Chinese cuisine is rice, noodles, Peking duck, chisanchi, turtle soup, dumplings (jiaozi), sushi, rolls, pork mushu, fish, as well as a lot of various traditional and exotic foods. These delicacies, as well as many others, are recognized as a local landmark in China and are its hallmark.

The national home and restaurant cuisine of the country contains culinary masterpieces from several Chinese regions. Also, in culinary dishes, a set of traditions (canons) and recipes for the preparation of dishes of the ancient Huaqiao diaspora, originating in the Neolithic era, can be traced. Over time, different regions of the country have developed personal taste preferences, relying on climatic conditions and court fashion. Over the years, new products and recipes have appeared in Chinese cuisine that came from other countries (Japan, Vietnam, Korea, Thailand), and some traditions related to food preparation have also been revised. Traditional Chinese cuisine differs markedly from the culinary masterpieces of other territories in a characteristic feature inherent in different nationalities or social classes.

Hot liquid dishes in the form of transparent soups are very popular in the country. For the preparation of the broth, the Chinese use chicken, beef or pork.

Chinese chefs very skillfully design national culinary masterpieces. To give the dish an authentic look, they use various greens, as well as yellow, white and black flowers. Traditional delicacies of the country are very tasty and perfectly absorbed by the human body, as well as very useful.

On this page of the site section, we have specially selected for you simple step-by-step recipes with photos that allow you to get to know the culinary dishes of China better. Thanks to the described cooking technology and pictures, you can learn step by step how to learn how to cook Chinese dishes at home. Each dish is easy to prepare. In addition, the finished treat turns out to be quite satisfying and appetizing.

Recipes with step by step photos

• Sweet and sour meat

Description

Chinese cuisine, which has a certain specificity and philosophy (five flavors), is one of the oldest in the world. This concept covers a huge number of territorial culinary practices (8 directions), but the most widespread and authoritative ones are Cantonese, Jiangsu, Shandong, Huaiyang and Sichuan. Within the framework of the article, we will try to give a brief description of Chinese culinary masterpieces, to acquaint with the traditions of their preparation and features.

Each of these cuisines has differences depending on the climate, geographic location, history of development and the prevailing lifestyle of a particular region. For example, stews or fried foods are very popular in Jiangsu cuisine. In the Sichuan province, food is mainly baked. In most regions, a different method of cooking is used: drying, pickling, canning, salting, and pickling.

Having studied the culture of China, you can find that a lot of things in this country are associated with five elements that symbolize the cardinal points, seasons, colors, tastes, each of which has 5 components.

What are the 5 tastes of food in the PRC:

1. Sour.
2. Spicy.
3. Sweet.
4. Salty.
5. Bitter.

The listed gastronomic tastes are the main ones, and there are also three auxiliary food flavors in the country (herbaceous, amber and aromatic flavor).

In the culture of the Celestial Empire, they have great respect for their history, traditions, as well as for folk cuisine, no less revered. The Chinese cooking culture originated over 5,000 years ago. The modern cuisine of the Celestial Empire continues to preserve local traditions and a great love for ancient sources and traditions.

The famous ancient Chinese philosopher Confucius taught the basics of cooking 25 centuries ago. The recipe for cooking the dishes of the eminent sage has been preserved and is very popular today not only in the philosopher's homeland (in the town of Qufu), but all over the world.

There are about 8 varieties of Chinese culinary dishes (cuisines), namely:

• Cantonese, which is famous for crispy and spicy foods from various types of meat (goat, lamb, snake or snail) and offal;
• Anhui, containing marine products, mushrooms, local vegetables and herbs;
• Fujian, characterized by special notes of aroma and sweetness (mushroom delicacies, bamboo shoots, and others);
• Jiangsu, famous for its original and soft bouquets of flavors and is represented, for example, by salted poultry (chicken, duck), pork crystal legs, pork meat balls and crushed crab shell;
• Huang, whose dishes have a different color palette and oily consistency (squirrel carp, steam herring);
• Sichuan (spicy and fatty), known for preserving natural taste, as well as mastering knives during cooking (among the dishes of this variety, little is especially popular, tofu, Sichuan stewed pork, "Tongbao chicken" and others);
• Shandong, whose dishes have an unusual taste (hot liquid food from shark fins, roast duck or the Chinese delicacy "swallow's nest");
• Zhejiang, famous for its fresh taste and delicious aroma (fish in sweet and sour sauce, shrimp and pork with zunzi or lotus root powder).

In addition to these dishes, dishes of Hong Kong, Malay, Singaporean, American and Pakistani cuisines are popular in the Celestial Empire.

The people of China love and respect their cuisine very much, so they eat a variety of local spices and meat from animals raised in their homeland. But since the development of agriculture, the main diet of the Chinese has been and continues to be plants that give grain.

Masters of the national Chinese cuisine have a very high status along with important officials of the Celestial Empire. According to one of the ancient legends, the founder of the Shang clan once made his court chef prime minister.

Ancient Chinese chronicles say that the set of foods needed for a soup symbolizes harmony. Many of the local philosophers in their statements have repeatedly said that cooks are worthy of imitation, since the ruler is obliged to adequately feed his people.

Ancient Chinese food was carefully regulated by law. For example, the emperor was allowed to eat lamb, beef and pork, and the ministers were allowed exclusively to eat lamb.

The diet of the Sui dynasty consisted of the meat of a cow, ram, elk, pig, chicken, hare, partridge and pheasant. In addition, the famous genus ate fish such as sturgeon, carp, bream, as well as turtle and snails. From plant food, this dynasty preferred to eat bamboo shoots, celery leaves, leeks and ferns, mustard seeds, legumes, reed roots, as well as duckweed, taro or pond. From the fruit assortment, the diet included peaches, plums, watermelons, melons, citruses, grapes and sisyphus.

Features and secrets of cooking Chinese cuisine

The features and secrets of home cooking of the best Chinese cuisine are not as intricate as they might seem at first glance. Therefore, it is quite possible to prepare traditional delicacies at home. To understand the essence of each local food, you need to immerse yourself a little in the technology of preparing this or that culinary masterpiece.

Traditional Chinese cuisine is said to have formed a long time ago. Today in the Celestial Empire, there are more than 20,000 varieties of food, although this statistics may be underestimated. Since the country has a huge assortment of various original and classic dishes, master classes and special schools for teaching the art of cooking national food are very popular in the PRC. It is assumed that the more complex the food, the healthier and more colorful it is.

The famous Confucius assured that the meat component of the dish should occupy about 1/3 of the total mass of the dish, and he devoted 2/3 to vegetables and fruits. According to the philosophy of the philosopher, for the main dishes of Chinese cuisine, it is necessary to cut the ingredients into slices or small cubes. In this case, meat, fish and poultry should be made the same size as a set of vegetables. The Chinese people are guided by these rules to this day.

Combinations of different types of dishes, popular not only in the Middle Kingdom, but also in European countries, were first recommended by Confucius. One of his famous sayings is: "There is no bad and tasteless food, because every delicacy must be served on the table in the best possible way, so that it can nourish not only the body, but also the spirit." The inhabitants of East Asia fully agree with this phrase.

Chefs and culinary specialists in China believe that in order to prepare a delicious traditional or unusual dish, certain proportions (of meat and vegetables) and the peculiarities of heat treatment must be observed, which include 2 main stages that are closely related to each other. The principle is fast cooking and high flame. Moreover, the first point is very important to observe for each local food.

The kitchen of every Chinese restaurant and cafe is equipped with a special oven, where from one burner the flame comes up 35-40 centimeters, and the temperature reaches approximately 300⁰С-400⁰С. From another hole on the stove, the heat does not rise too high, and from the third, the fire breaks out too weakly. Each method of heat treatment of components involves the use of a particular flame and its intensity. Some Chinese delicacies are steamed, and therefore it is very useful to use them during a diet or in the presence of certain diseases (with diabetes or gastritis) on the recommendation of doctors.

Undoubtedly, the treats in China are very tasty, bright, exotic, aromatic and beloved not only in their homeland, but all over the world. The beautiful appearance of the delicacy is most inherent in portioned cold dishes and snacks. Each of these dishes is unique and colorful, as it shows a magnificent pattern or theme that is inherent in a given country.

The beauty of local mountains, trees, birds, flowers, fish, animals, and insects are perfectly combined in one plate to give the eater a lot of pleasure and benefit from the process of eating. For each set of Chinese dishes, the menu offers an even number of dishes, for example, 4, 6, 8 or 10 - this is the custom in the country. As one Chinese proverb literally says: "2 plates are for hospitality, and 3 plates are like a turtle."

The desire to always reach an even number of dishes once again suggests that the Chinese in their culture strive with all their might to achieve peace of mind and achieve perfection in everything.

History of the origin of the national cuisine of China

The history of the origin of the true national cuisine and culture of China (northern and southern) begins 5000 years ago. The technique of preparing traditional delicacies is an integral part of the development of the ancient civilization and cultural heritage of the country.

Moreover, the northern cuisine is quite high-calorie and fatty foods (boiled or fried dumplings, noodles, soup and others), and the southern one is famous for spicy, fresh and savory dishes (rice, vegetables, seafood, sushi, rolls and others).

It is known that the PRC occupies a vast territory, the climatic conditions of which are different. In one part of the country there is a subtropical, and in others tropical, subarctic or temperate type of climate. In addition, the great country is known for high mountains and endless plains, lakes and rivers. For this reason, all sorts of delicious gourmet products are found or grow in the PRC, namely, vegetables and fruits, plant and animal foods, and spices.

This nation has its own tradition of eating. For example, women, men, old people and young people should sit down at the table in a strict sequence. In the PRC, as in most Asian countries, wood chopsticks are used instead of cutlery.

Historically, the most populated regions of the country have tried to find the most economical ways of solving issues related to the search for food and fuel resources. In this regard, the Chinese have developed their own recipes and special methods of processing raw materials by crushing, making special models of pans (woks) and weaving original baskets from bamboo fibers so that several foods can be cooked in them at the same time.

Most of the ingredients are marinated or soaked before cooking in order to speed up the cooking process. In this regard, cooked food in China preserves the nutritional quality of the original products as much as possible.

The Chinese food intake culture differs markedly from the Western or Eastern European in that the inhabitants of the PRC do not eat pure milk, and also practically do not use butter, because the Chinese body simply does not assimilate lactose molecules.

Cooked food in the country is characterized by interesting tastes and peculiar smells due to a rich set of elements, for example, soybean sauce, fresh ginger root, soy sprouts, mushrooms, sweet and hot peppers, garlic, green and Chinese onions, star anise, peanuts and other ingredients.

It is mentioned that the first collection of recipes was created by the artist Ni Zan during the reign of the Li Qing dynasty. It described in detail various methods of cooking seafood (octopus, squid, jellyfish, molluscs, shark fins, shrimp and others), poultry, mushrooms, as well as protein cereals (barley, oats, rye and wheat). The cookbook also describes recipes for making sauces, salads, sweet pastries, desserts, alcoholic and non-alcoholic products, as well as traditional drinks. In addition, the collection contains options for dishes for which it is necessary to use petals and seeds of various flowers (chrysanthemum, lotus), frogs and snakes.

