introduction to chinese cooking

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CHAPTER 24 : AN INTRODUCTION TO CHINESE CUISINE As one travels around the world today, one cannot help being impressed by the extent to which Chinese food and cooking has been established in almost every corner of the earth. But this popularization of the Chinese cuisine seems to have gathered a sudden and overwhelming momentum only in the last couple of decades. So, what is it that has caused this sudden success of Chinese cuisine? The answer lies in the unique traditions and techniques of Chinese cooking, and in the inherent appeal of Chinese food and flavors to the palate. Also Chinese food can be extremely economical as well as being highly nutritious, because, most ingredients are cut into small pieces, and then quickly cooked so as to retain their natural goodness. However, one of the main reasons for the popularity of the cuisine is the large scale migration of the Chinese people to other parts of the world. Originally, the migration was to escape religious persecution, Later on it was the effect of communism and today it is probably for economic reasons. These migrants took with them their culture, art, music and of course their food. They settled in various capital cities and spread out from there. They originally lived in ghetto like conditions called Chinatowns. It was from here that the popularity of the cuisine developed. It was simple and economical to operate a Chinese food service facility. Minimum investment on equipment and the fact that they modified the taste to suit the local palate, made the cuisine acceptable. Moreover, the use of local available ingredients also increased its popularity. That is why the Chinese food you get in Kolkata is different from the one you get in London and that is different from the Chinese cuisine of San Francisco !!!...and they are all different from what you get in China itself. Yet they are all called Chinese Cuisine ! Why ?? The answer is that as long as you stick to the principles of Chinese cuisine and stay within the prescribed parameters and framework ….you are cooking Chinese food. 1

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useful for hotel management students in the last year having food production as their specialization

