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covers a large territory and has many nationalities; hence there
is a wide variety of Chinese foods, each with quite different
but fantastic and mouthwatering flavors. Chinese food can be
divided into eight regional cuisines, the distinction of which
is now widely accepted. Certainly, there are many other local
cuisines that are famous, such as Beijing Cuisine and Shanghai
Cuisine. |
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 Consisting
of Jinan cuisine and Jiaodong cuisine, Shandong cuisine, clean,
pure and not greasy, is characterized by its emphasis on aroma,
freshness, crispness and tenderness. Shallots and garlic are
frequently used as seasonings so Shandong dishes taste pungent.
Soups are given much emphasis in Shandong cuisine. Thin soups
are clear and fresh while creamy soups are thick and taste
strong. Jinan chefs are adept at deep-frying, grilling, pan-frying
and stir-frying while Jiaodong chefs are famous for cooking
seafood with a fresh and light taste.
Typical menu items: Bird's Nest Soup; Yellow River Carp
in Sweet and Sour Sauce
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 Szechwan
Cuisine is one of the most famous Chinese cuisines in the world.
Characterized by its spicy and pungent flavors, Szechwan cuisine,
with a myriad of tastes, emphasizes the use of chili. Pepper
and prickly ash are always in accompaniment, producing the typical
exciting tastes. Garlic, ginger and fermented soybean are also
used in the cooking process. Wild vegetables and meats are often
chosen as ingredients, while frying, frying without oil, pickling
and braising are used as basic cooking techniques.
It can be said that one who doesn't experience Szechwan
food has never reached China.
Typical menu items: Hot Pot; Smoked Duck; Kung Pao Chicken;
Twice Cooked Pork; Mapo Dofu
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 Tasting
clean, light, crisp and fresh, Cantonese cuisine, familiar to
Westerners, usually has fowl and other meats to produce its
unique dishes. The basic cooking techniques include roasting,
stir-frying, sauteing, deep-frying, braising, stewing and steaming.
Steaming and stir-frying are most frequently used to preserve
the ingredients' natural flavors. Cantonese chefs also pay much
attention to the artistic presentation of their dishes.
Typical menu items: Shark Fin Soup; Steamed Sea Bass; Roasted
Piglet
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 Combining
Fuzhou Cuisine, Quanzhou Cuisine and Xiamen Cuisine, Fujian
Cuisine is renowned for its choice seafood, beautiful color
and magical tastes of sweet, sour, salt and savory. The most
distinct feature is their "pickled taste".
Typical menu items: Buddha Jumping Over the Wall; Snow
Chicken; Prawn with Dragon's Body and Phoenix's tail
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 Jiangsu
Cuisine, also called Huaiyang Cuisine, is popular in the lower
reaches of the Yangtze River. Using fish and crustaceans as
the main ingredients, it stresses their freshness. Its carving
techniques are delicate, of which the melon carving technique
is especially well known. Cooking techniques consist of stewing,
braising, roasting, and simmering. The flavor of Huaiyang Cuisine
is light, fresh and sweet and its presentation is delicately
elegant.
Typical menu items: Stewed Crab with Clear Soup, Long-boiled
and Dry-shredded Meat, Duck Triplet, Crystal Meat, Squirrel
with Mandarin Fish, and Liangxi Crisp Eel
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 Comprising
local cuisines of Hanzhou, Ningbo, and Shaoxing, Zhejiang Cuisine
wins its reputation for freshness, tenderness, softness, and
smoothness with mellow fragrance. Hangzhou Cuisine is the most
famous one of the three.
Typical menu items: Sour West Lake Fish, Longjing Shelled
Shrimp, Beggar's Chicken
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 Hunan
cuisine consists of local cuisines of Xiangjiang Region, Dongting
Lake and Xiangxi coteau areas. It is characterized by thick
and pungent flavors. Chili, pepper and shallot are necessities
in this variation.
Typical menu items: Dongan Chicken; Peppery and Hot Chicken
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 Anhui
Cuisine chefs focus much more attention on the temperature in
cooking and are good at braising and stewing. Often ham will
be added to improve taste and candied sugar added to gain freshness.
Typical menu items: Stewed Snapper; Huangshan Braised Pigeon
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