Chinese Daily Food
Breaded Pork Rolls with Asparagus @ BUTAYA
Richmond, BC Canada
Bento Box at rue 909 Sushi
Chicken terikyaki, salad, cali roll, and tempura.. 9 dollars...
Guu Kobachi - Traditional Japanese Tapas (Izakaya)
Article by Mike
Food has a special meaning to the Chinese people.
The "waste not, want not" ethos means that a surprising range and variety of plants and animals, and every part of a plant or animal is used.
This has given rise to a remarkable diversity in regional cuisine, but to Westerners it can be overwhelming - surprising, fantastic, delicious, horrifying or disgusting - but above all, different.
1. Rice
China is the world's largest rice producer, and one of the earliest centers of rice cultivation. For thousands of years, the Chinese people have been diligently cultivating their land for favorable harvests. The agricultural way of life, with rice as the center, has played an important role in China's history. In the past, people held the belief that the precious things of life are the five grains with rice being number one, instead of pearls or jade.
2. Noodles
Noodles are a staple food in Chinese cuisine, with a long history and wide popularity. Its first appearance can be traced back to the East Han Dynasty (25 - 220 AD), and it became very popular during Song Dynasty (960 - 1279 AD). Its cooking methods are numerous, though relatively simple. People can, according to their likes and tastes, add different ingredients and materials to make a great variety of noodles.
3. Vegetables
Vegetables are, in general, the second most fundamental part of Chinese cuisine, after the staple rice. Chinese people are fond of vegetables, especially leafy greens, and eat many different kinds at almost every meal, sometimes preserve and eat them as snacks. Many commonly used vegetables in Chinese meals are familiar to Westerners, such as cabbages, mushrooms, peas and beans, all leafy greens, chili peppers, onions, carrots, celery, broccoli, bamboo shoots, gourds, etc.
4. Eggs
China has a large consumption of eggs each year. People consume eggs laid by many poultries; the most common ones are chicken, duck, goose, pigeon, and quails. Food savvy Chinese people make lots of dishes out of eggs. The most unique ! and famo us ones are probably the salted duck eggs and century eggs (preserved eggs), both are produced and eaten all over China.
5. Fish
Fish is eaten through out the coastal areas as well as the inland parts of China. During festivals or celebrations, fish is an essential dish at family dinner table. Fish is so important in Chinese food, culture is because it is considered a symbol of abundance and prosperity.
In Chinese, the pronunciation of fish, "yu", sounds the same with the word for abundance, richness, or surpluses, and it is believed that eating fish will bring prosperity in the coming year. Therefore, in China, especially at banquets, it is customary to serve the entire fish, with the fish head pointing towards the honored guest.
6. Tofu
Tofu, or literally translated as bean curd, is a food of Chinese origin. It is made from soy milk, water and a curdling agent. The production of Tofu from soy milk is similar to that of cheese from milk. It is made by coagulating soy milk, then pressing the resulting curds into blocks.
Above are the Chinese food that most Chinese eat every day.
About the AuthorMike is writing articles on Chinese food, Chinese culture, Chinese language and China history.
How to cook and eat in Chinese
- Thinner paper, smaller type due to government wartime paper restrictions.
- Preface by Pearl S. Buck
- Forward by Hu Shih
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