Translated into Russian, one of the Chinese proverbs says: "There is no inedible food in the world, there are only bad cooks." It is no coincidence that such dishes are very popular among the Chinese in Cantonese (imperial) cuisine, in which boiled snake meat appears. Locals believe that this exotic delicacy has a positive effect on overall health and is not harmful.

Name of the treat	Description of food
Pork meat in sweet and sour sauce	The national delicacy is found in absolutely all menus of restaurants and cafes in China. It consists of pork, vegetables, tropical fruits (pineapples) and natural ketchup.
Jiaoz, goubuli, shaomai, bao-tzu (Chinese dumplings)	The well-known dish has many cooking ideas that use different fillings (more than 200 options). Street food and homemade food can be eaten both boiled and fried.
Salad "Broken cucumbers"	The dish consists of fresh cucumbers, chili peppers, garlic, cilantro and parsley.
Gabajou	The exotic name of the dish hides lean pork (chicken or beef) meat, tomato paste, soy sauce and spices. The treat is served with a side dish of corn and rice, as well as fresh vegetables.
Tea eggs	The fragrant traditional New Year's treat includes many varieties of tea marinades, in which chicken eggs are boiled for at least three hours to achieve a "marbling" effect.
Harbin salad	The famous hearty and juicy salad contains funchose, Peking, as well as other vegetables (cucumbers and carrots), spices and marinade.
Sichuan meat	For a spicy delicacy that is cooked over high heat, use pork or beef, ginger root and many spices.
Shrimp with asparagus	A healthy, delicious, non-nutritious food that is steamed. It consists of seafood, asparagus and green oil.
Pork ears with cucumber	For the East Asian delicacy, smoked or boiled animal ears, fresh vegetables, peanuts, and spices are used.
Meat with a string	The treat requires beef, fresh vegetables, soy marinade, starch and spices.

In fact, this list of specialties can be continued for a very long time, because in the kitchen of the Middle Kingdom there are many recipes for original and classic dishes that are easy to cook at home or order with home delivery. Business lunch, which can be bought to go, is also very popular in China.

Traditional and inexpensive homemade delicacies include stewed or fried eggplant in sweet and sour sauce or batter, pineapple noodles, rice with vegetables or eggs, beans, cabbage, zucchini, country salad, and many other treats.

By the way, many of the traditional dishes of the PRC can be safely prepared even for children, vegetarians or pregnant women, because some delicacies have a low calorie content (tofu bean curd or Jusai cream cheese and others), do not contain meat or hot spices. Despite this, the prepared meals are very nutritious and incredibly delicious.

Today, Chinese street cuisine is very popular in the country. Her main fans are schoolchildren, although sometimes you can meet a very respectable passer-by who does not disdain to eat street fast food. The good thing about this fast food is that it doesn't have to wait long since the food is already cooked. Basically, they make street Chinese semi-finished products in a special mobile cart, which makes it possible to sell them everywhere.

The most sought-after fast food bought on the street are:

• spicy soup malatan, consisting of fish meatballs, cabbage leaves or funchose;
• squid circles, which are supplemented with chopped red edible algae (nori) or pounded dried fish;
• spicy calamari, grilled with the addition of a large amount of spices and hot sauce;
• barbecue (small dry kebab), in which only vegetables appear;
• cakes, for the preparation of which it is necessary to use puff pastry, and then any products from the menu of the client's choice can be wrapped in the finished dish;
• spicy-sour funchose, also consisting of various vegetables (sometimes meat) with the addition of a piquant sauce;
• chicken (duck) legs are usually simmered, and then placed in a flat cake and poured with ketchup (at the discretion of the buyer).

This list of hastily cooked Chinese street food is far from complete. In fact, in the Celestial Empire there are many names of street fast food, which you can enjoy and satisfy the feeling of hunger that has arisen. The menu of mobile carts contains, for example, such national instant dishes as llanpi, deep-fried poultry meat, baoz, tanhulu and many more all kinds of dishes for every taste.

Traditional first courses

Traditional first courses in China are mainly cooked with a broth of veal, chicken, pork or other types of meat. The meat component adds a certain taste and richness to hot food, but soups cooked in vegetable broth are also very popular in the country.

What hot dishes are popular in China:

1. Broth with funchose. Preparing hot food is very simple. You can also use regular pasta instead of rice noodles.
2. Fish soup with mushrooms and vegetables. A tasty and healthy delicacy is prepared quickly and turns out to be very light and unusually tasty.
3. Chicken soup with shrimps, vegetables and noodles. In addition to the vegetable set (bell peppers, leeks, carrots and garlic), for the dish you need to use mushrooms, ginger root, a little soy sauce, sesame seeds (sesame), as well as spices.
4. Lagman soup. Thick rich Central Asian food is prepared according to different recipes. Homemade noodles remain the main unchanged component in the dish, which must be made by hand.
5. Shanghai soup. To prepare the first course, use chicken breast or sirloin, vegetables, cognac, chopped herbs and spices.

This short list of hot Chinese dishes is not at all complete, since in fact it can be continued indefinitely. Other hot dishes are also worth noting, for example, meat broth with pork meatballs or pork ribs, beef soup with asparagus, egg, potato, pea and bean soup, rich meat broth with dumplings, pork and chrysanthemum petal soup in an earthenware dish , as well as other first meals.

The so-called transparent soups are very actively used in the country. For the preparation of a special broth-base, poultry or chicken bones, as well as veal or pork, are used. During the day, the Chinese eat hot dishes more than once, but always at the end of the meal.

Meat and fish dishes in China

Meat and fish dishes in China are as popular as hot food. The secret of the country's huge population lies in the observance of centuries-old culinary traditions, equated to art, which positively affect the life expectancy of the Chinese.

In the Middle Kingdom, along with meat products from poultry, they are very fond of eating chicken offal, sometimes more often than the meat itself. In addition to chicken, pork is eaten in China, and beef and lamb are cooked only in those provinces where Muslims live. Instead of a fresh piece of meat, the Chinese sometimes use canned meat, such as salted or smoked meat. Based on the positive feedback from the local population, the best product in the country is considered to be a ham that has been kept in a weak haze for 100 days.

Sea fish and seafood are equally popular in China. This is because the missing minerals and vitamins in rice - the main food of the Celestial Empire - are obtained by the Chinese from seafood prepared in different ways.

What main dishes can be cooked within the walls of the house:

• pork with vegetables;
• beef fried in a pan (wok);
• chicken legs;
• fishy meat;
• chicken (breast) in sweet and sour sauce;
• gan fan (lamb dish);
• chicken breast in pineapple sauce;
• milk in batter;
• pollock in orange sauce;
• Chinese cod;
• tan su yu (sweet and sour candied fish);
• flounder in Chinese;
• fried Peking carp;
• steam roll from pike perch;
• fish fillet with mushrooms and others.

Basically, food is fried on pork lard, chicken or duck fat, as well as vegetable oil (sesame, nut or soy).

Ready-made national delicacies from fish or meat differ both in taste and in external data, namely: elasticity, crunchiness, flexibility, sliminess, pleasantness, stickiness, gelatinousness, juiciness, lightness or fat content.

Salads and cold appetizers

Salads and cold snacks in the PRC are very original and require finely chopped components, for example, squares, cubes or thin strips. Experienced chefs are adept at slicing food, so they can easily grind vegetables into hieroglyphs, for example, for the annual Chinese food festival, buffet or gala dinner.

The method of finely cutting the ingredients helps to save more time when preparing a particular dish and preserves the beneficial properties of the products, their color range and taste. Spices and herbs are added to dishes at the end of cooking. The Chinese actively use sesame (sesame) seed oil, as this product is an excellent supplement to the diet.

Quail and chicken eggs are revered in the country, so they build large poultry farms in which quails and other birds are grown. In the country, eggs are fried in a very original way according to their own recipe, adding a lot of oil to a hot frying pan to give the dish a crispy crust and splendor.

What is eaten in China as salads and cold dishes:

1. Beef (pork) tripe. The famous Sichuan cold appetizer is made with chopped meat tripe, chopped peanuts, cilantro and red dressing.
2. Turkey spring rolls. For dietary stuffed small rolls, use rice paper.
3. Vegetable mix. Oysters are used for salad, as well as fresh cucumbers, cauliflower and white cabbage, carrots, onions, celery stalks and spices.
4. Eggplant caviar. The treat consists of ground eggplant, garlic, soy sauce, lemon juice, oil, herbs and spices.
5. Aspic. The Chinese version of the cold appetizer is made from pork shank and added to the dish with wine and soy sauce.

In addition to the listed culinary delights, in China they like sushi with rice and mushrooms, Peking duck, national wonton dumplings, chicken he, Kung Pao chicken, fresh freshwater fish, a century-old egg, rice porridge tribute or damizhou, stuffed pancakes, and there are also many other equally tasty dishes.

Chinese vegetables and fruits

Vegetables and fruits are also very common in Chinese cuisine, because many traditional dishes cannot be prepared without them. Treats are prepared in special woks, practically without oil, steamed or by canning.

As a vegetable preparation, the Chinese use almost everything that grows in the country, for example, Peking cabbage, bitter and sweet peppers, potatoes, mustard seeds and foliage, carrots, fresh herbs, ginger root, garlic and onions.

From this palette of vegetables in China, chefs and housewives create real culinary masterpieces. The local people not only prepare vegetable dishes or fruit desserts, but also perfectly combine fruits with meat, fish, sweets, resulting in excellent original delicacies. Such food is loved not only by adults, but also by children. By the way, little sweet tooths prefer to eat apples or tangerines cooked in caramel sauce, and many other sweet desserts.

What local fruits a tourist should definitely try:

• jackfruit;
• durian;
• vampy;
• kiwi;
• kaboos;
• longan;
• lychee;
• kumquat and others.

You can familiarize yourself with the secrets and recipes for making Chinese delicacies from the above elements on our website in step-by-step recipes with photos.

The most popular sauces and spices in China

The most popular sauce and spice in China is soy and weisu sauce, as these ingredients are added everywhere and everywhere, be it the first, second course or salad. Also in the PRC there are many other equally well-known elements and flavor enhancers, which we will discuss in this section.

At the sight of Chinese spices and sauces on supermarket shelves, many customers simply do not understand for which dish it is appropriate to use this or that seasoning. For this reason, some domestic consumers are hesitant to buy Asian spices and herbs.

For convenience, especially for you, we have collected in a summary table the most popular condiments and marinades of the Middle Kingdom, which you can use.

Spice "Malaienne"	Noodles and meat dishes.
Weijin spice	A very popular spice at home is added to almost all dishes at the very end of cooking.
Fragrant buttery condiment-sauce "Laoganma"	A fairly spicy marinade made with soybeans, chili and sesame oil. The component perfectly complements meat, fish and poultry.
Ginger Butter Sauce	Flavored with sauce meat dishes and various salads.
Bread mix	The seasoning is sold in two forms (hot and neutral). The product is ideal for marinating meat, fish and other seafood.

In addition to the above ingredients, in restaurants and cafes of the Middle Kingdom, various alcoholic products are added to food in the form of moonshine, cognac, vodka, yellow rice wine or dessert analogs. Also in the menu of restaurants you can find dishes in which a little ginger wine, vegetable oil and paprika, and garlic oil are added.

Very often, the Chinese add white and black peppers, hot paprika, ginger powder or root, onions, garlic, cinnamon, star anise and nutmeg to their treats. It is worth noting that the use of all kinds of spices and sauces adds a special taste to the delicacy.

