Chinese
Cuisine
Chinese cuisine is any of several
styles originating in the regions of China, some
of which have become increasingly popular in other
parts of the world – from Asia to the
Americas, Australia, Western Europe and Southern
Africa. The history of Chinese cuisine stretches
back for many centuries and produced both change
from period to period and variety in what could
be called traditional Chinese food, leading Chinese
to pride themselves on eating a wide range of foods.
Major traditions include Anhui, Cantonese, Fujian,
Hunan, Jiangsu, Shandong, Szechuan, and Zhejiang
cuisines.
A number of different styles contribute to Chinese
cuisine, but perhaps the best known and most influential
are Guangdong (Cantonese) cuisine, Shandong cuisine,
Jiangsu cuisine and Sichuan cuisine. These styles
are distinctive from one another due to factors
such as available resources, climate, geography,
history, cooking techniques and lifestyle. One style
may favour the use of lots of garlic and shallots
over lots of chilli and spices, while another may
favour preparing seafood over other meats and fowl.
Jiangsu cuisine favours cooking techniques such
as braising and stewing, while Sichuan cuisine employs
baking, just to name a few. Hairy crab is a highly
sought after local delicacy in Shanghai, as it can
be found in lakes within the region. Beijing Roast
Duck (otherwise known as 'Peking Duck') is another
popular dish well known outside of China. Based
on the raw materials and ingredients used, the method
of preparation and cultural differences, a variety
of foods with different flavours and textures are
prepared in different regions of the country. Many
traditional regional cuisines rely on basic methods
of preservation such as drying, salting, pickling
and fermentation.
(Source: Wikipedia.org)
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