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Chinese Gastronomy

Learning through the palate

In most cultures gastronomy is really important and Chinese culture is not exception. It is a known fact that Chinese food is one of the biggest gastronomes in the world. The are a lot of different dishes, which variate depending on the region which they are from.

To try Chinese food is actually quite important in your Chinese learning journey, as it helps you to get immersed in their culture, which will later on help you improve your Chinese skills. Also, who doesn't want to try some delicious new dishes?

The eight main cosines in Chinese Gastronomy 

As it was previously mentioned, Chinese gastronomy variates a lot. That's why there was a need to create a distinction among each cousin. Thus, the eight Chinese culinary cuisines were created, these are: 山東菜，四川菜， 粵菜，鮮味， 江蘇菜，浙菜，湘菜，安徽菜. 


山東菜
Shang Dong Cai come from the region of Shangdong, a northern coastal province of China. This cuisine is made up of two main styles: Jiangdong which is mainly made of fish dishes and light flavors. On the other hand, we have Jinan style which is most known for using soup in most dishes. 


四川菜
Sichuan Cuisine comes from the Sichuan province, which is located in the southwest part of China. This cuisine is made up of strong and spicy flavors, one of the most important ingredients is the Sichuan pepper. Sichuan food is divided into five different types: sumptuous banquet, ordinary banquet, popularized food, household-style food, and food snacks. 


粵菜
Cantonese cuisine comes from the Guangdong province. It is one of the most well known cuisines of all the mentioned, due to this when westerners talk about Chinese food they are usually referring to dishes that are part of this cuisine. 


Cantonese cuisine is characterized by the use of almost all edible meats, including offal, chicken feet, duck’s tongue, snakes, and snails. However, lamb and goat are rarely used. As for the cooking technique, most dishes are steamed or stir-fried. The main goal of this cuisine is balance of flavors, also spices are in modest amounts to avoid overwhelming the flavors of the primary ingredients.

鮮味

Fujian cuisine comes from the region of Fujian province, located in the southeastern part of china. This cuisine is mainly made up of seafood dishes. Additionally, it focuses on the chef's knife skills and cooking technique, because this cuisine focuses on strengthening the flavor, texture, and aroma of the seafood dishes. There is also a strong emphasis in the taste of the soup's broth.

This cuisine is divided in three main styles: Fuzhou, Western Fujian and Southern Fujian.

蘇菜

Jiangsu cuisine comes from the Jiangsu province, which is an eastern costal province of China. This cuisine is made of several different styles. The mos know is Huaiyang cuisine, But there is also the existence of: Nanjing, Suzhuo, and Wuxi cuisine.

Due to the different subcategories of this cuisine, there is not one tendency in it. It is quite varied, we can se the use of duck and seafood. Also, it is important to note that Suzhuo cuisines tends to be a lot sweeter than the rest.

浙菜

Zhejiang cuisine comes from the province of Zhejiang, which is located in the South of Shanghai. 

In general, Zhejiang-style food is not greasy but has a fresh and soft flavor with a sweet fragrance. This cuisine is made up of three main cuisines:Hangzhuo, Shaoxing, Nongbo.

Each cuisine is different, but it is mainly focused on seafood dishes. 

湘菜

Hunan Cusines comes from the Xiang River region, Dongting Lake, and western Hunan province in China. It is known for its hot spicy flavor, fresh aroma and deep color.

It is important to know that dishes change depending on the season. In a hot and humid summer, a meal will usually start with cold dishes. In winter, people eat a warm soup, the most popular choice is hotpot.

安徽菜

AnHui cuisines comes from the Huangshan Mountains region in China. Anhui cuisine is known for its use of wild herbs, from both the land and the sea, and simple methods of preparation. Braising and stewing are common cooking techniques.

Source:

Yan S. (2019). Eight Culinary Traditions of Chinese Cuisine. Chinese food. https://chinesefoodsrecipe.com/eight-culinary-traditions-chinese-cuisine.html


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