But still, many Chinese prefer to put seasonings not in the dish itself, but on the edge of a plate or dish, so that each eater can independently season the food with seasoning at his own discretion and taste.

Pastries, desserts and sweets

Pastries, desserts and national sweets of China are not as widely known outside its borders as in their homeland. And it is completely in vain, because in the Celestial Empire there are a lot of wonderful and unusual sweets for Russian or foreign people, which are definitely worth trying.

The Chinese, in contrast to the inhabitants of Europe or Eastern countries, almost never use bakery products such as pizza or shawarma. But on the other hand, this people has many dishes in which there is either unleavened or sweet dough with all kinds of fillings. It is noteworthy that in the country it is not customary to end a meal with dessert delicacies or sweet pastries, since this food is eaten in the form of another dish. Sometimes, at the end of the festival, only tea and a little fruit can be offered in the Celestial Empire.

What flour, sweet and dessert delicacies are popular in China:

1. Mantou. Small crumpets from ordinary dough.
2. Baozi. An analogue of small pies, which is made from puff pastry with various fillings.
3. Chinese dumplings. A stuffed flour dish is often steamed and uses a wide variety of ingredients as a filling.
4. Sweet pork in sugar caramel with candied fruits.
5. Rice cake.
6. Candy "tan". Sweet yummy is prepared with the addition of fruits, nuts, honey and cane sugar.
7. Sweet pastries "bin" or "sous", as well as "moon cakes", which are hard on the outside, but tender and soft on the inside.

Of course, to enjoy authentic Chinese delicacies, you need to visit this amazing country or cook one or another dish yourself. It is not at all necessary to live in this country to stock up on the necessary set of ingredients for a treat, since most of the ingredients can be purchased at local supermarkets. Therefore, every housewife can create a Chinese dessert in her kitchen to pamper loved ones with delicious pastries.

The drinks

Drinks in China are very original, from unusual tea to alcohol. The Chinese cannot imagine their day without consuming at least one of the 18 favorite varieties of non-alcoholic or alcoholic products.

Top 18 favorite drinks (traditional and outlandish) in the PRC:

1. Tea with pudding bubbles, jelly and pearl milk.
2. Teguanyin is a flower-fruit-berry tea that makes up the golden mean between a black and green hot drink, which has a yellowish tint.
3. Aromatic tea made from chrysanthemum flowers. The hot herbal drink is extremely beneficial and is a drug that can normalize cholesterol and relieve nasal breathing during a cold.
4. Soy milk is essentially the same protein shake made from yellow wheat beans.
5. Canned coconut milk. A canned, very sweet, thick drink made from coconut pulp, water and sugar.
6. A refreshing and soothing summer drink called Suanmeitang. The drink is prepared from sour varieties of plums, licorice root, hawthorn, osmanthus and salt.
7. Cocoa with unusual additives. Whipped salted cheese and rock salt are also added to the dairy product to tease the taste receptors.
8. Yunnan. A type of Chinese coffee roasted in a small portion of cinnamon, which gives off a very pungent odor.
9. Distilled water C100 with grapefruit, lemon and other fruit flavors.
10. Wahaha Nutri-Express fruit and milk drink. A hybrid of fruit juice and milk that tastes like low-fat milk or a light fruit cocktail.
11. Toning carbonated salt water with mint and lemon shades.
12. Kvass. The Russian people contributed to the creation of the amber drink. Sweet low-alcohol products have become a cult in many regions of China.
13. Toning tea based on honey and mint. Herbal tea is sold in a paper bag or in a tin can.
14. Xinjiang is a black moonshine also called beer infused with nuts.
15. Chivas is a popular youth energy drink made with Scotch whiskey and green tea.
16. Qingdao is a very unusual weak beer with a pronounced flavor of malt, which is sold in 62 countries.
17. Wine based on osmanthus (an evergreen fragrant herb). The alcoholic product is consumed as a digestif, warm or chilled.
18. Yunyan is a liquid soup-like substance, which is nothing more than unfiltered rice wine with a low alcohol content.

Of course, we should separately note the famous Chinese tea ceremony in the Celestial Empire, which is popular not only at home, but also far beyond its borders. Preparing and drinking a hot drink helps to tune the brain activity in the right way, to pacify and throw out the negative thoughts associated with the daily rush from the head. A properly brewed drink helps to live in harmony with yourself and the outside world, as well as find peace of mind.

Interesting facts about the cuisine of the Middle Kingdom, we share with you in this section. Approximately 90% of the local culinary exotic is associated not with a set of products, but with the observance of a certain specificity of their preparation.

A feature of traditional Chinese cuisine, which distinguishes it from Japanese, Thai, Korean or other, is that in China the dishes are very archaic. Chinese cuisine is more than just cooking, the whole culture of a huge country is associated with it.

Food for the Chinese is not only a satisfying hunger, but also a whole sacred ritual. In the Celestial Empire, older people even now, when they meet, instead of the traditional welcoming speech, they say to each other: "Have you already eaten?" The Chinese say of a man who has lost his job that he "ruined his bowl of rice."

In the history of ancient China, there were various palace ceremonies, which were forced to obey both the courtiers and the emperor. A certain ritual associated with eating took a long time. There was a certain sequence of serving this or that food, the features of the table design, the uniform of the court servant serving the dishes, and special music was sounded to promote food intake - all these moments were chosen not spontaneously, but very seriously.

Over the centuries-old history, the Celestial Empire has recognized a huge number of talented court cooks, who later received the rank of minister, as well as unlucky people crucified for tastelessly cooked food.

There are 4 main canons in Chinese cooking, which must be observed:

1. Preparatory work. All food components of the dish must be carefully processed. Sometimes this procedure took about 1–3 of the time required to prepare the food. When cooking poultry, the chef never scorched chicken feathers, but plucked them out using special tweezers. The vegetable and fruit set had to be washed several times with water.
2. Heat treatment. With a quick method of heat treatment of products, you need to spend from three to five minutes. For this purpose, use a large flame and some kind of pan or pressure cooker. If all these aspects are observed, then you can preserve the nutritional value of the ingredients, since each of the elements of the dish must be prepared separately.
3. The use of seasonings and different sauces. If you diversify the food with these components, traditional for Chinese cuisine, then the finished dish will sparkle with new notes of taste. There are about 300 varieties of spices in the Middle Kingdom.
4. Composing food by color, taste and aroma. When serving dishes, the Chinese will certainly use this rule and select the ingredients so that they are in perfect harmony with each other. To comprehend this rule means mastering the culinary art.

It is worth recalling that Chinese cuisine consists of the healthiest foods in the world. This is because China's dishes practically do not contain "heavy" or high-calorie dressings prepared with mayonnaise or cream. The main sauce used in cooking in China is soy.

Delicious and Easy Ways to Prepare Modern Chinese Food

The delicious and simple ways of preparing traditional and modern Chinese food are combined in a variety of recipes that vary from region to region.

Since the creation of culinary traditions in the country, practically nothing has changed. Many local customs are so ancient that they may seem unusual or even alien to a modern man in the street. Despite this, Chinese chefs or experienced housewives with deep knowledge of the national culinary arts follow them unquestioningly.

It is known that in order for the ready-made food to be very tasty and good, the chef must be a real master of his craft. Among the huge number of delicacies, in order to achieve the original taste, it is necessary to competently use different methods of processing the components by combining them.

There are many important points that culinary experts have clearly observed for many centuries. One of them is crushing ingredients with a knife. Tearing or breaking components is also acceptable.

The way to properly cut and fry food is one of the most important principles of Chinese cooking. The crushed elements must be fried over high heat with the addition of oil for about 2-3 minutes. Shortly before this, you should lightly fry the chopped ginger root and allspice, which will emit an unforgettable aroma that gives the delicacy a special flavor.

Often, the Chinese fry meat or fish, as well as other components in batter, which allows the dish to remain juicy. Sometimes fish seafood is fried whole, retaining its shape, but removing the bones. A fish cooked in this way (with a tail and a head) symbolizes unity with the outside world and the end of the work begun.

Remember that every country is a small world, which has its own customs, traditional and non-standard methods of preparing this or that delicacy. China is also no exception.

There are many dishes in the country, both fatty and not too high in calories. But absolutely all dishes are united by their extraordinary taste, as well as exquisite notes of aftertaste. Feel free to create unique and classic culinary masterpieces at home, based on our proposed step-by-step recipes with photos, in order to give your family a small piece of this great and amazing country through ready-made meals.

The attitude to food in China is characterized by three words: everyone eats everything. In a local dish, you can see something previously alive, dead, volatile, floating, walking, growing and blooming. This does not mean that the Chinese do not care at all about their diet. Food here influences the minds, behavior and daily routine of the layman no less than any other religion.

Imagine how you look through the peephole of a kaleidoscope, but instead of beads, it contains all sorts of tastes. Twenty of these kaleidoscopes will give you a rough idea of ​​Chinese cuisine. Everything here is too varied. In China, they say that the north is salty, the south is sweet, the east is sharp, and the west is sour. For the Chinese, tasting food from other provinces is like traveling, and finding famous dishes in one province in another is quite easy. You can try northern Peking duck in eastern Shanghai, and Sichuan sauce in southern Guangzhou. However, before diving into the aromatic and spicy world of local Chinese food, there are a few ubiquitous dishes worth mentioning.

FOR EVERYBODY

Rice for the Celestial Empire - like bread. It is eaten by people of all ages, backgrounds, and at any time of the day. Usually it is sticky, fine-grained unleavened rice, the simplicity of which well interrupts the difference in flavors of the main dishes. In conveyor canteens, it is served with meat and vegetable side dishes, is not a separate dish and costs symbolically ¥ 1. In street restaurants, ask for rice for free.

Rice can also be a separate dish - for example, fried rice chaofan(炒饭). It is cooked in a frying pan shaped like a bowl, with thick walls and a narrow bottom - in which it is easy for the chef to constantly stir the dish over high heat. The most popular variety is tribute to chaofan(蛋炒饭) fried rice with egg, green peas and bacon.

Soup in China, it is considered a healing food. The liquid cleanses the body, and certain ingredients are believed to cure diseases, improve mood and grant immortality in the long term. During large feasts, soup is served to clear the mouth of the taste of the previous meal. Most soups are made with chicken or pork broth (they have a subtle smell). Vegetable broth based on seasonal salad or Chinese cabbage is also popular. This is often served free of charge as an aperitif, in a glass or mug (included in the order price).

"The consistency of the soup resembles jelly, and the cost is like a small spaceship."

Soups are neutral in taste and do not always contain meat. They can be ordered by vegetarians and people who are not ready to put their stomach and liver on acquaintance with Chinese cuisine. Dishes that can be cooked even at home - egg soup with tomatoes(fanqie tribute hua tang 番茄 蛋花汤), chicken broth with scraps of eggs(tribute to hua tang 蛋花汤) or clam, onion and tofu soup(qindan qiuhuo 清淡 去火 汤).

