Chinese regional cuisine

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Map showing major regional cuisines of China

Chinese regional cuisines are amongst the many different cuisines found in different provinces and prefectures of China as well as from larger overseas Chinese communities.

A number of different styles contribute to Chinese cuisine, but perhaps the best known and most influential are

Guangdong cuisine, Shandong cuisine, Huaiyang cuisine, and Sichuan cuisine.[1][2] These styles are distinctive from one another due to the factors such as availability of resources, climate, geography, history, cooking techniques and lifestyle.[3] One style may favor the generous use of garlic and shallots over chili and spices, while another may favor preparing seafood over other meats and fowl
.

Jiangsu cuisine favors cooking techniques such as braising and stewing, while Sichuan cuisine employs baking.[1] Hairy crab is a highly sought after local delicacy in Shanghai, as it can be found in lakes within the region. Peking duck and dim-sum are other popular dishes well known outside of China.[1]

Based on the raw materials and ingredients used, the method of preparation and

fermentation.[4]

Eight Great Traditions

Historically, the Four Great Traditions (Chinese: 四大菜系; pinyin: Sìdà càixì) of Chinese cuisine are Chuan, Lu, Yue and Huaiyang, representing West, North, South and East China cuisine correspondingly.[5] However, in modern times the list is often expanded to the Eight Great Traditions (Chinese: 八大菜系; pinyin: Bādà càixì), which are as follows:

Guangdong

Har gow shrimp dumplings are a classic Cantonese dim sum dish

Guangdong or Cantonese cuisine (

stir-fried green vegetables, congee porridge, soups, etc. The Cantonese style of dining, yum cha, combines the variety of dim sum dishes with the drinking of tea. Yum cha literally means "drink tea".[1]

Sichuan

Shuizhu with beef, a traditional Sichuan dish.

sesame paste, and ginger
are also prominent ingredients in this style.

Anhui

Anhui cuisine (徽菜; huīcài or 徽州菜; huīzhōu cài) is derived from the native cooking styles of the Huangshan Mountains region in China and is similar to Jiangsu cuisine, but with less emphasis on seafood and more on a wide variety of local herbs and vegetables. Anhui province is particularly endowed with fresh bamboo and mushroom crops.

Shandong

gluten
(面筋红烧排骨; 麵筋紅燒排骨; miànjīn hóngshāo páigǔ)

Shandong cuisine[10] (鲁菜; lǔcài) is commonly known as Lu cuisine.[11] Shandong cuisine constituted one of the most important parts of imperial cuisine with wide distribution across North China. Lu cuisine dishes are noted for having fresh, salty, crisp and tender features. Lu cuisine chefs are experienced to care for the seasoning of clear broth and creamy soup. It was recorded to be highly favored by the imperial family in the Ming and Qing dynasty. Shandong cuisine features a variety of cooking techniques and seafood ingredients. Typical dishes on local menus include braised abalone, braised sea cucumbers, sweet and sour carp, braised pork intestines, and Dezhou chicken (marinated chicken originating from the city of Dezhou).

Fujian

A bowl of Fujian thick soup, or geng (羹)

Fujian cuisine (闽菜; mǐncài) is influenced by Fujian's coastal position and mountainous terrain.[12] Woodland delicacies such as edible mushrooms and bamboo shoots are also utilized.[12] Slicing techniques are valued in the cuisine and utilized to enhance the flavor, aroma, and texture of seafood and other foods.[12] Fujian cuisine is often served in a broth or soup, with cooking techniques including braising, stewing, steaming, and boiling.[12]

Jiangsu

Jiangsu cuisine (淮扬菜; huáiyángcài) is one of the major components of Chinese cuisine, which consists of the styles of Huai'an, Yangzhou, Nanjing, Suzhou and Zhenjiang dishes. It is especially popular in the lower reach of the Yangtze River. Huaiyang cuisine, one of the Four Great Traditions, is a style of Jiangsu cuisine.

Typical courses of Jiangsu cuisine are Jinling salted dried duck (Nanjing's most famous dish), crystal meat (pork heels in a bright, brown sauce), clear crab shell meatballs (pork meatballs in crab shell powder, fatty, yet fresh), and Yangzhou steamed jerky strips (dried tofu, chicken, ham and pea leaves).

