A Report on Chinese Food Culture 关于中国饮食文化的报告

A Report on Chinese FoodCultureContentI. Characteristics of cuisines in southern part of China---------------2 II. Characteristics of cuisines in southern part of China -------------4 III.Historical elements influencing Chinese food culture-------------9 IV. Connotation of Chinese Food Culture-------------------------------10 广东外语外贸大学GDUFSGroup One members:朱力Sky高紫薇Catherine陈宇Henry马雨寒Stella11.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. Cuisines from different regions are so distinctive that sometimes despite the fact that two areas are geographical neighbors their styles are completely alien.We have roughly separated Chinese cuisine into two genres. They are Cuisines of the north part and the southern part. The essential factors that establish the form of a genre are complex and include history, cooking features, geography, climate, resources and life styles.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, Sothern Cuisine, especially Guangdong Cuisine, emphasizes a flavor which is clear but not light, refreshing but not common, tender but not crude. In summer and autumn it pursues clarity and in winter and spring, a little more substance.Pork Rips(排骨) Penaeus orientalis（对虾However, cuisines in Southwest China are quite different. Take Hunan Cuisine as an example, it lays a stress on the use of oil, dense color, and techniques that produce crispness, softness and tenderness as well as the savory flavors and spices. Stewed fins, fried fresh cabbage with chestnuts, Dong Anzi chicken, immortal chicken with five elements, are of the highest reputation.Spicy-hot Fish（麻辣鱼）Mapo Tofu (Stir-Fried Tofu in Hot Sauce)（麻婆豆腐）Thirdly, racial culture is influential to food culture. 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, 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.Dim Sum(点心)Another distinguished Southern Cuisine is Fujian Cuisine.Fujian cuisine has four distinctive features, that is, fine cutting techniques, alternative soups, unique seasonings, and exquisite cooking. Chefs can always cut the thin jellyfish into three pieces and into very thin thread. And thanks to the abundant resources of marine products, the soup ofthis cuisine genre has its freshness and keeps its own savor with ease. The seasonings add sweet and sour flavors to the dishes. To add to its appeal the food is served in or on elegant bowls or plates.2.Characteristics of cuisines in southern part of ChinaThe development of agricultural and civilizations in the north part of China was more advanced than any other part of China in Chinese history, which made the north part of China's playa crucial and pioneering role in Chinese cuisines. Cuisines of the north part of China have several characteristics.First, 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.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, in accordance with the producing process, can be divided into three categories, namely, steamed food, Cooked and boiled food. Statistically, there are round 280 kinds of cooked wheaten food, among which the sliced noodles is the most renowned one.Apart from the sliced noodles, boiled food also includes hand-pulled noodles, He lao, Tijian, Maoerduo, Jiupian ，which are all delicious and tasty.sliced noodles（刀削面）Hand-pulled noodles(拉面) The process of cooking Helao（饸饹）Tijian(剔尖) Mao er duo（猫耳朵）Jiu pian(揪片)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.fried cake(炸糕)fried dough twist（麻花）Shuaibing(甩饼)Other steamed wheaten food includes steamed bun、You mian kao lao（莜面栲栳）、Gao liang mian yu（高粱面鱼）.Gao liang mian yu（高粱面鱼）You mian kao lao（莜面栲栳）steamed bunSecond, 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. Some scientists also say that’s probably the reason why people in the north are more likely to suffer from high-blood pressure and heart diseases. Look at the following pictures you will find the difference.Peking roast duck Roast duck in southIt’s known to us all that dishes in south are small and exquisite. However, it is not the same case in the south.Dongbei dish Cantonese dishShandong 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. If you think only Cantonese are good at making soup, then you are wrong. People in Shandong are also thrive in making soup. The soup they cook is fresh and tasty. In addition, they excel in making milk soup.instant-boiled mutton milk soup3. Historical elements influencing Chinese food cultureAs a Chinese old saying goes:”mountaineers rely on mountains, just like those by the waterside profit from water.” People in different regions choose the food mainly by the m aterials they have.For instance, in southeastern coastal areas, people are fond of fish and shrimp, which are not accepted by the local people in the northwest area. In addition, politics, economic and technology are main factors which contribute to the area differentiation of Chinese food. Beijing ,an important city from very early time in Chinese history, attracts a lot of famous cooks, which makes different food habits from the whole country affect each other and mingle. The development of economic also performs a role. For example, the northeast China had been relayed on gathering-----fishing, hunting and nomadism. However, as more and more Han Chinese person moved in and reclaim, the agriculture in the central China has already take root there.Let’s make it more concrete.I’d like to divide the north China into northeast and northwest.First talk about the northeast. This area includes Liaoning, Jilin, Heilongjiang and Inner Mongolia, in which, the soil is rich without large population nor frost period. The economic there is made up of farming, hunting, fishing and