Chinese Food Blog
The Eight Great Cuisines of China
Formative Factor
China is divided into north and south by the Qinling Mountains and Huaihe River. The south is hot and humid, while the north is dry and cold. The western part of China is mountainous, while the eastern part is mostly plain. Due to such climatic conditions and geographical environment, the food culture in different regions varies greatly, and different cuisines emerge one after another, among which eight cuisines are the most famous.
Wheat is mostly grown in northern China, so the staple food in the north is steamed bread and noodles. The humid climate in southern China is more suitable for the growth of rice, so rice is the staple food in southern China. There are many grasslands in the west of China, so beef and mutton paired with the special western food "naan" is very popular. Most of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is not very suitable for plant growth, so "highland barley" and yak beef are the local characteristics of food.
[1] China's Eight Great Cuisines Map
Characteristic
Cantonese Cuisine
Characteristic: Mild palate, likes stews and mild sauces
[1] Cantonese cuisine [3] Cantonese cuisine
Cantonese cuisine is the most popular style in the world. Guangdong province and Hong Kong have developed transportation, and there are many international exchanges. Therefore, Cantonese cuisine integrates many Western cuisines.
Cantonese people are very particular about their meals. They eat a variety of foods and have vegetables, meat, soup and rice for each meal. The famous "Manhan Feast" has 108 dishes. Cantonese cuisine is inseparable from "tea", morning tea, afternoon tea, evening tea, when talking about business or meeting friends will order a pot of tea.
Guangdong is also famous for congee; chicken congee and fish congee are very delicious.
Well-known dishes: Clay Pot rice, Cantonese morning tea, roasted goose, pineapple ancient meat, braised goose liver, braised pork with plum vegetables
Fujian Cuisine
Characteristic: The flavor is light and tends to be sweet and sour
[3] Fujian cuisine
Fujian cuisine is a blend of Han and Minyue cultures and is known for its delicious seafood and soups, as well as the precise use of mild spices. Many of the ingredients come from the sea and mountains, giving the food an unusual taste. The cooking characteristics of Fujian cuisine are clear soup dishes, light taste, crispy fried food to be good at cooking seafood.
Fujian is surrounded by mountains and the sea. The mountains are rich in mushrooms and bamboo shoots, and the sea is also rich in fish, shrimps and clams.
Well-known dishes: Buddha jumps over the wall, Fuzhou fish balls, Shaxian noodles, lychee meat, eight treasure red sturgeon rice
Jiangsu Cuisine
Characteristic: The dishes are fresh, salty and sweet, with precise cooking techniques and rich colors.
[1] Sweet and Sour Spareribs
Jiangsu cuisine is widely eaten in Jiangsu and Shanghai and is often seen at government banquets.
Its unique lies in its exquisite cooking technology, the production of dishes rich flavor, with a strong artistic atmosphere.
Jiangsu cuisine is a fusion of many regional cuisines in China, taking their essence and developing their own unique style.
Well-known dishes: Wuxi spareribs, Nanjing salted duck, old duck soup, stewed crab meat and lion's head
Zhejiang Cuisine
Characteristic: Taste mellow fresh and tender, using fresh seafood, freshwater fish, bamboo shoots and other fresh ingredients
[3] Zhejiang cuisine
Zhejiang province lies to the south of Jiangsu province and borders Shanghai, so there are many similarities between Zhejiang cuisine and Jiangsu cuisine. Although not as elaborate as Jiangsu cuisine, it pays more attention to the freshness of ingredients and is similar to Japanese cuisine to some extent.
Well-known dishes: Dongpo pork, Beggar’s chicken, stir-fried shrimps with Longjing tea, Zhoushan yellow croaker, swimming crab, West Lake vinegar fish
Sichuan Cuisine
Characteristic: Spicy and bold, often mouth-numbing, using plenty of chilies, Sichuan peppercorns, garlic and ginger.
[2] Kung pao Chicken [2] Mapo Tofu
[2] Hot Pot
Their dishes are known for their hot flavors and numbing flavor of Sichuan peppercorns. Because Sichuan province is a basin area and the climate is humid, eating chili peppers and Sichuan peppercorns can help people get rid of the "moisture" in their bodies, which is very good for people's health.
Well-known dishes: Shredded pork with fish flavor, Kung pao chicken, Sliced pork with water, Sliced lung with husband and wife, Twice-cooked pork, Chongqing hot pot.
Shandong Cuisine
Characteristic: This cuisine is better at pasta and cakes, and likes stews with lots of scallions, ginger and garlic.
[2] fried sauce noodles
They use simple ingredients to preserve the original flavor by stewing it down. Unlike southern cuisine, they prefer wheat food, including noodles and cakes. Shandong people love the taste of scallions and garlic and have a long history of vegetable cultivation.
Shandong is the hometown of Confucius, deeply influenced by Confucius culture, shandong people pay great attention to etiquette when eating.
Well-known dishes: Yipin Tofu, braised sea cucumber with scallion, sweet and sour carp, braised prawn in brown sauce, Dezhou braised chicken
Hunan Cuisine
Characteristic: Also very spicy, better at sour and spicy taste, like stir-frying, steaming and smoking.
[1] Chilies [3] steamed fish head with pickled chilies
In Hunan, due to the reasons of geography, climate and other aspects, most areas grow rice, People's Daily diet on rice as the staple food. Hunan is located in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River in China. It is often rainy in summer, so people in Hunan also like bitter taste, which can relieve fire, dehumidify and protect the stomach.
Well-known dishes: steamed fish head with pickled chilies, Stir-fried pork with chili, Xiangxi grandma dish, beef powder.
Anhui Cuisine
Characteristic: Many wild plants and animals as ingredients, will use a lot of oil, high temperature control requirements.
[3] Anhui cuisine
Anhui province is located in the interior of China, and there are many mountains in the province, which is the source of many wild foods and herbs, so many Anhui dishes are made from mountain produce and have a unique taste. All kinds of food materials according to the characteristics of texture, flavor requirements, the mastery of the heat has strict control.
Well-known dishes: egg wrapper dumplings, Luzhou roast duck, stewed bamboo with ham, Stir-fried pork with chili, Xiangxi grandma dish, beef powder.
[1] Gavin (2014). The 8 Great Cuisines of China. [online] China Highlights. Available at: https://www.chinahighlights.com/travelguide/chinese-food/eight-cuisine.htm. [Accessed 16 Dec. 2021]
[2] PKL (2019). 8 Tasty Chinese Dishes: the Most Popular Chinese Foods. [online] China Highlights. Available at: https://www.chinahighlights.com/travelguide/chinese-food/eight-chinese-dishes.htm. [Accessed 16 Dec. 2021]
[3] www.topasiatour.com. (n.d.). Top 8 Major Chinese Cuisines, Eight Big Cuisines of China, eight traditional Chinese cuisines. [online] Available at: https://www.topasiatour.com/china/top-8-major-chinese-cuisines.html [Accessed 17 Dec. 2021].
[4] www.thechinaguide.com. (n.d.). What are the Eight Great Cuisines of China? [online] Available at: https://www.thechinaguide.com/blog/what-are-the-eight-great-cuisines-of-china [Accessed 14 Dec. 2021].