Hunan

Hunan cured ham with pickled yardlong beans

Hunan cuisine (湘菜; Xiāngcài) is well known for its hot spicy flavor,[13] fresh aroma, and deep color. Common cooking techniques include stewing, stir-frying, pot-roasting, braising, and smoking. Due to the high agricultural output of the region, there are many varied ingredients for Hunan dishes. Hunan cuisine is called Xiāngcài in China, because the abbreviation of Hunan Province is Xiāng (). Some typical dishes of Hunan Cuisine are steaming smoked meat, stew fish, and rice noodle soup. Besides spicy, Hunan cuisine, especially western Hunan, also emphasizes on sourness. Therefore, different kinds of pickles are popular in Hunan, for example, Douchi is a type of fermented and salted black soybean.

Zhejiang

Zhejiang cuisine (浙菜; Zhècài or 浙江菜; zhèjiāngcài) derives from the native cooking styles of the Zhejiang region. The dishes are not greasy, having instead a fresh, soft flavor with a mellow fragrance.

The cuisine consists of at least four styles, each of which originated from different cities in the province:

  • Hangzhou style, characterized by rich variations and the use of bamboo shoots
  • Shaoxing style, specializing in poultry and freshwater fish
  • Ningbo style, specializing in seafood
  • Shanghai style, a combination of different Zhe styles, is also very famous for its dim sum

Other

Other regions and ethnic groups with unique dishes and styles are represented in China, including Macau, Taiwan, and many more.

Dong Bei

Many dishes in this region originated in Manchu cuisine, but it is also heavily influenced by the cuisines of Russia, Beijing, Mongolia, and Shandong. It partially relies on preserved foods and large portions due to the region's harsh winters and relatively short growing seasons.

Gansu

Gansu cuisine is the regional cooking style of the Han Chinese, deeply influenced by the local

Gansu province of Northwestern China
.

Hainan

Hainan cuisine is derived from the cooking styles of the peoples of Hainan Province in China. The food is lighter, less oily, and more mildly seasoned than that of the Chinese mainland. Seafood predominates the menu, as prawn, crab, and freshwater and ocean fish are widely available.

Hakka

Hakka abacus beads (算盘子), made from yam and tapioca

Hakka cuisine is the cooking style of the

overseas Hakka
communities. It emphasizes the texture of food, and features preserved meats and vegetables.

Jilin

Jilin cuisine is the regional cooking style of the Han Chinese with heavy influence from native

Jilin Province of Northeastern China
.

Mongolian

Mongolian

hotpot
is very famous in China, and popular with the Han ethnic group.

Qinghai

Qinghai cuisine is the regional cooking style of the

Northwest China
.

Tibetan

Tibetan cuisine is traditionally served with bamboo chopsticks, in contrast to other Himalayan cuisines, which are eaten by hand. Small soup bowls are used, and the wealthier Tibetans ate from bowls of gold and silver.

Xinjiang

The cuisine of Xinjiang reflects the region's

mutton, kebabs, roasted fish and rice. Because of the distinctive Muslim population, the food is predominantly halal
.

Yunnan

Yunnan only began to come under significant Chinese influence some 1000 years after Sichuan was annexed. As the most geographically, ethnically and culturally diverse province in modern China, it naturally features a wide variety of cuisine.

References

  1. ^
  2. ^ "Regions of Chinese food-styles/flavors of cooking." Archived 2011-10-05 at the Wayback Machine University of Kansas Archived 2021-03-02 at the Wayback Machine, Kansas Asia Scholars. Accessed June 2011.
  3. ^ "China's Culinary Diversity in One Map"
  4. ^ J. Li & Y. Hsieh. Traditional Chinese Food Technology and Cuisine. Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
  5. ^ "Four Major Cuisines in China". CITS. Retrieved 10 January 2017.
  6. ^ Editorial Team of Hong Kong Economic Journal. "舌尖上的中國:八大菜系由來 [The Taste of China: The Origin of Eight Great Traditions]". Hong Kong Economic Journal.
  7. ^ K K News (2 February 2018). "港式點心之前世今生 [The History of Dim Sum in Hong Kong Style]". Archived from the original on 2021-05-09.
  8. ^ Wong, Ethan (2017-08-26). "Everything about Sichuan Cuisine - History and more". 3thanWong. Retrieved 2023-04-04.
  9. ^ Zhang, Megan. "Sichuan peppercorn: A Chinese spice so hot it cools". www.bbc.com. Retrieved 2023-04-04.
  10. ^ "Shandong Cuisine".
  11. ^ "Lu cuisine".
  12. ^ a b c d "Fujian Cuisine. Archived 2013-07-31 at the Wayback Machine Beautyfujian.com Archived 2011-07-10 at the Wayback Machine. Accessed June 2011.
  13. ^ "Hunan Cuisine." China.org, Chinese Imperial Cuisines. Accessed June 2011.