What is Chinese food?

Presented by: sws

So, what is Chinese food?

Chinese food is hard to define, because…

• China is a big country• Size: slightly bigger than the U.S.• Demography: 1.34 billion people with 56 ethnic groups

• Chinese people are devoted to food!• Other peoples eat to live; Chinese people live to eat• Spend huge amount of time on cooking and eating

• Chinese food is highly diversified• 8 culinary traditions • Wide variety of materials and cooking techniques

• China has a long history• One of the four ancient civilizations, and the only one that lasts continuously to today (nearly 4000 years)

My task today

• Summarize the high-level features of Chinese food

• Try to have these features make logical sense

• Emphasis on

• “traditional” Chinese food

• features in contrast to American/western food

Roadmap

Eating from the same plates

Eating from the same plates

Why?

• Sharing food means trust

• Collectivism tradition

• Easy to create the jolly atmosphere

• Fit for picture of the traditional “big family”

Caution: serving utensils are common but not always present.

Important etiquette: do not rummage in the dishes.

Roadmap

Eating from the same plates

Round tables; multiple courses

Round tables & multiple courses

• Glass rotating plate!

• Man-Han Banquet: 108 courses, lasts 3 days

Roadmap

Eating from the same plates

Round tables; multiple courses

Chopsticks

Chopsticks

Silver chopsticks, South Song Dynasty (1127 – 1279)

• Square upper half

• Round lower half

• Blunt ends

• Diverse materials

Japanese

Korean

Chinese

Chopsticks

nipping picking holding

• In use at least 3100 years ago• Chinese is an agricultural people

• Staple of ancient Chinese: millet congee with vegetables

Roadmap

Eating from the same plates

Round tables; multiple courses

Chopsticks Hot meals

Hot meals

• Very limited direct contact between hands and food

• Cold dishes = appetizers

• Things can be very hot!

Sizzling hot plate Clay pot

Roadmap

Eating from the same plates

Round tables; multiple courses

ChopsticksBite size or

smallerHot meals

Bite size or smaller “Food can never be delicate enough; meat can never be fine enough.”

-- Confucius

Roadmap

Eating from the same plates

Round tables; multiple courses

ChopsticksBite size or

smaller

No knife on the table

Hot meals

No knife on the table

“Gentlemen should stay away from the kitchen.”

-- Mendacious

No knife on the table

What about Peking Duck?

Roadmap

Eating from the same plates

Round tables; multiple courses

ChopsticksBite size or

smaller

No knife on the table Kitchen knife

Hot meals

Kitchen knife

• Big, heavy

• All-around: one for raw, one for cooked

• Big surface for transferring finely chopped materials

• Heavy emphasis on cutting techniques

• Video– Wen Si Tofu

Roadmap

Eating from the same plates

Round tables; multiple courses

ChopsticksBite size or

smaller

No knife on the table Kitchen knife

Stir-fry / hotpot

Hot meals

Stir-fry

• Fine pieces of materials are added into hot oil

• Materials are well cooked in a few minutes

• Spherical-bottomed wok + flames

• Fit for the fry and flip action

• Materials slide naturally to the bottom, making them easier to get well-mixed and evenly heated

• Video– stir-fry of pork liver

Hotpot

Roadmap

Eating from the same plates

Round tables; multiple courses

ChopsticksBite size or

smaller

No knife on the table Kitchen knife

Stir-fry / hotpotNo raw

meat/fish/egg

Hot meals

Other features of Chinese food

• Of course, Chinese people eat everything!

• High carbohydrate, low diary

• Salty flavor as the base

• “Medicine and food share the same origin.”

• Approximation / inaccuracy – cooking is an art than science!

• Food is embedded in culture, especially festivities