Chinese Food Recipes

Chinese cuisine is widely considered as one of the richest and most diverse culinary heritages in the world, as many elements have influenced its development over many centuries.

Chinese food is extremely diverse. As China is a geographically large country, it is not surprising that there is such a wide variety of Chinese foods, representing the traditions of different regions of the country. Because local dishes all have their own distinctive characteristics, Chinese food can broadly speaking be divided into eight major regional cuisines: Anhui, Fujian, Hunan, Cantonese, Jiangsu, Szechuan, Zhejiang and Shandong.

In the Western world, Chinese cuisine is commonly mistaken for being deep-fried and greasy dishes that all taste more or less the same. While it’s true that there are many Chinese takeout places in the West that serve such food, authentic Chinese food is not only very diversified with several dishes served in a single meal, but also focuses on a balanced, tasteful and healthy diet. Cooking Chinese food requires time and effort, and depends on the art of mixing and blending aroma, colors, flavors and texture of food.

Chinese people enjoy eating good food at all levels of society, so cooking has developed into a truly sophisticated art. It is for good reason Confucius, a Chinese scholar, once said: “Eating is the utmost important thing in life.”

A typical meal in Chinese culture is made up of two general ingredients: a carbohydrate source or starch (rice, noodles or steamed buns) and one or more accompanying dishes of vegetables, fish or meat. Rather than eating with knife and fork, chopsticks are the most common tableware in Chinese culture. This is due to the fact that Chinese people traditionally consider knife and fork bearing sort of violence, like weapons. The only other item for eating Chinese Food besides chopsticks is a soupspoon. Because chopsticks are the primary eating utensils, Chinese food is generally prepared accordingly. Meat and vegetables are usually cut into bite-sized pieces which can be gripped with chopsticks and eaten with ease. Dumplings are a little bigger than bite-sized but still small enough to be picked up with chopsticks. Grasping rice from the bowl using chopsticks is a little tricky but once the skill is mastered it’s surprising how easy it really is.

Some popular Chinese dishes include:

Dumplings
Jiaozi (Chinese Dumpling) is uniquely Chinese and is one of the most important foods in the Chinese New Year. Since its shape is similar to ancient gold or silver ingots, they symbolize wealth. Jiaozi are not only popular among Chinese, but have also become one of the most widely loved foods outside of China and Asia. Jiaozi can be prepared in numerous ways using different fillings such as beef, chicken, pork, fish, shrimp or vegetables. Jiaozi traditionally contain ground meat and/or vegetables bundled into a thinly rolled piece of dough, which is sealed by pressing the edges together. Jiaozi can be divided into three different types depending on how they are cooked. They may be boiled (shuijiao), steamed (zhengjiao) or fried (guotie).
 
Peeking Duck
Beijing’s most famous dish, Peeking Duck (or roast duck) is traditionally served in thin, well-cut slices and consumed with steamed Mandarin pancakes, scallions, and hoisin sauce or sweet noodle sauce. The duck’s crispy skin, its tender meat and the impressive appearance make the dish an unforgettable experience.

Kung Pao Chicken
Named after the late Qing Dynasty official, Ding Balzhen, whose title was Gong Bao, Kung Pao Chicken is a classic dish in Szechuan cuisine, originating in the Szechuan Province of central-western China. The dish is prepared by stir-frying dices of chicken in a wok together with a spicy marinade, cashews or peanuts and chili peppers.

Ma Po Dou Fu
Another classic Sichuan dish is ma po dou fu, which are soft tofu cubes cooked in a spicy pork and chili sauce. Translated loosely, ma po dou fu means “Lady with the Pock face tofu”. Legend has it that a woman with a strange pock-marked face lived outside of a small town in China and offered her dish to pilgrims. What gives ma po dou fu its distinctiveness are the spicy hot Szechuan peppers. The vast amounts of Szechuan pepper used in a traditional ma po dou fu dish creates a wonderful numbing sensation in the diner’s mouth and tongue. It’s delicious and a must for anyone that tolerates spicy food.