What is Chinese food? Presented by: sws. So, what is Chinese food?
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Transcript of What is Chinese food? Presented by: sws. So, what is Chinese food?
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