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| Introduction
to Chinese Cuisine |
Chinese food has high
request in the colour, aroma, and flavour, no matter
in the north or in the south. For Chinese, food
shall satisfy not only the tongue and the appetite
but also the eyes, the nose, the imagination, the
mind and the soul.
Normally, one entree will combine three to five
colours. There are often one main ingredient and
two to three secondary ingredients of contrasting
colours. They are cooked appropriately, incorporating
the proper seasonings and sauce to create an aesthetically
attractive dish. |
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As an essential factor of a kickshaw, fragrant aroma
will certainly stimulate one's appetite. The main
ingredients that contribute to a mouth watering aroma
are scallion, fresh ginger, garlic, and chilli pepper.
Besides, wine, aniseed, stick cinnamon, pepper,
and sesame oil also function. Soy sauce and sugar,
vinegar and other seasonings can also be used to
add richness to a course without covering up the
natural flavour of the ingredients.
Taste is the most important essence of a perfect
dish. A well-prepared Chinese dish should taste
rich to those who like strong flavours, but not over-spiced
to those who seek a milder taste.
Chinese people value their way of dining very much.
There is an old but still-being-quoted saying "Food
is the first necessity of the people." Delicious
and nutritious food has been regarded the basics
of ordinary life. In general, people in North China
favour noodles, dumplings and other staple food made
from flour while the majority in the South almost
consume rice daily. Despite the difference, people
throughout the country adopt the traditional way
of cooking prevalent in their respective regions.
All together, there are eight schools of cuisine
which is also popularly known as the "ninth
art". They are Beijing Food, Guangdong Food,
Sichuan Food, Jiangsu Food, Zhejiang Food, Hunan
Food, Anhui Food and Fujian Food. |
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Star-Anise
The flavour is quite a bit stronger than
the Anise seed and is used primarily for Chinese
cooking. The Chinese use Star Anise in many
pork and chicken dishes. The flavour of Anise
also lends itself nicely to many fish dishes. |
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Garlic
Whole cloves, smashed garlic, chopped garlic,
and garlic oil are used in almost every Chinese
dish. |
Cinnamon
Cinnamon is in fact dried bark which rolls
up on drying to form "quills". It
is mostly used in puddings, sweet sauces and
ice cream, but is becoming more popular in
fish and meat dishes.
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Spring Onions
Also known as scallions, Spring onions have
a white bulb that is not fully developed and
long, straight, green leaves. Both the top
and the white part are used in Chinese cooking. |
Five
Spice Powder
Made with
equal parts of ground brown peppercorns, cinnamon,
cloves, fennel and star anise, five-spice
powder is most frequently used in Chinese
cooking. |
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Ginger
Native to South-East Asia, ginger root grows
on an underground stem and, when fresh, has
a pale, shiny skin that should be peeled before
use. The flavour is both sharp and fresh tasting.
Ginger is now widely available look for large,
smooth roots. Do not use powdered or dried
ginger as substitute. |
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