In China, food is not just a mean to satiate the hunger but an important part of Chinese culture. In terms of culinary experiences, Chinese cuisine has contributed a great deal to the world, from ingredient & flavor exploration to kitchenware designs, all with the purpose to turn dining into a unique experience.

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Chinese cuisine unites cuisines originating in different regions and from different historical periods, “spiced up” by influences from the Chinese diaspora. Taking into consideration the different cooking styles and a variety of ingredients depending on the region, traditional Chinese cuisines can be divided into several groups.

Northern Chinese food is very simple, quite salty and has wheat as a staple food in the form of noodles and dumplings.

Southern Chinese food is considered minority food in China. It is sour and often spiced with chili.

Eastern Chinese food is lighter and often with a sweet twist.

Western Chinese food was influenced by Muslim minorities and is hearty, porkless, halal food with lamb as the main meat type.

Central Chinese food is very spicy thanks to the use of a great number of seasonings.

The Evolution of the Traditional Chinese Food Ingredients

Staple Foods

What ingredients come to mind when you think of authentic Chinese food? Rice and noodles? No wonder, since these two ingredients, along with soybean products, form the base of traditional Chinese food.

Due to the fact that agriculture takes a central place in China’s production, traditional Chinese food is based on cereals and vegetables, in combination with smaller amounts of meat. Since Chinese culture centered around the North China Plain, the roots of Chinese cuisine can be detected there. The earliest domesticated crop in this region, believe it or not, wasn’t white rice but millet. The domination of white rice began during the Song dynasty when many people migrated south. Wheat arrived from western Asia by 2000 BC and became widely used in the form of noodle soups.

– Rice is a major staple food in China, so much so that people eat it every day! As mentioned before, it is mainly cultivated in the southern regions and southern China and is usually consumed steamed as part of various dishes. In addition, rice is used in the production of wine, beer, and vinegar.

Recipe: Shrimp Fried Rice

– Noodles are another staple food, especially favored in the northern parts of the country. They are generally made of wheat flour, rice flour, soybean flour, or mung bean starch and can be found fresh or dry in the stores. If you visit an Asian supermarket, you’ll be overwhelmed by the wide variety of shapes, sizes, textures, and flavors in which noodles appear. Nowadays, there is even a great selection of gluten-free noodles. They can be served hot or cold, stir-fried with meat, eggs, or veggies, as toppings, or as part of soup recipes.

Recipe: Chinese Noodle Soup

– Soybean products, like soy milk, soy oil, soy paste, soy sauce, and especially tofu (bean curd), have been a staple in Chinese and other Asian cuisines since ancient times. Tofu is made of water, soy milk, and a curdling agent and it is valued as a rich source of proteins. It appears in many forms: smoked, dried, fried, as well as fermented. This last type of tofu is also known as ‘stinky’ due to its characteristic smell. Soft stinky tofu is used as a spread, whereas its hard counterpart is usually deep-fried and combined with soy sauce. Another type of tofu that is widely consumed in China is doufuru. It is a fermented tofu, usually pickled with soy beans, chili, or red yeast rice. It looks much like blue cheese and is quite salty. Doufuru is often combined with rice and beans.

Recipe: Mushrooms and Tofu with Chinese Mustard Greens

Vegetables

After rice and noodles, veggies are the second most important ingredient used in Chinese dishes, especially in stir-fries, but also in hot pots and soups. A variety of dried or pickled vegetables is also used, especially in regions where fresh veggies weren’t easy to find when out of season.

The most widely consumed veggies include leafy vegetables like Chinese cabbage, spinach, and lettuce, mushrooms like shiitake, golden needle mushrooms, wood ears, oyster mushrooms, and tea tree mushrooms. Traditional Chinese food also includes green beans, eggplant, daikon, soybean sprouts, and bamboo shoots. Just like in Western cuisines, onions and carrots are indispensable in Chinese food.