Of the delicacies, gourmets prefer turtle soup(qya yu tan 甲鱼 汤). Turtle meat, despite its medicinal properties, is quite tough and difficult to cook. When ordering it in a restaurant, prepare to wait at least an hour. At weddings or celebrations, it is often served shark fin soup(and chi 鱼翅). While scientists doubt the ethics of killing sharks just for the sake of a dish, ordinary Chinese happily devour it on holidays. Shark fin is believed to cleanse the blood of toxins, improve the skin and restore potency. Has a similar effect imperial nest soup(yang woo 燕窝). In consistency, it resembles jelly, and in cost - a small spaceship.

A more satisfying base dish - noodles. Wheat(mian 面) is common in the north of the country, rice(fen 粉) - in the south. Regardless of the raw material, a steaming bowl of noodles with meat or vegetables can be ordered at any restaurant for ¥ 8-10. Foreigners most often order it because of its cheapness, predictability of composition and satiety. Classics of the North - noodles in broth with beef(nude zhou mien 牛肉 面). The broth in the noodles is hot enough to warm a traveler in a normally unheated diner. "Drawn" noodles(lao mian 撈麵) originally from Gansu province, but popular throughout the country. It is fried with beef, vegetables and herbs like cilantro or garlic, or served with broth.

Another popular flour dish is dumplings. In Chinese, there are 12 names for their varieties. The simplest of these is jiaozi (餃子), flat, oblong dumplings filled with meat, cabbage, or eggs. They are eaten with soy sauce, salt, broth and garlic.

Soy products occupy an important place in the Chinese diet. 80-90% of Chinese adults are lactose intolerant, therefore soy milk or dou qian (豆漿) is found in the market much more often than an animal. It is slightly sweeter and less fatty than cow's. The assortment of derived dishes is amazing - yoghurts, cheeses, desserts, coffee crema. It is also used to prepare another important product for the Chinese - tofu, a soy milk cottage cheese rich in protein. Historically, it has been prized as a substitute for expensive meat. Now bean curd is an important product for vegetarians. Tofu doesn't have its own distinct flavor, so it's just a cooking chameleon. Soft tofu(hua dou fu 滑 豆腐) is used to make sweet puddings, sweets, salads and soups. Firm tofu(dou gan 豆干) smoked and fried - this is how hot snacks are made using red pepper and hot Sichuan sauce. A Shanghai dish popular throughout China is "smelly" tofu. The smell of this street delicacy resembles a heap of garbage that has rotted in the sun for three days. However, for trays with chow doufu(臭豆腐) there are always long lines.

“This street delicacy smells like a heap of rubbish that has been rotting in the sun for three days. Nevertheless, there are always long queues at the stalls with him. "

The most famous soy product for foreigners is the eponymous one sauce(jiangyu 酱油). Bottles of soy sauce sit on tables at any diner, along with salt, pepper, and toothpicks. The taste and smell of classic soy sauce made from beans, wheat, soy and water is no different from Western counterparts, but there are variations. For example, sweet soy sauce is served with rice flour desserts, sour - with meat and seafood.

The Chinese are very fond of eating outside. A common street snack is steamed pies Baozi(包子). They are similar to manti, but the dough resembles an unsweetened biscuit in texture. The filling is pork with cabbage, a mixture of cabbage and pumpkin. There are also sweet baozi with bean paste. Another popular snack is kebabs jianbing(串 儿). Skewered foods and spices vary from stall to stall. Most often they sell kebabs made from beef, chicken wings and seaweed, abundantly seasoned with caraway seeds, coriander and pepper.

For the Chinese, there is no concept of "dessert" - both side dishes and meat can have a sweet taste. After the main meal, fresh pineapples, tangerines, strawberries and caramelized apples are sometimes eaten. Classic sweetness - moon cakes yuebins(月餅). Gingerbread got this name from the Mid-Autumn Festival, when people watch the moon. During this festival, Chinese people receive boxes of gingerbread from friends, family and colleagues. The yuebins themselves can be hard or puff pastry stuffed with sweet beans, nuts, fruits, and even ice cream.

BY REGION

China consists of 23 provinces with their own history and nationalities living there, so the dishes are different everywhere. Cooking habits and ingredients can vary even within the same city. For convenience, the "Eight Great Culinary Schools" are singled out - they have had the greatest influence on the culinary map of the country.

SHANDONG

Where: northeast, Yellow Sea coast
Briefly: seafood, vegetation, variety

Shandong cuisine was influenced by its proximity to water and a climate favorable for fruits, vegetables and grains. Potatoes, tomatoes, eggplants, onions, garlic and zucchini are the main guests on the table of the inhabitants of this province. Local snack digua bass(拔絲 地瓜), or caramelized sweet potato, is served with soy sauce that enhances the already sweet taste. Another popular treat is corn. It is boiled, sometimes slightly fried and served on the cob.

Shandong cuisine is renowned for its varied culinary practices, from marinating to high-heat frying. Most seafood, such as abalone or sea cucumber, is stewed. Shrimp, squid and sea fish are more popular than animal meat due to their availability. Nevertheless, it is here that the best guifei chicken, or imperial chicken, is prepared. Shandong vinegar is isolated from sauces, which, out of a sense of pride in the product, is added to everything imaginable and inconceivable.

SYCHUAN

Where: southwest
Briefly: fiery, fatty, satisfying

Sichuan's heavy and spicy dishes will take a long time to get used to. But after such an acquaintance, even kharcho drowning in red pepper will seem insipid. The culprit behind the pungency of all dishes is Sichuan pepper, or Chinese coriander. It is used together with red pepper to make an oily sauce. ma la(麻辣), from the pungency of which the tongue grows numb. The inhabitants of the province definitely prefer meat: pork, beef, chicken, duck, and especially rabbit. Famous dishes - chicken gongbao(宫保鸡丁) and Sichuan pork(回锅肉). A mixture of Sichuan pepper and salt, fried in a wok until brown, is served as a seasoning for meat. Local chefs have a very rich imagination - this is the only way to explain duck or rabbit blood jelly (毛血旺), "Fish-flavored pork"(鱼香 肉丝) and "Ants on a tree"(蚂蚁 上 树). When cooking the latter, not a single ant was hurt: the name of the dish was given by the appearance of pieces of minced pork on crystal noodles, which resemble insects on a branch.

GUANGDUN / CANTON

Where: south
Briefly: omnivorous, diverse, strange

Guangdong Province is the worst place for animals to return to after reincarnation. The locals eat everything - snakes, raccoons, crocodiles, monkeys, turtles, mice and cats. There is a dog meat eating festival in the summer. Famous dishes - chicken stew with snake(鸡 烩 蛇) and monkey brain soup(猴 脑 汤). The meat is served with one of the local sauces: oyster, plum or black bean sauce finish teaching(豆豉). A common snack is centenary egg(皮蛋). Usually this is a duck or quail egg, which is soaked in a special marinade without access to air. As a result, the protein turns black, and the egg develops a strong ammonia smell. Advantages - it is stored for several years and is an excellent souvenir.
If you don't feel like eating someone's murzik stew, try the local fruits: mango, papaya, dragon's eye, and durian. Here, in a warm climate, they are the juiciest and cheapest.

FUJIAN

Where: Taiwan island, south
Briefly: gentle, sweet, fresh

Fujian cuisine is similar to Shandong cuisine with an abundance of seafood, vegetables and fruits. They are thinly sliced, almost chopped, and stewed for a long time - this is how a traditional side dish is prepared. Mushrooms and plant parts are also commonly used, such as bamboo shoots or lotus root. The province is rich in sugar cane plantations, so the dishes have a sweetish or sweet and sour taste. Seafood includes carp, herring, shellfish, squid, shrimp and oysters. Oyster omelet(蚵仔煎) is made from egg yolks with the addition of starch and turns out to be very tender and airy. The most popular dish in the province is "The temptation of the Buddha"(佛 跳). It requires over 30 ingredients, including exotic quail eggs, pig pancreas and fish swim bladder. The mixture of all the products should give such a fragrance, for the sake of which even Buddha would jump over the wall after him.

HUNAN

Where: southeast
Briefly: sharp, oily, multicolored

Hunan cuisine is characterized by the use of smoked meats, mixing different types of meat and a lot of hot peppers. For the last point, this cuisine is often compared to Sichuan. Dishes are cooked in pots or fried, with onions and garlic added to everything. Chefs care not only about the compatibility of different products, such as trepang, river fish and pork, but also about the compatibility of colors. Dishes look like paintings from the abstraction era - for example, fiery red chickens dong'an(东 安 鸡). Another manifestation of abstractionism - squirrel carp(松鼠 鯉魚). According to legend, the cook was ordered to cook the carp so that it does not look like a carp, so as not to incur the emperor's wrath. For the cook, everything ended well, but fish, even when fried, resembles protein very distantly. Sweet chili, stewed tomatoes and a lot of salt are added to carp.

JIANGSU PROVINCE CUISINE

Where: East
Briefly: soft, simple, smart

Compared to the rest of China, Jiangsu uses few spices. All attention is paid to the taste and aroma of the original product. For the same reason, they often cook here by stewing or boiling, because when frying with temperature, the real taste of the product leaves. The main dish of the province is a turtle and chicken stew in an enigmatic wine "Goodbye, my concubine"(银鱼 炒蛋). Another meat delicacy - braised pork ribs(红烧 排骨) are known for their sweet taste and delicate texture.

ANHOI

Where: East
Briefly: fragrant, gentle, uncomplicated

Anhui cuisine is the sister of Jiangsu cuisine. Simplicity is valued in cooking, freshness in products. Anhui people add wild herbs to the prepared dish, and from the cooking methods they prefer stewing. Unlike Jiangsu, seafood is much less commonly used here. Poultry meat prevails over any other - for example, popular winter pheasant(雪冬 山鸡) and huangshan pigeon stew (黄山炖鸽).

ZHEJIAN

Where: East
Briefly: fresh, tender, fishy

The main meats consumed in Zhejiang are pork and fish. Pork dong pu(東坡肉) is cooked over low heat with the addition of yellow wine. Thus, the fat becomes more tender and soft. Rolls are also popular here. zongzi(粽子), in which the whole family is involved. Glutinous rice is stuffed with pork or sweet beans and then wrapped in a steamed flat sheet. Traditionally, the leaf is supposed to be bamboo, but for the sake of an unusual taste, it is wrapped in corn, banana or lotus leaves. The main product sourced from the province is green tea longjing(龙井茶). It is harvested and processed by hand, so it costs several times more than other varieties. Despite the price, Longjing is considered the best tea in China due to its sweet aftertaste and light aroma.

Other cuisines that are not included in the "great eight", but one way or another
contributed to the country's nutritional profile:

Uyghur cuisine (north). The Uyghurs are a Turkic people living in the Xinjiang region. The Uyghurs are Muslims and do not have pork or alcohol in their diet. They prepare mainly Central Asian dishes, such as pilaf or lagman. Uyghur restaurants are popular with tourists and locals alike and can be found from the north to the south of the country. The main reason for adoration is that there are photos of dishes on the menu. Rice is usually served with beef, mushrooms, potatoes and peppers. You can ask to do the same, but without meat - even the vegetarian version will feed two adults.

Beijing cuisine (northeast). For its rare ingredients and rich taste, it is often called "imperial". The most famous dish is Peking duck(北京 烤鸭) with a sweet crispy crust.