gathering. Compared with the food in the middle or lower reaches of the Yellow River and Yangtze River valley, the food in northeast consist of more animal albumen. Furthermore, because of the low temperature, people there like frozen food specially. The frozen food in northeast China being a large number of kinds and quantity, as well as a long eating period, is a big characteristic of northeastern food. Such as ,frozen meat, frozen fish, especially the frozen tofu. Because of a short nonfrost period, the fresh vegetable is in short supply. As a result, people like to stock a large number of them for the winter.Then about the northwest. This food circle in made up of Shanxi, Gansu, Jiangxi and so on. From Qin dynasty on, this area is fine for the growth of grain and wheat. So until now, the wheaten food is popular there, especially in Shanxi and Jiangxi. Because the agriculture’s prior place, animal husbandry is not very advanced.Food in south China presents another view.The Yangtze River alley consists of Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui and Shanghai. This area is the important cradle land of rice. Centuries ago, it already had an advanced technology of growing rice and other food materials. And until period in spring and autumn and warring states, the “a land of milk and honey” pattern had taken shape. Anhui food promoted with the development of Huizhou merchants and spread to the whole country. In Ming and Qing dynasty, Jiangsu was a reliable taxpaying province. And some books published that time such as <eating rules of Tong>(童氏食规) push the polarization of Jiangsu food. The northeast area includes Fujian, Guangdong, Taiwan and places surrounded where Vegetables and fruits, seafood and poultry are abundant. From the end of Qing dynasty, the evasion of western countries result in the change of food habit here. Western food made a great influence on the food culture of south of the Five ridges. Commercial advantages, tradition and atmosphere make the food culture commercial.4. Connotation of Chinese Food CultureChinese food culture has a long history. After development of thousands of years, it embraces extensive and profound connotations, making itself one of the fine cultural heritages of the Chinese people. Chinese food, along with French cuisine and Turkish cooking, is considered as the three major cooking system in the world.Connotations of Chinese food can be generalized into four words: delicacy, refinement, affection and ceremony. These four words reflected the four characteristics of Chinese food, namely, strict procedures to ensure the quality of food, special aesthetic appeal, deep affection involved, and great social functions. Those special cultural implications involving in Chinese food culture demonstrated the close connection between Chinese food culture and the traditional culture of China.4.1Strict procedures in food-making to guarantee the quality of Chinese foodChinese cuisines have to undergo several procedures before they were made.The first procedure is, carefully selecting raw materials for cooking. Regardless of regional differences in cuisine, a primary consideration in food preparation is freshness. Others include complementarities or opposition of taste, contrast of textures, and overall appearance, including color harmony and accent.Fresh raw materialsThe second procedure is, promoting the awareness of creating excellent cuisines. Now that cooking is more an art than an art craft in Chinese food culture, people tend to pay special attention to cooking. One of the manifestations is that, unlike most western dishes, we tend to cut the materials into pieces which are in appropriate size, so that we don’t need to cut them when we are eating.What’s more, there are many ways of cooking in Chinese food culture, steam food, fried food, boiled food, stewed food, simmered food, etc.Different way of Chinese cooking4.2Aesthetic appeal and deep affection involved in Chinese food cultureChinese cooking has traditionally placed a great deal of emphasis on the aesthetic appeal of the individual dish as well as on the role the individual dish plays in the totality of the dining experience. Inherent in this sentiment is the attention paid to the harmony and balance of the ingredients of an individual dish - the dish's texture, color, aroma, and flavor - as well as the part played by the taste, appearance, etc., of the individual dish in comparison to the tastes, appearances, etc., of all of the dishes being served.Art of cookingThis emphasis on aesthetic appeal extends also to the particulars of the tableware, the aim being to create a harmonious balance not only with respect to the makeup of the individual dish and with respect to the complementarities between the types of dishes being served, but also with respect to the setting in which the dining experience is to occur. Part and parcel of this emphasis is also on the sequence and rhythm in which dishes are served, and even concerns the naming of individual dishes, as there exists a long tradition in Chinese society for naming things - from garden ponds to mountain vistas - either after the highbrow (eg., after a famous literary passage) or after a nickname that appeals to everyman (such as the dish Red Lion's Head(Fried Meatballs in Brown Sauce) or the dish Beggar's Chicken(Roasted Chicken in thick yellow gravy).Fried Meatballs in Brown Sauce Roasted Chicken in thick yellow gravy4.3 Chinese food embraces social functionsChinese 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, whena child was born, relatives and friends would eat eggs painted in red color to celebrate. Eggssymbolize 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.。