China is a haven for food lovers like YOU and ME
Prepare your tastebuds, because we are in for a sweet ride!
Chinese cuisine is as diverse as their culture where every region writes up a new menu. Cooking styles, ingredients, flavours - all differ from region to region. But before we get into the delectable foods, I will explain the 8 types of culinary traditions
First theCantonese:steamed and stir-frying which makes it healthy and non-greasy. Here the dishes are tender, slightly sweet and with a mellow fragrance. Then comes the Shandong:mostly features seafood-scallops, prawns, clams, sea cucumbers and just about everything on the menu. They heavily rely on salty flavours. Next, the Zhejiang:also uses seafood, but focuses more on soft, fresh flavours. Their food is known to have a delicate appearance. They are also fond of using bamboo shoots. Similarly, the Jiangsu are known for their soft texture, balancing sweet and salty tastes.
Szechuan uses the bold, pungent and spicy flavours giving your mouth a blast. Anhui uses a wide variety of herbs and vegetables, especially, fresh bamboo and mushrooms. Coming near to the end of the list comes the Fujian- broth or soup using cooking styles like braising, stewing, steaming and boiling and use of fresh ingredients from the mountains and sea. Finally comes the Hunan... known as the 'land of fish and rice' has hot spicy flavor, fresh aroma and deep color found in stews, braised and baked dishes.
The pork skin is perfectly golden, honeycomb-esque layer of crispy yet, still tender and juicy. If you are a bacon lover, you would love crispy pork belly
the soup is rich in chicken and pork-based stock, and various herbs and sauces to braise the tender beef. Its an absolutely satisfying comfort dish.
chicken, corn, and peas along with eggs in a hearty chicken soup that is richer than egg drop soup
Chinese steamed bun is filled with hot soup or pork with minced crab meat and roe. More modern innovations include other meats, seafood, and vegetarian fillings. The skin is skin is tender, smooth, and somewhat translucent.
consist equally of fat and lean meat. The skin is left on. The mouthfeel is oily but not greasy and the dish is fragrant with wine.
jelly-like dessert with a fragrant, with a smoky undertone taste. Usually served with other ingredients, such as mango, sago, watermelon, cantaloupe, tangyuan, taro balls, azuki beans, and tapioca.
Chinese dessert made from glutinous rice served in boiling water with fermented glutinous rice, or sweet syrup, or deep fried. Sweet fillings such as sugar, sesame, osmanthus flowers, peanuts, sweet bean paste and sweetened tangerine peel are used.
hand-pulled wispy sugar-strands that look like dragon whiskers. People wind the strings around fillings such as crushed peanuts, coconut, chocolate or sesame seeds