Harbin cuisine. Harbin is a city in northeastern China near Russia. His cuisine was greatly influenced by Russian cooking - Moscow Borsch(莫斯科 红 菜汤) and eat a lot of black bread. Local dumplings resemble Russians in shape: they are round and small, and not oblong like their Chinese counterparts. The dishes are served in broth and heavily salted.

Shanghai cuisine (east). Spicy, sour, odorous, and mostly street food. Meat is cooked using wine, which is why Shanghai food is sometimes called "drunk."

From thirst

Surprisingly, the most popular drink in China is simple hot water... Tip: Buy a reusable container before you travel and save ¥ 2 per bottle on water. There are coolers at train stations, airports, supermarkets and even theaters. You can skip luggage and buy a mug on the spot. The store near your hotel may not have bread or eggs, but thermoses and special plastic bottles will certainly be there. For the Chinese, boiling water is both a drink and a medicine, a way to keep warm in winter and cool in summer. Hot water is served free before meals in restaurants to improve appetite, and doctors advise drinking it daily - the more the better.

Although the true national drink of China is water, the local is better known abroad. tea... A cup of tea is a way to say thank you, a sign of family reunification and an important mediator in human relationships. For a traditional tea ceremony, go to the "tea house". Green tea is many times more popular than black, and the most common is buckwheat. It is considered cheap and simple, and is mostly served free of charge. Dried fruits and flowers are added to tea, but sugar or honey never - this spoils the true taste.

You can buy tea both in supermarkets by weight and in specialized stores. The advantage of the latter is a large selection of popular and rare varieties, beautiful packaging and the opportunity to try any of the presented in the assortment. A huge minus is prices. 500 g of oolong costs at least ¥ 100. A similar oolong in the supermarket can be bought for ¥ 20.

Influenced by the Western fashion for to-go drinks, Chinese entrepreneurs launched a multi-million dollar milk tea industry. This is usually green tea with soy milk and floating red beans, which must be pulled out with a straw. Also popular are tea with jelly pieces, fruit tea with mango or papaya pulp. There are long queues at the windows of market giants such as SoSo and Royal Tea in the morning and in the evening. On the internet, you can even hire someone to queue up for you.

But coffee to go is rare. Saturated black coffee is generally a rarity here. The drink is expensive - ¥ 25 for an Americano, ¥ 30 for a cappuccino or latte. You can have a cup either in European pastry shops or in franchised coffee shops. Small coffee shops are very rare, but Starbucks can be seen in large cities almost more often than ATMs. Its popularity is due to the name of the brand, as well as the opportunity to experience the atmosphere of the Western world.

Another popular drink among children and adolescents is fresh fruit juices... The most popular flavors are mango, papaya, dragon eye, and citrus. Often the drink is served with whipped cream, chunks of fruit and topped with cookies.

After the first visit to the club, the myth of the non-drinking Chinese falls apart and creeps into a corner in shame. Drinking a bottle of beer at lunch is the norm for an ordinary resident. The beer here is not very high-quality and strong, you will not get drunk with all the desire. The strength of light beer of the most famous brand Tsingtao is 4.5%. As for the higher degree, the Chinese drink a lot and are extremely chaotic. Rice vodka baijiu(白酒) mix with red wine hongju(红酒), with beer and homemade liqueurs. Baijiu has a pungent specific smell and a large percentage of alcohol - from 40 to 60%. The weaker option is called huangju(黄酒), which translates to "yellow wine". It is eaten from peaches, rice or plums, so huangju has a pleasant sweetish scent. They drink baidze and wine warmed up from small cups. Popular souvenir from China - red bottles Jin Jiu(劲 酒). This is a sweetish herbal-flavored liqueur, vaguely reminiscent of Bitner's balm in taste. You can drink in China from the age of 18. The sale has no restrictions - you can buy alcohol at any time of the day.

DETAILS

Chinese dishes do not have a clear division into morning, afternoon and evening meals. If you want to eat pork with rice and soup for breakfast, no one will forbid you. In addition, there is no division into "first", "second" and "dessert" - products are served on the table as soon as they are ready in a chaotic manner. The hours of eating are known to everyone, and the Chinese have adhered to them since childhood:

7: 00-9: 00 - breakfast;
11: 30-14: 00 - lunch;
19: 00-21: 00 - dinner.

There are a lot of people in the restaurants during lunch and dinner hours. Near the entrance to the most popular places, there are a dozen plastic chairs, so visitors wait for their turn to enter the restaurant. Sometimes the wait is delayed for several hours. If the hunger is too strong, they order food at home. More or less large establishments have delivery within half an hour, containers with food are left in special "lockers" at the entrance or given in person.

In search of food, the traveler most often comes across small restaurants on the ground floor of a building, or chifankas. They have no doors and no heating, but low prices. Local meat, fish, a selection of vegetable snacks, noodles and, of course, rice are served. Recently, pastry shops have been popular, where you can buy pastries and bread. Chinese bread is sweeter and softer than European bread and is baked with red beans or raisins. If doubts shackle your soul, you can walk to the nearest KFC, McDonalds or Pizza Hut. You won't be able to try a burger or pizza "at home" - there are more spices in Chinese fast food.

They are eaten in China with chopsticks. They are wooden and long to make it easier to get pieces out of common dishes. In some restaurants, for reasons of hygiene, special steel nozzles are given to the chopsticks. The soup is eaten with a small wide spoon with a deep bottom. Broth without noodles and meat is drunk straight from the plate.

The most popular place for gatherings is ho go, aka hot-pot (火锅), aka Chinese samovar. In eponymous establishments, visitors prepare their own food in a large vat with sauce. Sometimes the container is divided into two parts - for soft sauce and for hot sauce. When it boils, they throw a variety of meat, vegetables or herbs into the vat, take them out with chopsticks as soon as they are ready and eat with butter. They don't go alone: ​​large tables with integrated pot holes can hold up to 20 people.

Eating food for a Chinese is a social affair. It is an act of togetherness, an opportunity to be with friends and family. The main meat and fish dishes are initially designed for two, so that you can share it with someone. Many Chinese people make video calls to their spouses or children during lunch - so, sitting alone in a restaurant, they are still not alone.

In Chinese culture, and in the life of every Chinese, food plays a very important role, it is almost the main topic of any conversation. The Chinese, even when they meet, instead of “Hello, how are you?”, Ask if the person has eaten today, and I am absolutely not joking. The phrase "Did you eat today?" (你 吃 了 吗 - Ni chi le ma?) Has long been a common form of greeting.

Chinese national cuisine

It is difficult to somehow unambiguously characterize traditional Chinese cuisine, since China is a huge country in which 56 nationalities live, each of which has its own special culinary traditions and recipes. But that is why Chinese cuisine is so diverse and unique.

To summarize, there are two main geographic regions: north and south. The main difference is that in the north, noodles or dumplings (fried, boiled, steamed) and unleavened bread (mantou) are the main dishes. In the north, food is saltier, fattier and more nutritious.

In the south, preference is given to rice dishes (boiled rice, rice noodles, rice cake). At the same time, southern traditional cuisine is characterized by sweeter and spicy foods.

As in other hot countries, in ancient China, pepper was used for disinfection, because at high temperatures it is difficult to guarantee the freshness of products, and in order to avoid various intestinal infections, all food was generously sprinkled with hot spices. In addition to the north and south, Sichuan cuisine is also distinguished, which is most famous for its spiciness, they serve such spicy dishes that not every Chinese will be able to digest it, but for the locals, all the rest of the food seems too bland.

But do not think that the abundance of pepper is found only in the south, for most foreigners, almost any Chinese food will seem spicy, simply because we are completely unaccustomed to such an abundance of seasonings and spices.

In general, the Chinese are very fond of various kinds of spices, seasonings, additives and actively use them in cooking. They distinguish five main tastes and five ingredients that are responsible for them: hot - pepper and ginger, sour - vinegar, salty - salt, bitter - wine, sweet - molasses. In the market, even our eyes run wide, there are so many things that we do not even suspect. The most popular are garlic, hot red pepper, ginger, cumin, cloves, anise and others. All this gives Chinese dishes a unique taste and aroma.

At the same time, unlike us, the Chinese practically do not eat salt and sugar. Salt replaces them with soy sauce, which is part of almost any dish, but they generally do not particularly like sugar, much less add it to tea like we do. But they are very fond of adding various flowers and dried fruits to tea.

The advantage of Chinese cuisine is the use of a large amount of vegetables and herbs, while the processing of most of them is minimal (scald with boiling water, boil a little, steam), which allows you to save more nutrients and vitamins. In general, in China all year round there is a very wide range of vegetables and fruits, not only in the south, but also in the north of the country. Here in winter you can buy tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, eggplants, asparagus, all types of cabbage and more. The locals have not even heard of conservation, why, if everything is sold fresh on the market?

For the Chinese, the main measure of weight is one jin ( 斤 jīn), which is equal to 0.5 kg, therefore the price of all products by weight is indicated in jins, not kilograms. Vegetable prices depend on the season: in winter and spring everything costs a little more than in summer or autumn, it also depends on the province: in the south it is cheaper, in the north it is more expensive. Here are the approximate prices in the market:

• broccoli - 6-8 yuan,
• eggplant - 6,
• cucumbers - 3.5-4,
• cherry tomatoes - 5,
• cabbage - 2.5,
• asparagus beans - 6-7,
• potatoes - 2-2.5,
• zucchini - 4. (all prices are in yuan, per 0.5 kg, approximate rate 1 USD = 6.4 yuan)

In addition to the vegetables we are used to, the Chinese eat roots, bulbs and lotus seeds, bamboo shoots, tree mushrooms, etc. Surprisingly, a lot of this is very tasty!

The variety of fruits here is also amazing, in addition to the already familiar bananas-oranges, in China you can buy papaya, dragon fruit, jackfruit, durian, lychee, mango, delicious pineapples. Many of these fruits are available in supermarkets all year round, but seasonal fruits are better to buy because they are cheaper and contain more vitamins.

In early fall, the most common fruits are watermelons, melons, apples, grapes, papaya and dragon fruit. At this time, papaya and dragon fruit will cost about RMB 5 apiece, sometimes for RMB 10 you can buy 3.

Since November, they start selling persimmons, tangerines, oranges, the price will be about the same from 2.5 yuan per jin.

In February, the pineapple season begins, the price is from 4 yuan per jin, in March-April there are a lot of mangoes in China, which costs 7-10 yuan per jin (the price depends on the size, small ones are cheaper, large ones are more expensive).

Strawberries, coconuts, lychees, peaches will appear in May-June. As already written above, the price is usually quoted for jin, but seasonal fruits are often sold at a so-called discount, for example, 3 jing - 10 yuan, that is, the price is indicated for 1.5 kg. Large fruits such as papaya, coconut or dragon fruit are often quoted per piece. Now (April) the following prices are on the market: coconut 10 / piece, lemon 2.5 / piece, tangerines, apples, bananas 2.5-3 per jin, mango - 8 per jin.

