Authentic Recipes from China. Kenneth Law

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      Food in China

       An ancient, innovative cuisine that is beloved the world over.

      China has fascinated the West ever since Marco Polo's account of his travels in that unimaginably exotic land was published in the 13th century. Long before this, however, junks laden with the rich treasures of China had been heading for other countries on annual trading voyages.

      Silk, gunpowder, printing and the compass are among the great Chinese inventions that have altered the course of history But of all China's contributions to modern civilization, the most popular is Chinese food, enjoyed in restaurants and homes in every corner of the globe, from Iceland to Texas to Auckland. Few people in the world, with the possible exception of the French, are as passionately devoted to food as the Chinese Meals are socially important events and special menus are presented for weddings and birthdays; important festivals also have their traditional dishes and snacks.

      What is the reason for the enduring worldwide popularity of Chinese food? It begins with a cornucopia of unique ingredients, vegetables and nourishing tofu plus subtle or emphatic sauces and seasonings that are partnered with just about every creature that swims the seas, flies the air or roams the land. This astonishing variety of ingredients is transformed by the Chinese into memorable works of culinary art Every dish must meet three major criteria—appearance, fragrance and flavor; other considerations are texture, the health-giving properties of the food and its auspicious connotations.

      The array of seasonings and sauces used by Chinese cooks is not vast; nor are a large range of culinary techniques employed. However, the endless interplay of one basic ingredient with another—meat with tofu, vegetables with slivers of pork, lychees with shrimp—and the transformation of these basics when combined with different seasonings, allows for almost endless variety.

      Throughout its history. China has known a perpetual cycle of flood and famine. Food has always been a matter of desperate concern for its huge population (about 25 percent of the world's total population, living on just 7 percent of the world's land). The paradox of Chinese food is that this cuisine, born of hardship and frequent poverty, is not one of dull subsistence, but is arguably the most creative in the world.

      You can travel throughout China and the Chinese communities of Asia and never have the same dish served in exactly the same way twice. China's vast territory, diverse population and wide range of regional cuisines provide such infinite variety that eating in this ancient and inventive country is always an enjoyable adventure.

      A Rich Culinary Tradition

       Early Chinese culinary techniques included boiling, steaming, roasting, stewing, pickling and drying. Stir-frying, the best known method today, probably developed later. In sum. it can be said that the basic Chinese diet and means of preparation were in place about 6,000 years ago, although many imported ingredients—some transported over the Silk Road—entered the Chinese larder and new cooking methods were adopted.

      A balanced mixture of grain and cooked dishes СКАЧАТЬ