The wide geography and many flavors of Chinese cuisine
February 25, 2011 | Posted by Vicky
Perhaps little known to Chinese learners that haven't lived in China, the phrase "Have you eaten yet?" is often used as a greeting. While some linguists suggest this phrase was born of the period of great food scarcity in China in the late 1950s, it is an illuminating example of how important food is in Chinese culture. Chinese cuisine has developed over thousands of years and is significantly intertwined into Chinese culture and philosophy. There are over 8,000 well-known Chinese dishes and 48 basic ways of cooking, including roasting, frying and boiling.
Chinese regional cuisines
There are many different and distinctive styles of Chinese food that have been shaped by history, geography, resources, cooking method and lifestyle. Of the many varieties of Chinese food, perhaps the most famous are Sichuan cuisine, Guangdong (Cantonese cuisine) and Shanghai cuisine. Below are examples of the many kinds of Chinese food and what makes them special.
| Chinese regional food | Chinese name and pinyin | General characteristics | Representative dishes |
| Hunan Food | 湘菜/Xiāngcài | spicy, sour | Spicy hot hunan beef Mao's braised pork |
| Shandong Food | 鲁菜/Lǔcài | Seafood & fresh | Shandong fish |
| Beijing Food | 京菜/Jīngcài | Based on the northern dishes and features flavors of all the Chinese cuisines | Roast duck Instant-boiled mutton Kung Pao chicken Spicy deep-fried chicken |
| Sichuan Food | 川菜/Chuāncài | Spicy, numbing | Kung Pao chicken Spicy deep-fried chicken |
| Cantonese Food | 粤菜/Yuècài | Flavors change with seasons, with more delicate food in Spring and Summer, and stronger flavored food in Fall and Winter | Cantonese fried rice Roast sucking pig |
| Dongbei Food | 东北菜/ Dōngběicài | Salty, spicy, oily, using a lot of sauce | Stewed pork ribs and cabbage The five spices- beef |
| Shanghai Food | 上海菜/ Shànghǎicài | Focus on keeping the original flavor, light and sweat | Fried bun Shredded meat soya soup |
| Shanxi Food | 山西菜/ Shānxīcài | Mainly salty, some may be sour and sweet | Mutton soup Fried boiled pork |
| Guizhou Food | 贵州菜/ Guìzhōucài | Sour, spicy | Catfish sour soup Griddle cooked chicken with pepper |
Authentic local cuisine in Beijing
Visitors to Beijing are often delighted and at the same time confused by the great array of authentic local dining options in the city. One of the best known is Quanjude Roast Duck Restaurant, whichhas a history of 147 years. Another famous one is Donglaishun, which was established in 1903 and is famous for Mongolian hot pot. There is also restaurant named Fang Shan in Beihai Park, which was established by a chef from the Imperial Palace over 80 years ago and serves palace cooking and dim sum. However, no matter what the visitor to Beijing is looking for, there are authentic outlets waiting to be discovered.