Is it true that the Chinese are omnivores

As terrible as it may sound, the Chinese really eat almost everything that runs, jumps, flies and crawls. In addition to poultry, pork and beef, in some provinces of China they eat meat from dogs and cats, pigeons, snakes, frogs, turtles, monkeys and even rare and protected animals. It is illegal to eat rare animals, but this does not stop the Chinese, believe me. Not so long ago, the Chinese were arrested who were selling the meat of a panda listed in the Red Book, what else can I say? All kinds of viscera are also used. In ancient times, this was due to the fact that there was not enough food for everyone, and it was not necessary to sort out, in order to survive, people ate everything they could catch. These days, when it comes to exotic dishes, it is rather an opportunity to demonstrate your financial well-being. Another reason to turn to exotic is the desire to improve your health. The Chinese believe that turtle soup will give you longevity, dog meat will cure diseases, and a snake will make you smarter and more cunning. All plants that could be used in cooking are also used. So, in my opinion, they are really omnivores.

Features of food intake

The Chinese have one very good habit: from the very childhood, they have a well-developed meal regimen. Indeed, most Chinese eat by the hour:

• breakfast from 7.00 to 9.00;
• lunch from 11.00 to 14.00;
• dinner from 17.00 to 19.00.

Perhaps it is because of this that they have no problems with being overweight. During these intervals, all establishments are overcrowded. It was at this time that a large number of stalls with different street food leave the streets. The rest of the time, the establishments also work, but there is no excitement, only single visitors who, for one reason or another, are out of schedule, come to refresh themselves.

Everyone knows that the Chinese eat with chopsticks, but not everyone knows that certain etiquette must be observed. But the Chinese all over the world possess this skill perfectly, they even have a cartoon on this topic, which teaches children the correct handling of chopsticks. From what I remember: you cannot leave sticks stuck vertically in the plate (a bad sign and symbol of death), you cannot lick the sticks, since food is taken from a common plate, you cannot point with chopsticks at those sitting at the table, knock them on the table or plate, you cannot go through food in search of the best piece, which you touched, then take it, and much more.

Another feature of the Chinese is that a very small percentage of people cook at home, most of the population prefers to eat in establishments or take food to go. Sometimes it is striking that many women absolutely do not know how to cook, or, if they can, they will not waste time on it. Holidays are an exception, and even then not in all families. In fact, it is very convenient and cheap, sometimes it seems to me that cooking at home is even more expensive. Moreover, on every corner there are a lot of different establishments for every taste and budget.

By the way, the Chinese meal is also different from ours. If in our restaurant everyone orders a separate dish for himself, then with the Chinese everything is quite the opposite. If there is more than one person at the table, then several different dishes are always ordered at all. Large common dishes and separate bowls with rice or mantou according to the number of people are served on the table. Everyone takes a little from each dish. Many establishments have special round tables with a rotating stand to make it easier to get all the dishes.

If we start our food intake with liquid (soup), then the Chinese end it, believing that it is healthier this way. At the same time, their soup is absolutely not like ours, there is no meat, no potatoes, nothing that we are so used to. It is rather some kind of viscous cloudy broth with an egg, herbs, possibly rice.

The Chinese also litter the table very much. Anything that cannot be eaten, such as bones or skins, chunks of pepper are not spat out into their plate, but straight onto the common table or on the floor. In general, for me personally, eating with the Chinese at the same table is not entirely pleasant, because we have completely different ideas about the correct behavior at the table, what is natural for them is bad form for us.

Unusual products and dishes for us

As I said, the Chinese eat everything. I call it waste-free production On the one hand, it's good that they find ways to get the most out of everything, on the other hand, it's strange when people in an expensive restaurant eat different entrails or gnaw bones. One of these wonderful dishes "Phoenix Claws" (泡椒 凤爪 - pàojiāo fèngzhǎo) sounds pretentious, doesn't it? In fact, these are chicken feet, the same ones with claws. Don't believe me? See for yourself. Chicken legs, marinated in different sauces, are sold from stores, these are the so-called snacks or in Chinese 小吃 xiǎochī, the Chinese often gnaw them with beer. In addition to chicken legs, they also eat duck necks, paws, heads, and lamb heads, cow stomachs, there is even a dish of duck blood, but I think we will do without a photo, because personally I am unpleasant to look at it, so you will have to take your word for it. ...

Soy milk products

I don't know if this is true or myth, but the Chinese consider lactose intolerance as a national trait. Most of them do not consume dairy products that we are used to; instead, they eat soy cheese and drink soy milk. For the most part, they are unaware of the existence of such products as kefir, fermented baked milk and cottage cheese. Foreign cheeses, butter and yoghurts are very expensive and not everyone can afford it. In the mornings, the Chinese often drink soy milk and prepare various dishes from tofu (soy cheese).

Most tofu(豆腐 - dòufu） is a harmless and sometimes delicious dish, but there is one of its varieties - chhou tofu (smelly tofu - 臭豆腐 chòudòufu), from the smell of which nausea really comes. It is beyond words, you need to feel it, but the stench is really terrible.

Sunhuadan canned eggs (松花蛋, sōnghuādàn)

This dish is also called "millennial" or "imperial" eggs. Duck or chicken eggs are used for its preparation. The shell is coated with a special composition of ash, lime, salt, soda, plant leaves and left in a special place where the air does not get, to ripen for 1-3 months. After the eggs are thoroughly washed, peeled and ventilated. It turns out such an unusual dish. They say it doesn't smell very good, but tastes normal, but I didn't dare try it.

Strange taste preferences

The Chinese are big lovers of unusual flavor combinations, for example, on supermarket shelves you can find potato chips with cucumber, tomato, lime, honey and even chocolate.

Ice cream with peas, corn, beans, salty meat candies, sweet buns with beans or meat rope and much more will be familiar to them. Gourmets, in a word.

Exotic

Sea urchins, swallow nests, shark fins, monkey brains, snakes, turtles and other exotic products for us are quite common in Chinese cuisine, but this pleasure is not cheap. Such dishes can be tasted in many restaurants in China.

But the most extreme in this regard is the southern province of Guangdong, with the capital of Guangzhou. Local taste preferences shock not only foreigners, but also many Chinese from other provinces. Despite protests from animal rights activists around the world and bans from the Chinese government, smugglers here trade rare species of animals that are then used for food or are used in Chinese traditional medicine. Personally, I am against all this exotic, but if anyone is interested and wants to try, then please. Here are the names of some of the exotic dishes:

• shark fin soup 金汤 鱼翅 jīntāng yúchì,
• frog legs with chili sauce 鲜 椒 馋嘴 蛙 xiānjiāo chánzuǐwā,
• snake and chicken soup 龙凤 汤 lóngfèngtāng,
• snake meat with pepper and salt 椒盐 蛇肉 jiāoyán shé ròu,
• fried snake with onions 葱爆 蛙肉 cōng bào shé ròu,
• sea ​​urchin dish 海胆 蒸蛋 hǎidǎn zhēng dàn,
• swallow's nest soup 燕窝 汤 yànwōtāng,
• turtle soup 甲鱼 汤 jiǎyútāng,
• stewed turtle in brown soy sauce 红烧 甲鱼 hóngshāo jiǎyú,
• fried frog in soy sauce 红烧 田鸡 hóngshāo tiánjī,
• sea ​​cucumber (trepang) fried with onions 葱烧 素 海参 cōngshāo sùhǎishēn.

There is one dish, it is called "the fight of a dragon with a tiger", its poetic name attracts many, but only until they learn that the role of a dragon is the meat of a snake, and the role of a tiger is a cat. Ingredients are not written in the Chinese menu, and if you are completely unfamiliar with Chinese cuisine, then from the name it is completely incomprehensible what this or that dish is made of. In good restaurants, of course, there should be an English menu, but this is not always the case and everywhere. In large tourist cities, this is really easier. In small ones, most likely, you will not find anything at all except Chinese, it is good if there are pictures, and if not, then the matter is very bad. In this case, it is better to have a translator with you, it can be easily installed on a smartphone.

But, by the way, the Chinese do not eat various insects in everyday life. And all these skewers with scorpions, grasshoppers, cockroaches and caterpillars that are offered in Wangfujing in Beijing or other cities are nothing more than a tourist attraction. Perhaps it used to be a food too, but not now for sure. Although with the Chinese you cannot be 100% sure.

One can talk endlessly about Chinese taste preferences, but it is not necessary, because everyone has his own. Our borscht, jellied meat or herring under a fur coat for the rest of the world also seem absurd.

Popular food in China. What is worth trying

Peking Duck (北京 烤鸭 běijīng kǎoyā)

This is almost the first thing that comes to mind when you mention China. You should not deny yourself the pleasure of trying the dish, which has actually become one of the main symbols of Chinese cuisine. You can taste it in any city in China, and although the duck is called Peking duck, the original recipe for its preparation came from Shandong province. In many cities there are restaurants that specialize precisely in cooking Peking duck, and bear the appropriate name, but in an ordinary restaurant or cafe it will be no less tasty. The peculiarity of this dish is that before cooking, the duck is marinated in a special sauce made of honey, jam and various spices. The sweet and crispy crust is the highlight of this dish. Before serving, the duck is cut into small pieces, similar to plates, but can be served whole, and then cut up in front of guests. Peking duck can be tasted not only in a restaurant, but also bought in special street shops. It is not necessary to order the whole duck in them, you can take half or even a quarter.

Sweet and sour pork (糖醋 里脊 tángcù lǐji）

Another of my favorite dishes, which I would recommend ordering while in China, is pork in sweet and sour sauce, or as it is also called tansuliji. Small pieces of meat are rolled in starch and fried in a wok, then a special sauce is added, the finished dish is sprinkled with sesame seeds. The dish is very pleasant: tender, sour and sweet are very successfully combined in it, and, most importantly, it is absolutely not spicy. By the way, in some places pork is replaced with chicken, it turns out well too.

Carp marinated, or fish in sweet and sour sauce (糖醋 鲤鱼 tángcù lǐyú)

This dish is very similar to pork in sweet and sour sauce, but instead of meat, it uses fish, as the name implies, mainly carp. The fish is cooked and served on the table as a whole, and to make it more convenient to eat with chopsticks, special cuts are made. For cooking, the same sweet and sour sauce is used, but the dish itself turns out to be more tender. The only drawback, in my opinion, is that it is not very convenient to choose bones with chopsticks, and I never learned how to cut fish like the Chinese. For fish, as well as for almost all other dishes, rice must be ordered separately. For lovers of a combination of sour and sweet, I recommend trying both fish and pork.

Noodles in beef broth (牛肉 面 niúròu miàn）

The crown dish of all Chinese Muslims is noodles in beef broth (niu zhou mien)... You can try it in almost any city in China, but its homeland is the city of Lanzhou, in northwestern China. The noodles are cooked by hand, boiled and poured with beef broth. Then put greens (cilantro, onion), pieces of meat in a plate and add spices. If you do not like spicy, then you can ask not to add pepper, and the broth itself is not spicy.

Mostly men are engaged in cooking noodles, since it is a very difficult task and strong hands are needed, at least I have not seen women at this activity. The dough is kneaded, stretched, and then beaten on the table, and so on several times. The finer the resulting noodles are, the more skillful the master is.

Fried noodles (炒面 chǎomiàn)

By the way, in China, noodles are not just a dish, but also a good sign. Long stripes symbolize long life, so the Chinese believe that eating it is not only tasty, but also healthy. In addition to Muslim noodles, it is also worth trying and fried noodles(chao mien). In a special sauce, the Chinese fry noodles along with an egg, various vegetables, meat or seafood. It turns out delicious, but, as for me, too fatty.

