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| Eight Schools Of Chinese
Cuisine |
| China covers a large territory and
has many nationalities, hence a variety of Chinese
food with different but fantastic and mouth watering
flavour. Since China's local dishes have their own
typical characteristics, generally, Chinese food
can be roughly divided into eight regional cuisines,
which has been widely accepted around. Certainly,
there are many other local cuisines that are famous,
such as Beijing Cuisine and Shanghai Cuisine. |
Shandong Cuisine
Consisting of Jinan cuisine and Jiaodong cuisine,
Shandong cuisine, clear, pure and not greasy,
is characterized by its emphasis on aroma,
freshness, crispness and tenderness. Shallot
and garlic are usually used as seasonings
so Shangdong dishes tastes pungent usually.
Soups are given much emphasis in Shangdong
dishes. Thin soup features clear and fresh
while creamy soup looks thick and tastes strong.
Jinan cuisine is adept at deep-frying, grilling,
frying and stir-frying while Jiaodong division
is famous for cooking seafood with fresh and
light taste. |
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Shandong is the birthplace of many famous
ancient scholars such as Confucius and Mencius.
And much of Shandong cuisine's history is
as old as Confucius himself, making it the
oldest existing major cuisine in China. But
don't expect to gain more wisdom from a fortune
cookie at a Shandong restaurant in the West
since fortune cookies aren't even indigenous
to China.
Shandong is a large peninsula surrounded by
the sea to the East and the Yellow River meandering
through the centre. As a result, seafood is
a major component of Shandong cuisine. Shandong's
most famous dish is the Sweat and Sour Carp.
A truly authentic Sweet and Sour Carp must
come from the Yellow River. But with the current
amount of pollution in the Yellow River, you
would be better off if the carp was from elsewhere.
Shandong dishes are mainly quick-fried, roasted,
stir-fried or deep-fried. The dishes are mainly
clear, fresh and fatty, perfect with Shandong's
own famous beer, Qingdao Beer
Typical Courses
Sweet and Sour Carp---deep-fried carp with
a vinegar and sugar-based sauce
Taishan Red-scale Fish---a special rock fish
in a clear, fresh broth
Taian Three Delicacies Tofu---A complex stir-fry
consisting of mainly tofu and baicai in a
seafood sauce
Earthen Jar Pork---strips of pork stewed in
an earthen jar
Caramelized Apples---an indigenous Shandong
desert. You place the caramelized apples in
water to harden. Other caramelized dishes
include sweet potatoes, bananas and pineapples.
Quick-fried Double Fats---a very traditional
Shandong dish consisting of pork tripe and
chicken gizzards (only for the brave).
Red Braised King Prawns---not as heavily braised
as similar dishes in China, bringing out a
fresh taste.
Pu Cai in Cream Soup---one of the oldest dishes
in Shandong.
Dezhou Stewed Chicken---a bright-colour stewed
chicken dish in Dezhou.
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Sichuan Cuisine
Sichuan Cuisine, known often in the West as
Szechuan Cuisine, is one of the most famous
Chinese cuisines in the world. Characterized
by its spicy and pungent flavour, Sichuan cuisine,
prolific of tastes, emphasizes on the use
of chilli. Pepper and prickly ash also never
fail to accompany, producing typical exciting
tastes. Besides, garlic, ginger and fermented
soybean are also used in the cooking process.
Wild vegetables and animals are usually chosen
as ingredients, while frying, frying without
oil, pickling and braising are applied as
basic cooking techniques. It cannot be said
that one who does not experience Sichuan food
ever reaches China. |
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If you eat Sichuan cuisine and find it too
bland, then you are probably not eating
authentic Sichuan cuisine. Chilli peppers
and prickly ash are used in many dishes,
giving it a distinctively spicy taste, called
ma in Chinese. It often leaves a slight
numb sensation in the mouth. However, most
peppers were brought to China from the Americas
in the 18th century so you can thank global
trade for much of Sichuan cuisine's excellence.
Sichuan hot pots are perhaps the most famous
hotpots in the world, most notably the Yuan
Yang (mandarin duck) Hotpot half spicy and
half clear.
Typical Courses
Mapo (Grandmother's) Tofu
Another world-famous Chinese dish. Tofu
and ground pork in a very spicy sauce. The
most authentic dishes have soft, white tofu.
Yu Xiang (Fish Fragrant) Shredded Pork
Another world-famous dish. Its specialty
is its Fish Fragrant spice that actually
has no fish in it, but a mixture of chili
peppers and garlic.
Taibai Duck
Named after Li Bai, this is a duck stew
with pork, vegetables and spices added.
Dong Po Cuttlefish
braised cuttlefish with a very ma taste.
Reflecting Beef
Brightly colour and spicy beef wrapped
in transparent paper. Couple's Beef Fillet
A Chengdu specialty. Many different beef
internal parts a ma taste (only for the
brave).
Hot Boiled Beef
Beef and cabbage boiled in a very spicy
broth. Make sure to order lots of rice and
beverages.
