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The process of formation of modern Chinese cuisine stretched over 3 millennia. This is confirmed by the amazing finds of archaeologists – bronze plates, shovels, scoops, knives, kitchen boards and pots, dated from 770-221. BC. At the same time, the first public restaurants and teahouses appeared. And the first cookbook in China was published XNUMX years ago.
Such a rich culinary life of this nation is due to its reverent attitude to the very culinary. It has been associated with art here and has been seriously studied for thousands of years. Even the famous philosopher Confucius (4-5 centuries BC) taught his students the intricacies of the culinary arts. And his recipes have been successfully preserved and today they form the basis Confucian cuisine… High demands were placed on food that was prepared for consumption. She had to be distinguished by good taste, have a number of useful properties and be medicinal. The latter was achieved thanks to the widespread use of herbs.
Interestingly, since ancient times, there were concepts in Chinese cuisine yin and Jahn… And all products and dishes were accordingly divided into those that give energy and those that soothe. Thus, meat was a yang product, and water contained yin energy. And in order to be healthy and live a long life, it was necessary to achieve harmony of yin and yang.
From ancient times to the present day, the Chinese have retained a love for joint meals, and the reason for them did not matter. In addition, the theme of food is reflected here in proverbs and sayings. The Chinese say “ate vinegar“When describing feelings of jealousy or envy,”Ate someone’s tofu“If they were fooled or”ate ice cream with my eyes», If the fact of intent scrutiny of a member of the opposite sex has been established.
It is not customary in China to eat dishes quickly and without pleasure, otherwise it is a sign of bad taste. There is no such thing as snacks, because food was sent to people by heaven, therefore, you need to treat it with reverence. When setting the table, Chinese women make sure that balance in the dishes is maintained on it. However, there are always more liquid and soft dishes on it due to their usefulness and digestibility. Festive lunches here can have up to 40 dishes.
Speaking about table setting in China in more detail, one cannot fail to mention that the appearance, order of arrangement of dishes and their color characteristics play a very important role. After all, harmony for the Chinese is above all and table setting is no exception. In general, it is dominated by white and blue, muted tones.
It is beneficial to drink green tea before eating with this nation. After that, you can move on to cold appetizers – fish, vegetables, meat, and then – to rice and common dishes and sauces. At dinner in China, people always drink warmed rice wine or matan. After the meal, the broth and a new portion of green tea are served. It is believed that this order of eating is extremely beneficial for digestion and allows guests to get up from the table without feeling heavy or unhappy.
Chinese cuisine is conventionally divided into 8 regional cuisines, each of which has its own culinary characteristics. Meanwhile, they have in common an approximate set of the most popular products. In addition to all of the above, it includes cereals, cereals, soybeans, vegetables and fruits, meat, in particular, poultry and beef, eggs, nuts, spices, fish and seafood, as well as insects, snakes and more. Popular drinks here are green tea, rice wine, beer and snake tincture. Many products are produced in the country itself due to the favorable climate.
The most popular cooking methods in China are:
In addition, there are dishes in China that are the zest of this country. Moreover, they are not only revered on its territory, but also easily recognizable far beyond its borders. These include:
Pork in sweet and sour sauce.
Mapu doufu.
Fried rice.
Wontons are dumplings that are often served in soup.
Jiaozi – triangular dumplings. Steamed or fried.
Fried noodles.
Gongbao chicken.
Spring rolls.
Peking duck.
Peking duck setting.
Yuebin.
Useful properties of Chinese cuisine
Not many people know that the people of China are considered one of the healthiest nations in the world. The average life expectancy here is the highest at 79 years for men and 85 years for women. And not the least reason for this is their love for high-quality healthy food, which is passed down from generation to generation.
The Chinese love variety in food, abundance of spices and green tea, as well as small portions and do not accept snacks. However, their cuisine is based on rice and legumes such as soy or beans, which have a positive effect on digestion. In addition, vegetables, fruits and spices are highly prized here and pampered with them at every opportunity.
And the only drawback of Chinese cuisine is the huge amount of fried foods. And, of course, meat.
Based on materials Super Cool Pics