Recipe: Vegetable Lo Mein

Seasoning

As far as seasoning is concerned, it varies from region to region and largely depends on locally available ingredients. Making the most of food’s flavor became very important during the Qing dynasty. Approximately at this time, the presentation of the food became as important as its taste, especially at formal ceremonies.

The most widely used seasonings in Chinese food are scallions, garlic, cilantro, ginger, and sesame. Some regions also use anise, chili, white peppers, peppercorns, fennel, cinnamon, and cloves.

Sauces are an integral part of authentic Chinese cuisine. China is the home of soy sauce, a condiment made with wheat and soybeans but also to other popular add-ins like Hoisin sauce, fish sauce, oyster sauce, ground bean sauce, yellow bean sauce, and rice vinegar.

Recipe: Sweet and Spicy Almond Chicken

Animal Products

Meat

Meat was mostly consumed by nobles since they were the ones who hunted. Most popular meat types were pork, mutton, dog, and beef. Later, during the Yuan dynasty when Muslim communities emerged in China, pork was excluded from cooking in many regions and replaced by lamb.

The meat was preserved with vinegar, salt, curing, and fermenting and was enriched in flavor by cooking it in animal fat. Even though salt was used as a preservative from early times, it was added in the form of soy sauce in cooking but was not placed on the table.

When it comes to meat, the Chinese are infamous for their love of dog meat but that is not the only unusual thing they’ll eat. As someone said, Chinese people will eat anything that has four legs, except a table and anything that flies, except an airplane. They’re not too finicky when it comes to selecting parts of the animal to eat – meat, fat, skin, internal organs, even blood, everything can be eaten. They do draw a line, however, when it comes to raw meat. That is why there are so many different ways to prepare all types of meat: fried, boiled, roasted, baked, stewed, poached, pickled…

Pigeons are also highly valued in Chinese cuisine, along with beef, mutton, chicken, and duck meat. The Chinese have been criticized for their consumption of live animals, exotic game, and bushmeat such as baby rodents, dead-and-alive fish, monkey brains, bear claws, and snake soups.

However, pork is the most widely consumed meat. In fact, it is so common that the word ‘pork’ in Chinese can refer to meat in general.

Recipe: Crockpot Chinese Pork with Noodles

Eggs

Despite popular belief, eggs are very popular in China. And that counts for eggs laid by almost all types of poultry – chicken, geese, ducks, and, let’s not forget, pigeons and quails.

Besides being used to make fried rice, eggs can be prepared in various ways: boiled in soups, steamed, or fried in combination with veggies like onions, chives, and chili.

Recipe: Vegetable and Bacon Fried Rice

Dairy

During the Han period, non-Han people popularized the use of dairy products like goat milk, yogurts, and Kumis, a fermented dairy product made from mare’s milk. However, this changed later, during the Song dynasty. The Chinese came to dislike dairy and stopped using it altogether. On the other hand, plant-based milk like soy, rice, and nut milk are very popular both as cooking ingredients and as beverages.

Recipe: Coconut Sticky Rice Cake

What Makes Chinese Food So Good?

Cooking methods

In terms of cooking methods, Chinese cuisine gives primate to cooked food as opposed to raw. This is related to the advance of culinary skills and early civilization of the country. Warm dishes were further popularized with the rise of Mongolian and Manchu dynasties preferred hot pot cooking.

Recipe: Chinese Mongolian Hot Pot

Food Turned Art

Chinese dishes have a strong connection with both philosophy and art. They stress the three main points of appearance, taste, and smell, which is an aspiration of each and every recipe. In Chinese philosophy, food is considered a message that the cook is trying to convey. I Ching, a Chinese philosopher, said: “Gentlemen use eating as a way to attain happiness.”

By the time of Confucius, food had turned into real artistry. As the philosopher said himself: “The rice would never be too white, the meat would never be too finely cut…” People paid attention to how the food was prepared and refused to eat unless it was cooked to perfection. As for alcohol, they were not as polished and considered that one cannot have too much to drink.