Zamphor Bark and Tea
flavoured Duck- Many delicious flavours added
to this duck, including prickly ash and
wine.
Ban Ban Chicken
Shredded chicken with a chilli pepper and
sesame sauce.
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Guangdong Cuisine
(Cantonese Cuisine)
Cantonese food originates from Guangdong,
the southernmost province in China. The majority
of overseas Chinese people are from Guangdong
(Canton) so Cantonese is perhaps the most
widely available Chinese regional cuisine
outside of China.
Cantonese are known to have an adventurous
palate,
able to eat many different kinds of meats
and vegetables. |
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In fact, people in Northern China often
say that Cantonese people will eat anything
that flies except airplanes, anything that
moves on the ground except trains, and anything
that moves in the water except boats. This
statement is far from the truth, but Cantonese
food is easily one of the most diverse and
richest cuisines in China. Many vegetables
originate from other parts of the world.
It doesn't use much spice, bringing out
the natural flavour of the vegetables and
meats.
Tasting clear, light, crisp and fresh, Guangdong
cuisine, familiar to Westerners, usually
chooses raptors and beasts to produce original
dishes. Its basic cooking techniques include
roasting, stir-frying, sautéing, deep-frying,
braising, stewing and steaming. Among them
steaming and stir-frying are more commonly
applied to preserve the natural flavour.
Guangdong chefs also pay much attention
to the artistic presentation of dishes.
Typical Courses
Sweet and Sour Pork
Guangdong's most widely known dish.
Ding Lake Vegetables
Stir-fried assorted mushrooms and fungi
Drunken Shrimp
Shrimp that are still alive, yet drowning
in liquor.
Very happy fried fresh milk
Fried milk, egg and mushroom combination.
Dragon and Tiger fighting
Everything you can think of in one dish,
including snake meat and cat meat.
Monkey head soup
Now illegal in China and for good reason.
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Fujian Cuisine
Consisting of Fuzhou Cuisine, Quanzhou Cuisine
and Xiamen Cuisine, Fujian Cuisine is distinguished
for its choice seafood, beautiful color
and magic taste of sweet, sour, salty and
savoury. The most distinct features are their
"pickled taste".
Typical Courses
Buddha Jumping Over the Wall
Snow Chicken
Prawn with Dragon's Body and Phoenix's tail
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Jiangsu Cuisine
Jiangsu Cuisine, also called Huaiyang Cuisine,
is popular in the lower reach of the Yangtze
River. Aquatics as the main ingredients, it
stresses the freshness of materials. Its carving
techniques are delicate, of which the melon
carving technique is especially well known.
Cooking techniques consist of stewing, braising,
roasting, simmering, etc. The flavour of Huaiyang
Cuisine is light, fresh and sweet and with
delicate elegance. |
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Jiangsu cuisine is well known for its careful
selection of ingredients, its meticulous preparation
methodology, and its not-too-spicy, not-too-bland
taste. Since the seasons vary in climate considerably
in Jiangsu, the cuisine also varies throughout
the year. If the flavour is strong, it isn't
too heavy; if light, not too bland.
Typical Courses
Jinling Salted Dried Duck
Nanjing's most famous dish. If you visit Nanjing,
you must purchase this and bring back to your
Chinese friends or else you will lose face.
Crystal Meat
Pork heals in a bright, brown sauce (only
for the brave).
Clear Crab shell Meatballs
Pork meatballs in crab shell powder. Fatty,
yet fresh
Yangzhou Steamed Jerky Strips
Dried tofu, chicken, ham and pea leaves. A
must during a Yangzhou or Zhenjiang visit
Triple Combo Duck Dried duck
placed within a fresh duck. Very salty
Farewell My Concubine
If you have seen the movie you should try
the dish, that is if you don't mind eating
soft-shelled turtle. The turtle is stewed
with many other ingredients such as chicken,
mushrooms and wine.
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Zhejiang Cuisine
Comprising local cuisines of Hangzhou, Ningbo
and Shaoxing, Zhejiang Cuisine, not greasy,
wins its reputation for freshness, tenderness,
softness, smoothness of its dishes with mellow
fragrance. Hangzhou Cuisine is the most famous
one among the three.
Typical Courses
Sour West Lake Fish
Longjing Shelled Shrimp
Beggar's Chicken
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Hunan Cuisine
Hunan cuisine consists of local Cuisines of
Xiangjiang Region, Dongting Lake and Xiangxi
coteau. It characterizes itself by thick and
pungent flavour. Chilli, pepper and shallot
are usually necessaries in this division.
Typical Courses
Dongan Chick
Peppery and Hot Chick
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Anhui Cuisine
Anhui Cuisine chefs focus much more attention
on the temperature in cooking and are good
at braising and stewing. Often hams will be
added to improve taste and sugar candy added
to gain freshness.
Typical Courses
Stewed Snapper
Huangshan Braised Pigeon
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