Chinese Food Culture1.Characteristics of cuisines in southern part of ChinaChinese cuisine has a number of different genres, but the most influential and typical known by the public are the 'Eight Cuisines'. These are as follows: Shandong Cuisine, Guangdong Cuisine, Sichuan Cuisine, Hunan Cuisine, Jiangsu Cuisine, Zhejiang Cuisine, Fujian Cuisine and Anhui Cuisine.We have roughly separated Chinese cuisine into two genres. They are Cuisines of the north part and the southern part. Cuisines of the southern part of China are really featured. They have various differences with northern cuisine.Firstly, abundant rain drops and sunlight in South China provide favorable conditions for the growth of millet and rice. Compared with people in North China who have to spend much time in cold weather, people in South China are less preferable to meat diet, which contains lots of fat and protein. Southern Chinese prefer plant diet quite a lot. Many people are accustomed to drink soup both before and after the meal. Guangdong Soup(老火靓汤)Secondly, South China is one of the most developed areas in China. It welcomes people from the entire world. As a result, Southern Cuisine, especially Guangdong Cuisine, emphasizes a flavor which is clear but not light, refreshing but not common, tender but not crude.Thirdly,People in South China tend to be more careful and sensitive than northern people. As a result, their dishes as well as appearance are really cute and attractive. Just like dim sum(点心), which means “touch the heart”, is one of the most famous Cantonese meal. It consists of a variety of delicacies and is usually served for breakfast or dinner.Spicy-hot Fish麻辣鱼Mapo Tofu (Stir-Fried Tofu in Hot Sauce)麻婆豆腐Pork Rips排骨)Penaeus orientalis对虾2.Characteristics of cuisines in northern part of ChinaCuisines of the north part of China have several characteristics.people in the north tend to eat cooked wheaten food. Or in other words, people eat more food made of flour. This is because the climate here is temperate continental climate, which means there are less rain drops and sunlight. And this climate provides favorable conditions for the growth of wheat.First,When it comes to cooked wheaten food, there is a place many people are familiar with. That is Shanxi(山西). As the saying goes, “east or west, Shanxi cooked wheaten food is best”. Shanxi is famous for its diverse and delicious cooked wheaten food. With a history of 2000years, Shanxi cooked wheaten food is gaining more and more popularity at home and even abroad.Cooked wheaten food in Shanxi,there are round 280 kinds of cooked wheaten food, among which the sliced noodles is the most renowned one.Apart from the sliced noodles刀削面, boiled food also includes hand-pulled noodles拉面, He lao饸饹）Tijian,剔尖Maoerduo猫耳朵, Jiupian(揪片) ，which are all delicious and tasty.As for the cooked food, it includes fried cake(炸糕)、Yi wo su(一窝酥)、fried dough twist （麻花）,Shuai bing(甩饼) and so on.Other steamed wheaten food includes steamed bun、You mian kao lao（莜面栲栳）、Gao liang mian yu（高粱面鱼）.Second, food in the north is often more salty and greasy than that in the south.Because people like to add more ingredient to dishes even the soup.Shandong cuisine and Beijing cuisines are two famous cuisines of the eight cuisines in china. And they are also representatives of the northern cuisines. Beijing cuisine is famous for its Beijing roast duck and instant-boiled mutton. Shandong food is always pure, fresh, tender, salty and crisp.Chinese people pay much attention to eating, not just to fulfill our basic needs, but deep within, it contains the measures Chinese people take to understand things. For example, when a child was born, relatives and friends would eat eggs painted in red color to celebrate. Eggs symbolize new lives, eating red eggs embodies the high expectations of the Chinese to carry on the family line. We have feasts in the weddings; we celebrate our birthdays with gatherings and delicious food; we gather with our friends or families to eat, which is a good way to enhance our intimacy.People gathering to celebrate with big feastsIn sum, Chinese food culture has gained much popularity throughout the world, and in the modern era, the popularity still thrives. Food culture, which has great influence to Chinese people’s personalities, has already become one of the fine traditional cultures in China. With the enhancement of the globalization, Chinese food culture would become better known across the world.。