Even today, Chinese chefs go by the saying “The first bite is with the eyes” and served dishes in incredible shapes and patterns. There is a whole teaching of food carving in Chinese culture, which typically uses vegetables as materials to carve sculptures.

Chinese Food Etiquette

As an ancient civilization, China has developed a unique dining culture etiquette. This is very important to the Chinese and visitors are expected to follow the rules, no matter how strange they might seem.

These rules cover everything connected to food, from sitting arrangements to the use of chopsticks. Here are just a few:

The guest is often seated at the ‘head’ of the table and no one will sit before he does nor make a toast before he does.

When eating, you must pay attention to table manners and practice good dining habits. TV and phones during dining are strictly forbidden!

The importance of the elders in the family is very pronounced during eating. The older members are supposed to start eating first, the younger follow. Also, younger members should refill the bowls of the older.

The use of forks and knives is considered inappropriate on the dining table. In fact, knives are considered very violent. Instead, chopsticks are the main utensils for cutting and picking up food. The use of chopsticks influenced the preparation of food as well – it had to be cut into bite-size pieces and cooked until very tender. Waving your chopsticks or stabbing the food with them is not allowed!

Ingredients from the New World

Bearing in mind that China was a part of the Columbian Exchange, it welcomed many ingredients from the New World like Mexican chili peppers (today widely used in the Sichuan cuisine), as well as corn and potatoes which are popular in the northern parts.

Recipe: Black Bean Chili Sauce

Food as Medicine

Chinese society greatly valued food, both for its culinary and for its medical uses. Traditional Chinese medicine is largely based on food as a natural remedy for various diseases and conditions. It was considered that food to give energy, “qi”(the circulating life force), but also helps maintain the balance of yin and yang. Having a good meal was crucial for balancing the so-called “four natures” – cool, cold, warm, and hot and the “five tastes” – sweet, sour, bitter, pungent, and salty. Among the popular medicinal dishes are Tomato and Cucumber Salad in summer, as well as Chicken and Ginger Soup or Butternut Squash Soup in winter.

Recipe: Butternut Squash Soup

Sweet, sweet Chinese Food

Even though Chinese are great fans of seasonal foods, they do have a number of great desserts to boast. Chinese desserts are usually served with tea at the end of the meal. They are composed of ingredients mainly used in East Asia and, even though most of them are made up from sugar, these treats are generally less sweet and oily that Western desserts. Chinese desserts can be divided into six broad categories.

Táng refers to candies made with cane sugar, malt sugar, honey, fruits, and nuts. Most popular examples of Chinese candies are white rabbit creamy candy, orange jelly candy, zaotang, and dragon’s beard candy.

Bing refers to all breads in Chinese, including pastries. To be more precise, Bing refers to baked wheat flour confections very similar to short pastry crust in Western cuisines. These desserts are commonly stuffed with red bean paste, jujube, or other traditional fillings. The most commonly eaten bings are mooncake and wife cake.

Recipe: Snow Skin Moon Cake

Baobing refers to the currently very popular shaved ice combined with sweet syrup. This summery delight is also known as “ice kacang” and comes in different flavors including rose syrup and fruits. Among the most popular varieties and bandung and cendol.

Recipe: Strawberry Granita

Jelly desserts are traditionally made with agar-agar, a jelly-like substance obtained from algae, and topped with fruits. However, there are also modern versions made with gelatin-based jellies. Some of the most common Chinese jellies are the grass jelly, aiyu jelly, and herbal jelly.

Recipe: Baked Jelly Donuts

Chinese also love dessert soups! Yes, such things exist and they are hot & sweet! Most sweet soups are simmered for a long time to make them flavorful. They’re very light and refreshing, which makes them perfect for hot summer days although, they can also be served hot. Chinese dessert soups are not only very easy to make, but they’re also popular for their health factor. To mention just a few, green bean soup, red bean soup, fruit soup with white fungus, black sesame milk soup, and sweet almond soup.

Gaos are steamed snacks made with glutinous or normal rice. These treats come in different textures, some chewier, others fluffy or jelly-like. The most popular gaos are nian gao and bai tang gao.

