1. The Magic of Chinese Cuisine
•With a long history, Chinese cuisine is highly appreciated as a very sophisticated and delicate art, with variety, uniqueness, and delicateness.
• It also has the four distinctive features of color, fragrance, taste and appearance.
2 Regions
•Chinese food consists of four major schools with an enormous variety that differs greatly from region to region. Each region has its own distinctive ingredients, cooking technique, taste and style. The four schools are:
•- LuCai (Shangdong Cuisine at the lower reaches of the Yellow River)
•- ChuanCai (Sichuan Cuisine at the upper reaches of the Yangtz River)
•- SuCai (Jiangsu Cuisine at the lower reaches of the Yangtz River)
•- YueCai (Guangdong Cuisine along Zhujiang River in the southern part of China)
3 Cuisines
•Apart from the Chinese Han cuisines, there are other cuisines favored by minority nationalities such as Islamic cuisine, Mongolian cuisine, Manzu cuisine and Korean cuisine.
•In addition, according to consumers, Chinese food falls into different categories such as household cuisine, common cuisine, temple cuisine, official cuisine, imperial cuisine, and medical cuisine.
•Also, Chinese food can be classified as cold dishes, hot dishes, main dishes, snacks refreshments desserts and soups depending on the form of the dish.
4 Preparation and cooking
•Typical Chinese cooking features frying, roasting, sautéing, braising, stewing, and steaming.
•And the cutting of Chinese food, which plays a very important role in the cuisine, varies greatly. It includes dicing, chopping, slicing, shredding, and mincing.
•There's an interesting saying about the ingredients used in the cuisine. Though it may be a bit of an exaggeration, it says, "Anything can be used for cooking, as long as it either flies in the sky, swims in the water, or lives on the mountain.“
5 The Eating Habits in China
•The main difference between Chinese and western eating habits is that people in China sit around the table and share the food with each other; while in the West, people only eat the food on their own plates.
• The Chinese are very proud of their food, and if you're invited to a Chinese meal, be prepared for special hospitality and specific eating habits.
•Chinese people are well known for their extraordinary hospitality to guests. They will offer a magnificent meal, even if they are not rich enough.
•If a person is poor, he or she will save the money needed by having simple meals for a long time, in order to show hospitality and generosity. So please don’t assume that every Chinese host is rich enough to be able to offer you a feast.
• On many occasions, especially in the country, the luxurious meal offered a guest would never be eaten by the host; because the host simply couldn't afford to buy that quality food for a normal family meal
5.1Number of dishes
•There are normally eight cold dishes and at least eight hot dishes on the table when formally inviting guests.
• If it is not as formal, then four cold dishes and at least four hot dishes are offered. The number of dishes depends on the number of guests.
• As a rule, the more respectable the guests, the more formal the meal. There are more dishes and more expensive food for each dish.
•Therefore, one might sense the host’s hospitality, as well as the formality of the meal, by counting the number of the dishes on the table.
•However, this rule doesn’t apply among very close friends.
•There is a Chinese saying: real friendship doesn’t count on having nice food, such as the type of food given to fair weather friends; but on the common interests shared; so friends can share anything, even simple food.
5.2 Serving
•Usually Chinese hosts, who are not familiar with western culture, will continue putting food into a bowl or onto a plate for a guest, as a way of showing their hospitality and politeness.
•It’s the host’s responsibility to make sure a guest's bowl is never empty, especially if that guest is highly respected and/or elderly.
•The host will keep an eye on the food at the table, and as the guest's plate becomes empty the host will refill it.
•Failing to keep food in the guest's bowl reflects poorly on the host, who would be considered inhospitable, impolite and even stingy.
•One can observe a host staying very busy during a meal, whether that meal is at home or in a Chinese restaurant.
•Because of this tradition, guests are not to initiate taking food that they would like to eat. A guest who does this, not only has bad manners, but is considered greedy and lacking education.
•To be polite and show respect when the host offers food, take it using both hands. If the host is the eldest, always stand while accepting the food with both hands; otherwise remain seated when the food is offered.
5.3Eating
•When food is offered, the appropriate thing to do is to eat it, whatever it is; and say how yummy it is.
•If you feel uncomfortable with this, you can just say a polite thank you and leave the food. But keep in mind: the more food the guests eat, the happier the host will be.
5.3.1 Dining Etiquette
•Chopsticks - The chopsticks are not supposed to be stuck upright in a bowl of rice. Lay them on your dish. According to Chinese customs, when somebody dies, their shrine contains a bowl of sand or rice with two sticks of incense stuck upright in it. So if chopsticks are stuck upright in a rice bowl, it looks like a shrine; and appears as if you are wishing someone dead at the table
•Teapot - Make sure the spout of the teapot is not facing anyone, but setting so the spout is just facing outward from the table. Having a teapot spout facing someone is considered impolite.
•Tapping one's bowl - Children are discouraged from tapping on their bowls with their chopsticks, because beggars often tap on their bowls.
•Tapping one’s bowl is regarded as an insult to the cook in the restaurant or the host in someone’s home.
•Occasionally, some people will tap on their bowl when they are not satisfied with the service in the restaurant, especially if it is too slow.
•Slurping sound - Slurping the soup or the noodles is not considered a bad eating habit in China. On the contrary, it shows that the person is really enjoying the meal.
•Drinking and Toasts - Just as continuing to offer food is a way to express hospitality, drinking is also a means of being polite and showing hospitality. So toasting and drinking alcohol can be observed at almost all the banquets and meals in China, especially in the north.
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