Personally, I think that Chinese cuisine is quite fatty and therefore difficult for the stomach, but there are so many opinions about how many people. I once asked why add so much oil to all dishes, it's not tasty. Then a familiar Chinese woman explained that earlier, not only in antiquity, but also after Mao Zedong came to power, the majority of the country's population lived very poorly, and they could not afford to use oil. It was considered a sign of prosperity and well-being, therefore, now, pouring oil on the dishes abundantly, they want to show that everything is fine with them and they do not feel sorry for the guests.

Baozi (包子 bāozi)

Chinese baozi are large-sized, steamed dumplings, or unleavened dough pies. Their filling can be both meat and vegetarian (various greens, carrots, mushrooms).

They are usually served with vinegar, which is also dark in color, so do not confuse it with soy sauce, and various condiments. Baozi can be bought both on the street and in a restaurant. In China, there is even a famous fast food chain that exclusively prepares them.

Jiaozi (饺子 jiǎozi)

Jiaozi - Chinese boiled or fried dumplings. They can also have absolutely any filling, they differ from baozi in size and method of preparation.

Chicken, or gongbao chicken (宫保鸡丁 gōngbǎo jīdīng)

Another famous Chinese dish is gongbao chicken. Traditionally, it belongs to Sichuan cuisine and is very spicy. I myself don't eat spicy foods, but I really like the combination of ingredients in this dish (chicken, peanuts or cashews, carrots, cucumber or zucchini). When I order myself a mild gongbao chicken, the Chinese sometimes laugh and sometimes get angry, and they always say that without hot Sichuan pepper it becomes completely different. If you are a lover of spicy food, then you should try the dish prepared according to the original recipe, and if not, then you can always ask to do it without pepper, you just have to say bu yao lazi (不要 辣子 bùyàolàzi)

Ho-ho (火锅 huǒguō)

There is another interesting dish in China, it is called ho-go (or samovar). It is interesting because visitors cook their own food. Either one large container with broth or several small ones (depending on the number of people) and raw prepared foods are brought to the table. It can be various types of meat, seafood, tofu, mushrooms, vegetables, herbs. The container is placed on a heating surface, and when the broth boils, it means that it is time to throw food there. When the products are cooked, they need to be taken out and eaten with special sauces. The broth and sauces are different, spicy and not, with different additives. In fact, this is a very pleasant way to spend time in the company, and the Chinese very often go to eat ho-go, and at the same time sing karaoke right there.

Spicy Pan (麻辣 香 锅 málàxiāng guō)

For this dish, you first need to choose the products, like on the buffet. These can be vegetables, mushrooms, meat, seafood, tofu, and then they will be cooked in a special sauce and spices. The price depends on the quantity of the selected products. Usually the price for vegetables is one, for meat and seafood is different. Once you have selected the ingredients, they are weighed and the price is determined by weight.

Pork in fish sauce (鱼香 肉丝 yúxiāng ròusī)

For this dish, the meat is cut into strips and fried over high heat, adding sauce, garlic and hot peppers. According to the most Chinese, the sauce gives the dish a fishy smell, so the literal translation of the name sounds like "fish-flavored pork". In fact, the fishy taste is not felt there, and the dish is quite tasty and interesting.

If you do not eat meat, then in China this will not be a big problem, because there are many different vegetarian dishes, in this case you need to know the word - su 素 sù, which means lean, or vegetarian. The meat will be hun 荤 hūn. For example, say woo chi hun de 我 不 吃荤 的 (wǒ bù chī hūnde) I do not eat meat, or show them this phrase, they will understand you and offer food for vegetarians.

Chinese desserts

As such, there are no desserts in Chinese restaurants, and in traditional Chinese cuisine, there is no abundance of sweets even in stores. In fact, the Chinese do not really like everything sweet, somehow it did not work out for a long time. Therefore, I would say that China is not a country for a sweet tooth. Delicious sweets are only imported here. Instead, they found a better and healthier replacement - fruit.

Fruits

As a dessert, restaurants often serve sliced ​​papaya with some kind of sweet syrup, or sometimes other fruits like mango or pineapple.

Most often, a Chinese festive meal ends with a large dish of beautifully laid out fruits being brought out, although fruits can be served at the very beginning, there are no strict rules on this matter. Fruit plates are ordered even in bars for beer.

Street vendors everywhere sell another fruit delicacy tanhulu - fruit on a stick (糖葫芦 tánghúlu) drenched in either caramel or sugar syrup. Any fruit can be used, but most often these are small Chinese apples. It's worth a try for a change. By the way, the Chinese also refer to the cherry tomato as a fruit, so it can be found in fruit juices, sweet salads, and even on cake decoration, and in such tanhulu too.

Even before arriving in China, when I went to our Chinese restaurants, I tried a simply amazing dessert - caramelized fruit (拔丝 水果 básīshuǐguǒ, and was very surprised that I could not find them in my supposed homeland. If you are lucky enough to see them on the menu restaurant something like that, be sure to try it, it should be very tasty.

Bakery products

Pastries and cakes 蛋糕

Recently, various pastry shops and European cafes have become very fashionable in China, which offer a variety of cakes, pastries and other desserts. But I can't call them tasty. Chinese cakes and pastries look incredibly beautiful and appetizing, each cake is a work of art, but, unfortunately, they do not have any special taste. So different in appearance, they all taste the same: biscuit, a lot of cream and fruit on top, this is where the fantasy of Chinese pastry chefs ends. Under the influence of the West, in recent years, the Chinese have started buying cakes for their birthday, although there was no such tradition before.

Egg cream tart (蛋 挞 dàntà)

These tartlets are in great demand among the Chinese and are sold both in the streets, supermarkets, pastry shops, and in cafes and restaurants. The puff pastry base is filled with tender egg cream and baked. Such a delicacy is also cheap, from 3 yuan apiece.

Gold and silver mantou (金银 馒头 jīnyín mántou)

In general, mantou is a kind of Chinese unleavened bread, but there is also a kind of dessert. Steamed buns are served with condensed milk. Buns of two colors are laid out on one dish, hence the name. The golden ones are covered with syrup and baked in the oven, they are more delicious, the white buns are quite bland.

Holiday sweets

Safety and cleanliness

Compared to our cafes and restaurants, many Chinese establishments look extremely unpresentable, they are not particularly clean, and a lot is cooked right on the street, the seller immediately takes the money, he cuts the meat with the same hand. Plus, visitors themselves litter a lot, and this is not always tidied up properly, the only exceptions are expensive restaurants. Many people who come to the country for the first time experience shock and horror, and I myself was like that. I always tried to imagine if this is such a mess in the hall, what is going on in the kitchen? But, to be honest, neither with me, nor with my acquaintances and friends, no food poisoning or other troubles associated with food have happened here in 4 years of life, no matter where we ate.

The most important thing is to try to choose crowded and relatively clean places. If the cafe is tasty, then every day there will be a lot of people; if the cafe is empty, this is already suspicious. However, the attendance of the place must be judged by the time, because, as you remember, the Chinese observe the regime. If the cafe is empty during dinner or lunch, this should be alarming, but if it is empty at other times, then this is almost normal.

Personally, I have doubts about the quality of China's food, in fact, everyone knows that this is a country of counterfeits, and the products are no exception. Every now and then I read in the news about the next scandal, then fake meat went on sale, then fake eggs, then prohibited substances are found in products. Sometimes the news reports about unscrupulous owners of establishments who inject drugs into food in order to ensure a constant influx of customers, so you always need to be careful, because health depends on this.

When you live here all the time, it's not funny at all. Many Chinese people prefer to buy more expensive but better quality imported products. But still, I hope that not everything is as bad as it seems, and there are at least some useful substances in Chinese products. Of course, if we compare with homemade ones, then the quality of our products is higher, and somehow everything tastes better.

Food prices

The prices for food in China are completely different, it all depends on the status of the institution and the city. The cost starts from 1-2 USD for a portion of rice with vegetables or noodles and is endless. Naturally, in large cities, such as Shenzhen, Guangzhou, food prices not only in establishments, but also in stores will be higher, in small towns they will be lower. The price also depends on the quality of the ingredients.

Cheapest food from street hawkers. In addition to the fact that in every city there are entire streets and markets where food stalls are located, hawkers drive hourly to universities, schools and other public places. For breakfast here for 1-2 USD you can buy a sandwich with an egg, sausage or vegetables, soy milk, boiled egg, corn, fruit on a stick. At other times, kebabs and vegetables are fried here, cold noodles, various tortillas and other snacks are sold. I would advise you to try the local hamburger, it is called “joujabin” (肉 夹 饼, ròujiābǐng), which is filled with fried meat with spices, very tasty and satisfying.

In the coastal cities, hawkers cook seafood and fish, in Muslims, various barbecues. In general, of course, in every city you can find delicious and interesting dishes on the streets, and most often it is quite safe to eat street food in China. You should not be afraid to buy food on the streets, but, of course, hygiene must be observed and places must be chosen carefully.

It will cost a little more to eat in small cafes and eateries. But also within 2 USD you can order yourself a portion of boazi or jiaozi. For the same money, you can buy a portion of fried noodles or rice with eggs and vegetables, or with meat, but there will be very little meat there. Usually meat dishes are more expensive, vegetarian dishes are cheaper. In most establishments, a portion of boiled rice costs 2 yuan - 0.31 USD, you can take any other dish with it, for example, the average price for pork in sweet and sour sauce in an inexpensive cafe will be 20-30 yuan (3-5 USD), if you take, for example, eggplant in fish sauce (鱼香 茄子 yú xiāng qiézi), it will come out less than 20 yuan.

But prices depend on the city and location of the institution. In tourist places, everything will be about 2 times more expensive. With the exception of rice, which is served individually, the portions in China are large enough for two to eat.

In a restaurant, the price for one dish on average will start from 50 yuan and more, it all depends on the restaurant itself and the quality of service.

Lately, many buffet restaurants have opened in China. The Chinese call them European cuisine establishments, although, in my opinion, there is no smell of European cuisine there, but these dishes cannot be called traditionally Chinese either. Everything is served there: from appetizers to desserts, there is often a variety of seafood. Entrance fees range from RMB 50 to 200, but sometimes they are more expensive.

Friends, you often ask, so we remind you! 😉,.

Do you like Chinese food? 🍛

And even if you answer “Yes, I adore her!”, All the same, I have something to surprise you with. 😊

Chinese cuisine is not something monolithic, like, for example, Russian cuisine. Our dumplings or pancakes from Vladivostok to St. Petersburg and Sochi are about the same.

It's not like that in Chinese cuisine. Each locality has its own favorite dishes. And its own characteristics. And if you love Northeast 锅 包 肉 Guobao zhou, then no one in the south has heard of it.

In general, I have prepared a selection of the most popular dishes in different provinces. And if you are going to China this summer, then you will find it very useful 🔥

Bon Appetit! 慢慢 吃 😊

1. Beijing: Peking roast duck 北京 烤鸭 Běijīng kǎoyā

Peking roast duck is hailed as "the most delicious dish in the world." It has a golden brown, crispy crust, tender meat and a pungent taste. This combination made her popular both at home and in other countries.

2. Tianjin: baked pork fillet 锅 塌 里脊 Guōtā lǐjí

Baked pork fillet is made from pork tenderloin. The dish has a bright yellow color and fresh delicate taste.