Recipe: Mint Chocolate Dessert Soup

Chinese Beverages

Tea

Tea is an integral part of Chinese dining culture. China was the first country to cultivate and consume tea, which is well-loved by people from all social classes. In fact, tea is so important in China that people carry thermoses filled with tea everywhere, just like they carry their wallets and purses. In China, you’ll be served with tea right after you sit on the table (thank the server by tapping the table with your first two fingers two or three times).

Chinese have their tea with snacks like nuts, dried fruit, small sweets, and melon seeds. Chinese tea can be classified into several categories depending on the region, the species of plant from which it originates, and the method of production. The most popular types are green tea, oolong tea, white tea, black tea, and compressed tea.

Recipe: Mango Green Tea Smoothie

Alcoholic Beverages

When it comes to alcohol, Chinese like their beverages strong. They rarely consume wine and opt for baijiu instead. Translated as “white liquor”, this alcoholic spirit is so popular that it holds 99% of the alcoholic market. It has been around since the Song dynasty and can be made from rice, corn, or wheat.

Other popular drinks

Besides tea and alcohol, Chinese people also love plant milks like rice milk, almond milk, soy milk, walnut milk, and coconut milk and drink them during the meal.

In some regions, small shots of fruit vinegar are served as appetizers, whereas other regions prefer juices made of jujube or hawthorn.

Recipe: Dairy-Free Coconut Milk Mango Smoothie

American Chinese Food

It is safe to say that Chinese food is an inseparable part of the American eating culture. In fact, Chinese food is synonymous with delivery in the States, along with pizza. Statistics say that Chinese food is the most popular delivery item in US six states! It’s no wonder that, wherever people go around the States, they search for “Chinese food near me” – it is cheap, convenient, and fulfilling.

But how different is American Chinese food from the authentic Chinese food? Well… The American Chinese cuisine was developed by Americans of Chinese descent, mainly coming from the southern parts of the country. It was largely adapted to Western tastes by including western ingredients like cream cheese, cornflakes, mustard powder, or peanut butter. So, yes, it does differ significantly from the traditional Chinese food.

This cuisine became popular among the middle-class Americans in the 1920s but really exploded in the late 20th century as the most loved take out option. American Chinese food became so successful, that American Chinese restaurants opened in China itself!

Here are the main differences between these cuisines:

Ingredients. Chinese cuisine gives primate to veggies, while the US counterpart treats them as a side dish or garnish, emphasizing carrots and tomatoes at the expense of more traditionally used veggies like bok-choy cabbage or bamboo shoots. Primate is given to meat and seafood.

Cooking methods. Frying (pan frying, stir frying, and deep frying) in a wok is the most common cooking technique in the States.

In the course of time, American Chinese cuisine developed dishes that are unique and original and do not come from China. For instance, the ever-so-popular Fortune Cookies were invented in California as a version of the Japanese omikuji senbei cookies, only sweeter.

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Recipe: Homemade Fortune Cookies

Another example is General Tso’s Chicken, a dish fried chicken pieces coated with a sweet and savory sauce. It is named by a real 19th-century Chinese general but it was in fact invented in the 1970s.

Recipe: Slow Cooker General Tso’s Chicken

Whether you decide to go with traditional Chinese food or American adaptations, you can be sure that the dish will be absolutely tasty. We have provided you with a selection of amazing recipes originating in or inspired by the Chinese cuisine, in case you are not in a mood for Chinese food delivery and want to experiment a bit in the kitchen.

More Chinese Food Recipes

Crunchy Egg Rolls

American Chop Suey

Pork Lo Mein

Baked Shrimp Wontons

Steamed Vegetable Dumplings

I believe that food should not only taste good, but make you feel good as well and that is why I am so interested in exploring ingredients, preparing meals, and finding ways to make the whole cooking experience fun and exciting! Being a blogger for MyGreatRecipes unites my two passions – food and writing, and I am enjoying every second of it!