Chinese cooking
Chinese cooking has the longest history and is inextricably linked with ancient Chinese philosophy. Even in the second millennium BC, the sage Yin Yin created the theory of “harmonization of nutrition”. And Confucius taught the techniques of culinary art in the VI-V centuries BC. And today in Shandong, his recipes form the basis of Confucian cuisine.
Chinese cuisine impresses with a variety of dishes. “There are no inedible products, there are bad cooks,” the Chinese say. Indeed, exotic foods such as shark fins, swallow nests, snakes, sun-dried jellyfish, and bamboo shoots are used in Chinese cooking - you just won’t list them all. However, this does not mean that cooking is very time-consuming. Of course, there are dishes that only an experienced chef can handle, but many other recipes are quick and easy to prepare.
There are three levels of Chinese cooking: casual, festive and ceremonial. In everyday kitchen, the dishes are very affordable. The Chinese eat three times a day, and eating times are very strict. The daily menu is very simple and consists mainly of vegetables, rice and legumes. The festive dishes that make up the menu of most restaurants are, for us, an example of Chinese cuisine. But the Chinese chefs (which can only be men) demonstrate the highest achievements in the ceremonial "Mandarin" cuisine, which can be tasted at official receptions or in restaurants of the highest category.
A variety of geographical and climatic conditions led to the emergence of numerous local cuisines: Beijing, Shanghai, Sichuan and Hunan (southern cuisine with very spicy and exotic dishes), Harbin (very close to Russian: brown bread, salmon caviar, balyk of red fish), Shandong , Cantonese, Hangzhou, Henan, Huaiyang, Fujian, Huizhou, Ningbo, Wuxi and others.
In China, they believe that meat can only be a complement to the dish, and not its basis. The balance of products - vegetables, seasonings and spices creates a unique taste, aroma and color. The harmonious unity of these three elements has always been at the heart of Chinese culinary art. Chinese cuisine is inextricably linked with medicine, so all products must be natural and minimally processed in order to convey the vital energy of qi contained in them. Food is cooked very quickly and with minimal fat. Steamed (adding spices to boiling water), grilled or fry finely chopped vegetables in a large frying pan for several minutes. At the same time, the products retain their taste, shape, nutrients and vitamins. The Chinese practically do not use such a cooking method as cooking.
In China, they are convinced that food should not only be tasty, but also to delight your eyes and even your ears. Well, where else do you find such a name for chicken fillet: "Birds in love enjoy the contemplation of a flowering branch of peach"? To do this, you need to be not just a cook, but a philosopher and poet. However, that is why many people love culinary art, because it can turn any housewife into an artist. And all the necessary ingredients are now easy to buy in the markets or in large stores. However, they can be replaced by others, following the basic principle of Chinese cuisine, which is not the recipe, but the cook’s imagination and creativity.
Chinese cooking has the longest history and is inextricably linked with ancient Chinese philosophy. Even in the second millennium BC, the sage Yin Yin created the theory of “harmonization of nutrition”. And Confucius taught the techniques of culinary art in the VI-V centuries BC. And today in Shandong, his recipes form the basis of Confucian cuisine.
Chinese cuisine impresses with a variety of dishes. “There are no inedible products, there are bad cooks,” the Chinese say. Indeed, exotic foods such as shark fins, swallow nests, snakes, sun-dried jellyfish, and bamboo shoots are used in Chinese cooking - you just won’t list them all. However, this does not mean that cooking is very time-consuming. Of course, there are dishes that only an experienced chef can handle, but many other recipes are quick and easy to prepare.
There are three levels of Chinese cooking: casual, festive and ceremonial. In everyday kitchen, the dishes are very affordable. The Chinese eat three times a day, and eating times are very strict. The daily menu is very simple and consists mainly of vegetables, rice and legumes. The festive dishes that make up the menu of most restaurants are, for us, an example of Chinese cuisine. But the Chinese chefs (which can only be men) demonstrate the highest achievements in the ceremonial "Mandarin" cuisine, which can be tasted at official receptions or in restaurants of the highest category.
A variety of geographical and climatic conditions led to the emergence of numerous local cuisines: Beijing, Shanghai, Sichuan and Hunan (southern cuisine with very spicy and exotic dishes), Harbin (very close to Russian: brown bread, salmon caviar, balyk of red fish), Shandong , Cantonese, Hangzhou, Henan, Huaiyang, Fujian, Huizhou, Ningbo, Wuxi and others.
In China, they believe that meat can only be a complement to the dish, and not its basis. The balance of products - vegetables, seasonings and spices creates a unique taste, aroma and color. The harmonious unity of these three elements has always been at the heart of Chinese culinary art. Chinese cuisine is inextricably linked with medicine, so all products must be natural and minimally processed in order to convey the vital energy of qi contained in them. Food is cooked very quickly and with minimal fat. Steamed (adding spices to boiling water), grilled or fry finely chopped vegetables in a large frying pan for several minutes. At the same time, the products retain their taste, shape, nutrients and vitamins. The Chinese practically do not use such a cooking method as cooking.
In China, they are convinced that food should not only be tasty, but also to delight your eyes and even your ears. Well, where else do you find such a name for chicken fillet: "Birds in love enjoy the contemplation of a flowering branch of peach"? To do this, you need to be not just a cook, but a philosopher and poet. However, that is why many people love culinary art, because it can turn any housewife into an artist. And all the necessary ingredients are now easy to buy in the markets or in large stores. However, they can be replaced by others, following the basic principle of Chinese cuisine, which is not the recipe, but the cook’s imagination and creativity.
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