3. Hebei: donkey cakes 驴肉 火烧 Lǘ ròu huǒshāo

This snack is popular in northern China. First appeared in Baoding City, Hebei Province. Stuff the flatbread with minced donkey meat to make Luizhouoshao. The appetizer turns out to be satisfying, but not greasy, crispy and with a pleasant aftertaste.

4. Shanxi: boiled-fried pork with mushrooms 过 油 肉 Guò yuu ròu

Initially it was considered a dish for the elite, and then went to the people and spread throughout the Shanxi province. It is characterized by a rich golden color, soft, tender meat. The dish itself is salty with a vinegar flavor.

5. Inner Mongolia: Mongolian Boiled Lamb 手 扒 羊肉 Shǒu bā yángròu

Boiled lamb has been a traditional dish of Mongolian shepherds for thousands of years. It is eaten by hand.

6. Heilongjiang: Crispy Fried Pork 锅 包 肉 Guō bāo ròu

This iconic dish of northeastern Chinese cuisine is made with pork. First, the pork tenderloin, cut into slices, is marinated, coated with starch paste and fried until golden brown, poured with sweet and sour sauce. The dish turns out to be crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, sweet and sour in taste.

7. Jirin: steamed white fish 清蒸 白鱼 Qīngzhēng bái yú

Since ancient times, fishermen who have traded on the Sungari River have boiled white fish to greet friends and family in this way. Over time, this dish gained fame and became a staple dish during local festivals.

8. Liaoning: braised pork with noodles 猪肉 炖 粉条 Zhūròu dùn fěntiáo

Stewed pork with noodles is a well-known dish in northeastern China and is especially popular during the cold winter. Vermicelli soaks up the flavor of the meat and becomes satisfying but not greasy.

9. Shanghai: red braised pork 红烧肉 Hóngshāo ròu

Red braised pork is a classic Shanghai dish. Basically, meat is taken from the underbelly. In the process of cooking, it becomes satisfying, but not greasy, and very pleasant to the taste. Shanghai people, confirm!

10. Jiangsu: braised pork meatballs in brown sauce 红烧 狮子头 Hóngshāo shīzi tóu

This dish is usually served during the holidays. It consists of 4 brown meatballs, symbolizing the blessedness of life, longevity and happiness. Often served as a final meal at weddings, birthdays and other celebrations.

11. Zhejiang: fish from Lake Xihu in vinegar 西湖醋鱼 Xīhú cù yú

This dish is made from fish caught from Lake Xihu in Hangzhou. First, the fish is kept in a cage for a couple of days so that the excrement comes out. And then they cook. As a result, the fish has a very fresh, sweet and sour taste.

12. Anhui: Huangshan stinky Chinese bass 黄山 臭 桂鱼 Huángshān chòu guì yú

This dish was invented by a businessman who returned home by boat. Because of the long journey, the perches he was carrying began to smell foul. His wife didn't want to throw the fish away and she doused it with soy sauce and oil. Surprisingly, it turned out quite tasty.

13. Fujian: Buddha jumps over the wall 佛跳墙 Fútiàoqiáng

"Buddha Jumping Over the Wall" is the most famous dish in Fuzhou City, Fujian Province. A whopping 18 ingredients are used in this dish: sea cucumber, abalone, shark fins, fish lips, ham, pork belly, hooves, tendons, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, etc. The dish is multitasking: nourishes qi, cleanses the lungs and intestines, protects against colds and more.

14. Jiangxi: steamed pork in rice flour 粉蒸肉 Fěnzhēngròu

Ingredients: Pork tenderloin, rice powder, and other condiments. Rice flour and meat exchange flavors to create delicious flavors.

15. Shandong: Stewed guts with brown sauce 九 转 大肠 Jiǔ zhuǎn dàcháng

A classic Shandong dish. Blanch the intestines in boiling water, then sauté, add additional ingredients and broil, stirring occasionally, over low heat until aroma emerges. With this dish, you can experience five taste sensations at once - sour, sweet, aromatic, spicy and salty.

16. Henan: braised noodles 烩面 Huì miàn

Traditional local snack made from noodles, lamb, vegetables and other ingredients. It is well known for its wonderful taste and reasonable price.

17. Hubei: three steamed dishes in Mianyang 沔 阳 三 蒸 Miǎn yáng sān zhēng

Three Steamed Meals are steamed meat, fish and vegetables (you can add amaranth, taro, legumes, pumpkin, carrots and lotus root to taste). Thanks to meat and vegetables, the dish has a balanced composition of nutrients. Aromatic, has an original taste, fresh and non-greasy.

18. Hunan: Steamed fish heads with hot pepper 剁椒鱼头 Duò jiāo yú tóu

This dish combines the marvelous taste of fish heads with the sharpness of finely chopped red pepper and has a unique flavor. It is famous for its bright color, tender fish meat and pungent taste.

19. Guangdong: white chicken cut into pieces 白切鸡 Bái qiē jī

A characteristic feature of this dish is simple preparation without the use of additional ingredients, while preserving the product's own taste. The Qingping restaurant in the Liwan district of Guangzhou is considered the best in cooking, so the dish has a second name - "quingping chicken".

20. Guangxi: rice noodles with snails 螺蛳 粉 Luósī fěn

Rice noodles with snails are the most popular snack in Liuzhou City. Combines sour and pungent taste, freshness and pungency.

21. Hainan: Wenchang chicken 文昌鸡 Wénchāng jī

Wenchang chicken leads the Hainan Four. It is a juicy chicken with a thin skin and crunchy bones, very aromatic, satisfying, but not greasy. Yummy)

22. Sichuan: Mapo tofu ("pockmarked old woman's tofu") 麻 婆 豆腐 Mābō dōfu

Mapo tofu is a traditional Sichuan dish. The main ingredient is tofu (bean curd). The dish tastes hot, spicy, sweet, crunchy and tender.

23. Chongqing: Spicy Chicken 辣子 鸡 Làzǐ jī

The pepper is mixed with chicken pieces and sprinkled with sesame seeds. Chicken pieces are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with a sesame flavor and a pungent taste. Try it, you will surely like it.

24. Guizhou: fish in sour soup 酸汤鱼 Suān tāng yú

Fish in Sour Soup is a unique dish of the Miao people. It boasts a spicy-sour taste and stimulates the appetite well.

25. Yunnan: noodles with chicken and fish 过桥 米线 Guò qiáo mǐxiàn

A must-have dish for travelers to Yunnan Province. Consists of three parts: broth, rice noodles and additional ingredients. The broth has a very strong aroma: it is prepared according to a special recipe from large bones of old chicken and boiling Xuanwei ham for a long time.

26.Shaanxi: lamb soup with pita 羊肉 泡 馍 Yángròu pào mó

This appetizer represents the city of Xi'an. Since the Tang and Song dynasties, many Muslims have visited the city. It was they who created this dish: strong broth, rotten meat and soft pieces of pita. For an amateur.

27. Tibet: Tibetan blood sausage 藏族 血肠 Zàngzú xiě cháng

In Tibet, when farmers and shepherds slaughter sheep, they use blood in the following way: pour it into the small intestine and boil it in water. This is how the famous local food - blood sausage - is obtained.

28. Xinjiang: whole roast lamb 烤全羊 Kǎo quán yáng

Whole-fried lamb is a famous dish in Xinjiang. For him, they take a young fat lamb, coat with a special sauce and fry over the fire. This dish can be found in markets and bazaars in Xinjiang.

29. Qinghai: fried lamb dough pieces 羊肉 炒面 片 Yángròu chǎomiàn piàn

This tasty and nutritious dish has a mild flavor and is easy to digest. Which is very important, by the way)

30. Gansu: Hexi lamb 河西 羊羔肉 Héxī yánggāo ròu

Hexi lamb is one of the most delicious recipes in northwestern China. It is cooked in a clay pot, which gives soft meat, red color and a fragrant aroma.

31. Ningxia: steamed lamb meat 清蒸 羊羔肉 Qīngzhēng yánggāo ròu

This is a common snack popular in northwest China in the Tongxin and Haiyuan regions. This delicious dish is served in many local restaurants.

32. Hong Kong: Beef meatballs 牛肉 丸 Niúròu wán

Beef meatballs are a popular snack in southern China. In Hong Kong, they are juicy and long-lasting. It will take a little longer to chew them than regular food.

33. Macau: bakalyau 马 介休 Mǎjièxiū

Bacallau is a popular Portuguese dish in Macau. The main ingredient is salted cod. Such fish can be fried, stewed or boiled. Served in many restaurants in Macau, this dish is a must-try.

34. Taiwan: three cups chicken 三杯 鸡 Sān bēi jī

Three Cups Chicken is a popular dish in Taiwan. It owes its name to three ingredients of the sauce: rice wine, soy sauce and sesame oil.

Thanks for the inspiration to http://www.chinawhisper.com

Successful practice!

Svetlana Khludneva

P.S. Take care of yourself!

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Chinese cuisine is popular all over the world. It tastes usually sweet, sour and spicy. You may have tasted it while out of China in one of the Chinese restaurants. However, it may taste different, for example, others may be used. What dishes do we recommend to try while in China or a Chinese restaurant? Let's find out.

1. Sweet and sour chicken or pork.

Various variations of this dish are presented in the cuisines of Sichuan, Shandong and Zhejiang provinces. Many gourmets are attracted to this dish because of its sweet and sour taste.

2. Gongbao.

Also called Kung Pao. A spicy dish from Sichuan cuisine. It is based on fried chicken pieces, peanuts and chili peppers.

3. Spring rolls.

This dish is usually used as a quick snack and resembles the traditional Russian dish - pies, only rice paper is used instead of dough. The filling is dominated by various vegetables - cabbage, soy, mushrooms, etc. There are options with meat filling and seafood.

4. Fried rice with egg.

An everyday dish in China. Perhaps the simplest thing in Chinese cuisine. In addition to rice and eggs, spices, green peas and other ingredients can be added to the dish.

5. Spicy tofu.

Sometimes called Malo Tofu. Tasteless bean curd (tofu) is prepared with a variety of hot spices. It is one of the most spicy dishes in Chinese cuisine.

6. Dumplings.

They look a little different in form than in Russia, it can be varied, because of this they have different names - jiaozi, wontons, baozi, dim sum, etc. Filled with various fillings - from minced pork to vegetables. Steamed, baked or fried. The flavor can vary depending on the spices and sauces.

7. Soup with wontons.

It is a chicken soup with large dumplings. The dish is very popular in the New Year.

8. Peking duck.

One of the most popular Chinese dishes. They even hire specially trained chefs to prepare it in expensive Chinese restaurants. The classic recipe implies that the duck is rubbed with honey and cooked in a special oven until the skin becomes crispy and tender.

However, at the moment, there are many variations of the recipes - they are cooked using only fruit trees, instead of ordinary firewood, "branded" sauces, many manage to cook it in an ordinary home oven. Therefore, the real Peking duck is likely to be tasted only in China.

9. Chow Mein.

It is a regular stew with meat (usually chicken) mixed with Chinese noodles. In China, it is considered a medicinal dish - it eliminates digestive problems and strengthens the immune system.

10. Fried shrimps.

Almost every region of China has a different recipe for preparing this dish - shrimp fried in flour, with various sauces, nuts, etc. Therefore, if you are traveling in China, we recommend trying this dish in every region.