into 120 thin slices. Each slice is eaten individually, placed on a semi-transparent rice pancake, topped with sliced cucumber, scallions, sauce, and rolled up. The remaining parts of the duck can be served to guests in a broth with Beijing cabbage and soft tofu.
Dim Sum
Dim Sum is not a specific Chinese dish but rather a category of dishes. These are light snacks served in small portions on separate plates, traditionally consumed with morning or afternoon tea. This tradition originated in Guangzhou and is especially popular in the southern part of China. There are even cafes and restaurants that serve only dim sum. There are over a thousand similar Chinese snacks, including various types of dumplings and steamed buns, pies, tarts, and other pastries, rolls with sweet or savory fillings, seafood, rice with several filling options, meats (such as chicken feet, known as fengzhua), beautifully presented fruits, vegetables, and small desserts.
Chinese Hamburger (Rou Jia Mo)
The Chinese hamburger, Rou Jia Mo, claims to be the oldest of its kind on the planet. Its recipe originated in the Shaanxi province during the Qin Empire (221–206 BCE) and spread throughout the Celestial Empire. It is a simple and hearty dish—crispy bai ji mo bun is sliced open and filled with juicy pieces of braised pork belly. Unique spices used in meat preparation give it its distinctive flavor. Rou Jia Mo is often sold as street food and serves as an excellent snack.
Fried Rice (Chao Fan)
Chao Fan is one of the most common Chinese dishes. The fact that it is prepared by all Chinese housewives from leftover boiled rice and whatever is found in the refrigerator does not prevent it from occupying an honorable place on the menu of a huge number of restaurants. The main ingredients of classic Chao Fan, besides rice, are finely chopped pieces of meat and vegetables, to which eggs, soy sauce, and garlic are added during frying. But the truly iconic version of this dish is Yangzhou Fried Rice, which includes seafood (crab meat, shrimp, sea cucumber, and scallops), pork, duck or chicken, eggs, carrots, and bamboo shoots.
Jiaozi (Dumplings)
Jiaozi dumplings are incredibly popular in Chinese cuisine. There is a theory that their recipe was invented in the early 3rd century by one of the most outstanding physicians of the Han Dynasty period, Zhang Zhongjing. He used this simple and nutritious dish to restore the strength and warm up the poor who froze and frosted their ears in winter. That’s why jiaozi dumplings have such a distinctive shape resembling an ear. Nowadays, dumplings are not seasonal food, but they are a traditional Chinese dish during the celebration of the Lunar New Year. The most common fillings for jiaozi include minced chicken, beef, pork, shrimp, and fish, mixed with various vegetables. Dumplings are boiled, steamed, fried, and pan-fried, and they can also be served as dumplings in soup.
Wonton
Wontons are a type of Chinese dumplings that originated during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD). In the 12th century, it became a custom to eat them in honor of Dongzhi, the winter solstice festival. They are made from thinly rolled wheat dough with a small amount of filling. Each region of China has its own recipe and shape for wontons. In Guangdong province, wontons are filled with a mixture of shrimp and pork mince and served in a fragrant broth with thin egg noodles and leafy vegetables as a garnish. In Hong Kong, wontons are deep-fried until crispy. In northern China, the filling consists of bok choy cabbage and minced red meat. In Shanghai, they are made from pork and shepherd’s purse leaves, and the wontons are served in a chicken broth.
Ma Po Tofu
Ma Po Tofu is a popular dish from Sichuan cuisine with a characteristic spicy and pungent taste. Its name is a playful pun, as “ma” translates from Chinese as “numbing,” and “po” as “grandma.” Thus, Ma Po Tofu is “numbing grandma’s tofu.” The dish is made from silky medium-firm tofu, cut into cubes, and finely chopped beef or pork. Its main secret lies in the thick dark-red sauce, which includes Doubanjiang paste, fermented black soybeans, oil, chili flakes, garlic, ginger, rice wine, and, of course, Sichuan pepper, which has the property of numbing the tongue and reducing its sensitivity to spicy seasonings. Before serving, the hot dish is sprinkled with green onions.
Chow Mein
Chow Mein, in Cantonese dialect, means “fried noodles.” It is another dish that can be equally found in the kitchen of any Chinese person and on the menu of a popular restaurant far beyond the country’s borders. Egg noodles are parboiled, cooled, and then fried until golden brown with various fillings. Most often, it includes chicken, beef, pork, or shrimp, tofu, vegetables, bean sprouts, and green onions. For an expressive and pungent taste, the dish is seasoned with spices, soy and oyster sauces, sesame oil, and sugar.
