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| Food |
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Chi
fan le ma? (Have you eaten yet?) is a from of greeting
as unconscious (through not quite as meaningless) as
“How are you?” in English. It demonstrates, however,
where traditional priorities lie. |
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| Variety |
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In China eating is the psychological motor for everything.
It has been said: “The thought of omitting a meal from the
day is only fractionally more unthinkable than omitting
rice from the meal. The Chinese possess enormous powers of
concentration for as long as the stomach is full; but come
the moment when the digestive process has done its work,
then physical discomfort sets in and all ability to
concentrate disappears.”
The variety of styles and
ingredients involved in Chinese cooking is a marvel. The
three principal regional cuisines are familiar to many
visitors with experience of restaurants in the West-hot
and spicy dishes made with chili from Sichuan;
northern-style cuisine using steamed bread and pancakes
instead of rice, and preserved vegetables, such as salted
and pickled cabbage, because of the freezing winters when
nothing grows; and southern style, involving light stir-
fried dishes made from a vast array of ingredients, such
as seafood, chicken, and pork. |
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| Freshness |
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| It is essential for all styles that when
fresh food is used, it is as fresh as it possibly can be-
and it is a testimony to Chinese genius that they have
developed a style of cooking that obviates refrigeration,
despite the rigors of the climates. Blessed with an
abundance of good ingredients in the most fertile areas of
the country, the Chinese have become expert at extracting
the essence of flavor. |
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| Methods |
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| Cooking methods are vital to the craft of
the Chinese master chef. The best results depend on the
precise control of heat, and this skill is considered
crucial. Although all methods of cooking are used, from
braising and baking to boiling, steaming and roasting over a
spit, there is one that is native to China: chao, or
stir-frying, involves cutting the ingredients finely and
rapidly cooking them in a small amount of oil in a preheated
wok so they are quickly and evenly cooked. Such dishes must
be eaten immediately to benefit from their huoqi. |
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