Traditional Chinese Food. The food and cooking traditions of ancient China are not only the foundation for a number of different cuisines in the world today. But a major part of Chinese culture and history.
In this article we’ll explore some traditional dishes you can try such as hot pots and dumplings. Along with these dishes we’ll also go over how to properly care for your cookware. So that all your hard work doesn’t go to waste.
Chinese food is generally safe to eat. But it’s always important that you make any food safety and halal foods concerns known to the staff. In order to ensure you enjoy your meals rather than getting ill.
Technically Chinese food
Technically Chinese food isn’t so much a cuisine as it is a cooking method. But there are several variations of Chinese cuisines that have developed over time.
Chinese food or Desi Chinese food has three main styles of cooking. They include:
- Stir-frying (called ‘chao’ in Chinese) that uses a very high heat to cook smaller pieces of food quickly. Using very little oil or water and spices.
- Boiling (called ‘yin’ in Chinese) that uses hot water to cook larger cuts of meat, soups. And stews for more nutritious and fuller-bodied flavour.
- Braising (called ‘shui’ in Chinese). This method uses only a small amount of liquid with longer cooking times. To infuse the meat with flavour from the cooking liquid, vegetables, herbs and spices.
As you can see, Chinese cuisine covers a wide array of cooking methods and dishes. It’s generally acknowledged that. Hot pot was the first type of Chinese cuisine to be developed and then spread across China by General Zhu Di in 14th century. Today in America, we know hot spots as fondue.
Traditional Chinese Food and update recipe change
Instead of flour-and-butter, hot pot is cooked with a combination of vegetables and meats that are raw or boiled, as opposed to fondue which is simply melted cheese and flavoured oil heated by a candle or other heat source. The oldest hot pot restaurant in the United States is in San Francisco where the first fondue restaurant in the country has also been opened.
It might seem like a strange choice for one of America’s most unusual cuisines but hot pot is basically a regional form of Chinese cuisine, having evolved from its roots. The reason it became popular was through its popularity with travellers.
While other types of Chinese food have become mainstream over time, hot pot has remained relatively obscure because it is difficult to prepare and time consuming to eat due to the fact that you only stick the vegetables, meat and seasonings into a pot and then wait until it’s cooked through before you griddle your foods. Today, hot pots are still a very popular dish in China, especially during the winter when it helps warm the body and soul.
For some of the best hot spots around there’s no place better than Boston’s Chinatown where you can find it served up in a variety of different ways – from Korean-Chinese to just Chinese (with Korean stews) – so that you’ll never get bored.
Another type of cuisine that has its roots in China is dim sum. While there are claims that it was developed by cooks from Canton who were influenced by their time spent in Vietnam and other Southeast Asian countries, dim sum is known for its unique style and flair.