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CHAPTER 24 : AN INTRODUCTION TO CHINESE CUISINEAs one travels around the world today, one cannot help being impressed bythe extent to which Chinese food and cooking has been established in almostevery corner of the earth.But this popularization of the Chinese cuisineseems to have gathered a sudden and overwhelming momentum only in thelast couple of decades.So, what is it that has caused this sudden success ofChinese cuisine!he answer lies in the uni"ue traditions and techni"ues ofChinese cooking, and in the inherent appeal of Chinese food and flavors tothe palate. Also Chinese food can be extremely economical as well as beinghighlynutritious, because, mostingredientsarecutintosmall pieces, andthen "uickly cooked so as to retain their natural goodness. #owever, one ofthe main reasons for the popularity of the cuisine is the large scalemigration of the Chinese people to other parts of the world. $riginally, themigration was to escape religious persecution, %ater on it was the effect ofcommunism and today it is probably for economic reasons.!hese migrantstookwiththemtheirculture, art, musicandofcoursetheirfood. !heysettled in various capital cities and spread out from there. !hey originallylived in ghetto like conditions called Chinatowns. &t was from here that thepopularityof the cuisine developed. &t was simple and economical to operatea Chinese food service facility.'inimum investment on e"uipment and thefact that they modified the taste to suit the local palate, made the cuisineacceptable.'oreover, the use of local available ingredients also increasedits popularity. !hat is why the Chinese food you get in (olkata is differentfromtheoneyougetin%ondonandthatisdifferentfromtheChinesecuisine of San )rancisco ***...and they are all different from what you get inChina itself. +et they are all called Chinese Cuisine *,hy!he answer isthat as long as you stick to the principles of Chinese cuisine and stay withinthe prescribed parameters and framework -.you are cooking Chinese food.And what are these principles &f you have attended the class and paidattention, you already know the answer *** $therwise, read on, the principlesare explained below ***!rade and cultural exchange between China and the outside world took placeasearlyasthetimeofthe.oman/mpireandoverthepastcenturies,foreigninfluenceandmoderntechnologyhasaffectednearlyall walksofeverydaylifein China, exceptone, namely, theCulinaryArtofChina. &n1fact,foreignfoodstuffs havebeen introduced inChina since thedawn ofhistory, but they all became integral parts of Chinese food.$bviously, Chineseculinaryart hasgonethroughthousandsofyearsofrefinementanddevelopment, buttheChineseuni"uewayofcookingandpreparingfood, remainsbasicallyunchanged. Archaeological findsofthebronze age 0around 1234 BC5 indicate that the Chinese had utensils such as abronzeC%/A6/.shapedknifeforcuttingupfoodsintosmall piecesandcooking them in animal fat, using a bronze pot not dissimilar to the modernwok. !here is data to prove that as long ago as the 7#$8 dynasty 019thCBC5 the Chinese used soya sauce, vinegar, rice wine, fruit :am and spices asseasonings in the cooking and that elaborate and complicated cookingmethods were already being employed.By the time of China;s greatest sage C$?@ BC5 who was anacknowledged gourmet besides, it was recorded that the importance of heatapplicationandblendingofdifferentflavorswereemphasizedinChinesecookingA and the uses of high, moderate or low heat, the blending of sour,pi"uant, salty, bitter or sweet flavors were all given their correct applicationin order to achieve a harmonious whole. !his theory of harmony is one ofthe main characteristics of Chinese cuisine of this day.THE MAIN CHARACTERISTICS/PRINCIPLES !here exists a certain Buni"ueness;that distinguishes Chinese cooking fromotherfoodcultures. !ostartwith, thereistheChinesedivisionwhenpreparing and serving food, between B)A. ,henever possible, different ingredients for the same dish should be cutintopiecesofthesameshapeaandsize, slicesarematchedwithslices,shreds with shreds, cubes with cubes, chunks with chunks and so on. !herearecertainshapes, whicharestandardinChinesecooking. Slice,Strip, Shred, Chunk, Jiece, Hice, Cube, Drain and 'ince. !he actual shape isdecided by the character of the ingredient and the cooking methodre"uired.SLICE: Are thin, flat pieces of the ingredient. Cut them by first cutting theingredient into sections as re"uired by the dimension of the slice, and thenslice the sections according to the desired thickness. !he re"uired size isoften decided by the cooking method.STRIP0 SHRED:Stripsandshredsaresimilar=oneisthicker, otheristhinner.)irstcuttheingredient into slices,thenpile themoneon top ofeach other like a pack of playing cards and cut them into strips or shreds asdesired.CHUN"0 PIECE:!herearemany kinds of chunks andpiecesF diamond,hexagonal, rectangular or wedge shaped. Cut thembyfirst cutting theingredientintobroadstripsorsections, andthenintosmallerpiecesasre"uired.DICE0 CUBE: Hiced cubes and small cubes are pieces cut from strips.!RAIN0 MINCE:Drainsarefinelychoppedingredient, andarecutfromshreds. 'ince is even finer and is cut by much chopping and pressings withthe flat of the blade. &nadditiontothese, thereare)%$,/.=C8!!&thcentury&mperial Hietitian 0literally B)ood Hoctor $fficial5.3hat dete%)ine& h.)an li(e i& the )ind -hi$h i& the )a&te% 1ody i( the1ody i& at ea&e and in ha%)ony -ith the en*i%on)ent the )ind -ill 1ea1le to deal -ith all $han,e& in li(eTh.& it i& i)+o%tant to /ee+ the1ody in ,ood %e+ai% and )aintenan$e0 e&&en$e o( -hi$h i& to /ee+ the,olden )ean0 that i& not too de(i$ient in n.t%ition and not to ind.l,e ine>$e&&e&U&e o( @ (la*o%& 6&alty0 &-eet0 &o.%0 1itte%0 and +i9.ant8tothe @ *ital o%,an&I( the&e a%e at +ea$e0 the *ital (l.id to .& -ill (lo-&)oothly0 then o.% )ind -ill(ind it& e9.ili1%i.) and the -hole +e%&on-ill (ind hi)&el( in a &.+%e)e &tate o( -ell 1ein,4e%non CoelhoIHM M.)1ai2A??:?232