Food

Chinese food is perhaps the richest, most varied, most complex food there is. It is very regional, and so even the term is too broad to really mean much. In simplistic terms, there are four main regions: Northern; Southern; Eastern; and Western.

In Northern China noodles are the staple, as rice grows in the south, where it is the staple. You also find steamed bread, or mantou, in the north.

Chinese food is eaten family style, meaning each dish is for the entire table. People use their chopsticks to take food off of a dish and put it in their rice bowl or on their plate.

Anhui (Hui)

Anhui cuisine is derived from the native cooking styles of the people located in the Huangshan Mountains region in China. Although it is similar to Jiangsu cuisine, there is less emphasis on seafood and more on a wide variety of locally grown herbs and vegetables from both the land and the sea.

Cantonese (Yu)

Due to Guangdong's proximity to the South China Sea, the people of the region have access to a plentiful supply of imported food and fresh seafood. Cantonese cuisine incorporates almost all edible meats, including chicken feet, duck's tongue, snakes and snails. However, due to availability, lamb and goat are rarely eaten. Many cooking techniques are used, including wok hei (stir frying) and steaming. Spices are used moderately, and fresh herbs are seldom added to the food. Dishes include dim sum, small morsels of food typically served at breakfast or lunch alongside tea; barbequed char siu, sticky and burnt red in color; and clear broths flavored with meat stock.

Fujian (Min)

Fujian cuisine is influenced by its coastal position and mountainous terrain, and ingredients such as woodland mushrooms, bamboo shoots, fish, shellfish and turtles are used regularly. The cuisine in this area is known to have particular emphasis on umami taste; the dishes are notoriously light and flavorful.

Hunan (Xiang)

Like Szechuan cuisine, Hunan food is renowned for being hot and spicy, with garlic, chili peppers and shallots used liberally. However, unlike Szechuan cuisine, it is known for being purely hot as opposed to the searing, numbing heat of Szechuan cooking.

Jiangsu (Su)

Jiangsu cuisine consists of a several different styles of Chinese cooking, namely Huaiyang, Yangzhou, Nanjing, Suzhou and Zhenjiang. The food in Jiangsu cuisine is known as being soft, but not to the point of falling apart: the meat tastes tender but wouldn't separate from the bone when picked up.

Shandong (Lu)

Derived from the native cooking styles of Shandong, a northern coastal province of China, Shandong cuisine consists of two predominant styles: Jiaodong, characterized by light seafood dishes; and Jinan, a style that features the use of soup in its dishes. Although it is less available in the West, Shandong cuisine is often considered one of the most influential styles of cooking in the Chinese culinary history.

Szechuan (Chuan)

Szechuan cuisine is renowned for its use of bold flavors; chili, garlic and Szechuan pepper are used liberally throughout the dishes. Szechuan pepper has a unique taste: it is intensely fragrant, citrusy and causes a numbing sensation in the mouth. Szechuan cuisine often contains food that has been preserved through pickling, salting and drying.

Zhejiang (Zhe)

In general, Zhejiang food is fresh and light rather than greasy. It consists of at least four styles of cooking: Hangzhou, characterized by the use of rich foods and bamboo shoots; Shaoxing, specializing in poultry and fish; Ningbo, specializing in seafood; and Shanghai, with xiao long bao.

Note that the Chinese food originally introduced in the United States was Cantonese, as that is where the workers who built the railroads came from.

It is also worthy to note that no part of the animal goes to waste in Chinese cooking. Chicken's feet, pig's blood, and pig's hooves are all consumed. Feathers are not!

The Chinese look at food as being medicinal, and will recommend that you either eat or avoid certain foods depending on what ails you. Indeed, Chinese medicine is made up of various herbs, grasses, roots, and animal parts.

The Chinese have a saying, Eat well in the morning, eat until you are full at lunch, and eat a little for dinner. 早上要吃好，午饭要吃饱，晚饭要吃少。

As a result, breakfast is often a substantial meal, consisting of steamed buns or rice porridge, and some vegetable dishes. The Chinese often drink soy milk for breakfast.

Some popular dishes

Beijing Duck 北京烤鸭- this is duck roasted in a certain way to create a crisp skin, thinly sliced and served with scallions a sweet sauce and wrapped in a thin pancake.

Dim Sum 点心、饮茶 - this is a Cantonese collection of smallish dumplings and buns, normally eaten from mid-morning to early afternoon.

Hot and sour soup 酸辣汤 - this is a thick soup that is both hot and sour

Yangzhou Fried Rice 扬州炒饭 - a rather oily version of fried rice

Shanghai Fried Noodles 上好炒面 - these are thicker noodles stir fried with cabbage and pork

Shanghai Soup Dumplings 少龙宝 - steamed pork dumplings with soup inside, created by adding coagulated fat to the filling, which liquifies when heated.

Ma Po Tofu 麻婆豆腐 - a tofu dish with spicy meat.

Preserved (100 year old) eggs 松花蛋 - eggs cured for several weeks that are unlike any you've ever seen.

Hot Pot 火锅 - various seafood, meat and vegetables cooked at the table in a large pot of boiling water, then dipped in sauce.

Banquets

A Chinese banquet is an experience not to be missed - course after course of delicious food - though you may look in awe at the waste. Because the Chinese host must be seen to provide more than enough, there is always a huge amount of food left over, and ultimately thrown out.

Dos and Don'ts

Never stand your chopsticks up in a bowl, as this is reminiscent of a funeral.

Never touch someone else's chopsticks with yours; wait until no one is taking food from a dish before doing so.

When toasting, always position the rim of your glass below that of the other person; this is a sign of respect.

Dip your dumplings in vinegar; it is how the Chinese eat them and adds another level of flavor.

Holiday Specific Foods

New Year - Dumplings (symbolizing wealth as they resemble the shape of gold ingots); Noodles (symbolizing long life)

Birthdays - Noodles (symbolizing long life)

Mid Autumn Festival - Moon Cakes;

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