When you visit a Chinese restaurant for the first time, you may be confused, and even overwhelmed, by the wide variety of items on the menu. Not only are there a vast array of ingredients, but the flavors are all over the board. To put it simply, all Chinese food is not alike!
Of course, when you look at a map of China, you can see why this cuisine may vary so much. China is very large with an incredible landscape filled with every kind of topography you can imagine, from snow-capped mountains, to deserts, to fresh water, to salt water, and everything in between.
Because of the differences in climate and landscape across China, the cuisine naturally changes. There are countless regional differences, but for this discussion we will focus on the four styles, or schools, of Chinese cuisine. Each style, or category if you like, of cooking will have sub-categories that you may recognize. But, to keep things simpler, we'll stick with the four main categories. Let's take a look.
Yue - This cooking style is probably better known to most people as Cantonese cuisine. The cooking style comes from the Guangdong province in the south China region. Fresh ingredients which are skillfully cooked is the trademark of this style. Stir-frying is often the cooking method of choice as it maintains the integrity of the delicate seafood and vegetables. Over-cooking and over-seasoning would be considered bad manners by any Yue style cook.
Lu - Across the Shandong province in the north China region, you will find a hearty blend of ingredients including noodles, garlic, seafood, and soy sauce. A variety of soups, whether clear or creamy, often form an important part of the meal and have historical methods which are stringently followed in this school of Chinese cuisine. Fresh, tender ingredients highlight the Lu dishes.
Chuan - This familiar category of cuisine is well known by many as szechuan. Most people who have ordered from a Chinese menu have seen this style of cooking. Originating in the Sichuan province in the south-west region of China, this food is very spicy and richly seasoned. You'll find lots of chili peppers and garlic in these familiar dishes, along with the every popular szechuan peppercorns. The dishes are not only spicy, but they are often saucy and flavored with sesame paste or oil, ginger, and plenty of peanuts. The ingredients are cooked in a variety of ways, but always to maintain the integrity and texture of the food and the multiple flavor profiles present.
Su - This region of China, the Jiangsu, is greatly influenced by its major feature - the Yangtze River. For that reason, you would expect to see plenty of freshwater fish, shellfish, and duck on the menu, and you wouldn't be disappointed. Delicately prepared, the natural sweetness of the ingredients is maintained. Along with the foods harvested from the river, you will find dishes featuring rice, bamboo shoots, tea leaves, wild mushrooms, and plenty of local fruit. Color, texture, and shapes all play a part in preparing pleasing meals in the Su tradition.
Within each of these four categories of Chinese cuisine, you will find many other styles of cooking, each very specific to its own region. But, for the casual observer or eater of Chinese cuisine, knowing just these basic four will help you understand a menu better, or even dig into a recipe a home with more skill and enjoyment. Have fun getting to know this complicated, and delicious, cuisine!
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