Beijing

Features and history of Beijing cuisine The Qing Dynasty was a major period in the formation of Beijing cuisine. Before the Boxer Rebellion, the foodservice establishments in Beijing were arranged very strictly by the foodservice guild. Each category of the establishment was specifically based on its ability to provide for a particular segment of the market. The top ranking foodservice establishments served nobles, aristocrats, wealthy merchants and landlords, while lower ranking foodservice establishments served the populace of lower financial and social status. It was during this period when Beijing cuisine gained fame and became recognised by the Chinese culinary society, and the hierarchy of the foodservice was one of its most obvious characteristics as part of its culinary and its art of good eating or ‘gastronomic’ cultures during this first peak of its formation. The official stratification or hierarchy was an essential part of the local culture of Beijing and it was not abolished officially until after the end of the Qing Dynasty, which resulted in the second peak in the formation of Beijing cuisine. Meals previously offered to nobles and aristocrats were made available to anyone who can afford them instead of being restricted only to the upper class. As chefs freely switched between jobs offered by different foodservice establishments, they brought their skills that further enriched and developed Beijing cuisine. Though the stratification of food services in Beijing was no longer effected by imperial laws, the structure more or less remained despite continuous weakening due to the financial background of the local clientele.

Beijing Cuisine Beijing Peking Duck Chinese Dumplings Shredded Pork in Beijing Sauce 北京烤鸭 饺子 京酱肉丝 běijīng kǎoyā jiǎozi jīng jiàng ròu sī

Interesting story about Beijing cuisine Beijing Peking Duck was thought to be originated from a roast goose from Europe. Marco Polo brought traditional dishes to the Chinese during the Yuan Dynasty about 1271 to 1368. Duck was found to be a great substitute for goose just like the American turkey. Ducks were roasted in a area called Jinling but later cooked in Beijing being the reason for it called BEIJING Peking Duck.

Beijing Peking Duck Ingredients: One 5 to 6-pound whole duck, Sea salt, Freshly ground white pepper, 6 tablespoons honey, 4 tablespoons Chinese five- spice powder, 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce, 2 tablespoons brown sugar Method: Prick the duck all over with a small knife or fork. Carefully pour hot water over the duck to rinse. Discard the hot water. Place the duck on a rack in a roasting pan and dry all over by patting it with paper towels. Sprinkle the duck with salt and pepper and leave it in the roasting pan until ready to cook. In a small bowl, mix together the honey, 6 tablespoons water, five-spice, soy sauce and brown sugar. Brush the duck all over, inside and out. Let dry for about 10 minutes and then brush again. Repeat this process until you have used all but 4 to 5 tablespoons of the glaze (reserve this glaze). Ideally, let the glaze marinate on the duck overnight, leaving it uncovered in the fridge. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the duck in the oven and cook for 45 minutes. Flip the duck over, baste with the reserved glaze and cook until the skin is crisp and golden brown, another 45 minutes. Make sure you check halfway through that it is not getting too dark. If it is getting too dark before half the cook time is up, turn your heat down and lower the rack in the oven. Peking Duck is a famous duck dish from Beijing that has been prepared since the imperial era. The meat is prized for its thin, crisp skin, with authentic versions of the dish serving mostly the skin and little meat, sliced in front of the diners by the cook. Ducks bred specially for the dish are slaughtered after 65 days and seasoned before being roasted in a closed or hung oven. The dish is best when eaten with scallion, cucumber and sweet bean sauce with pancakes rolled around the fillings. Sometimes pickled radish is also inside and other sauces can be used. Ducks represent fidelity in Chinese culture. So Peking duck is often found at things like a Chinese wedding banquette. Also, red dishes like Peking Duck are favoured at things like weddings because the colour red represents happiness.

Why do Beijing have these flavours in their cuisine Beijing is a amazing place with amazing flavours. Many people in Beijing like its many flavours and different food type. In Beijing has many plants/materiel to create amazing sauces and different customs example given Europe, American, Japan, Australia and its own country China combine create a unique and once again amazing flavours.

Chinese table manners When helping yourself to the dishes, you should take food first from the plates in front of you rather than those in the middle of the table or in front of others. It's bad manners to use your chopsticks to burrow through the food and "dig for treasure" and keep your eyes glued to the plates. When finding your favorite dish, you should not gobble it up as quickly as possible or put the plate in front of yourself and proceed to eat like a horse. You should consider others at the table. If there is not much left on a plate and you want to finish it, you should consult others. If they say they don’t want any more, then you can eat proceed. Concentrate on the meal and your companions. Watching television, using your phone, or carrying on some other activity while having a meal is considered a bad habit. You should try to refill your bowl with rice yourself and take the initiative to fill the bowls of elders with rice and food from the dishes. If elders fill your bowl or add food to your bowl, you should express your thanks. Tea usually is served as soon as you have a seat in a restaurant. A waiter/waitress serves you tea while you read the menu and decide what to order. The tea pot is left with you on the table after everyone around the table's cup is filled with tea. Guests then serve themselves. When someone pours tea into your cup, you can tap the table with your first two fingers two or three times, showing thanks to the pourer for the service and of being enough tea. The pourer will stop pouring when seeing the gesture. It is not good manners to pick up too much food at a time. You should behave elegantly. When taking food, don’t nudge or push against your neighbour. Don’t let the food splash or let soup or sauce drip onto the table. When eating, you should close your mouth to chew food well before you swallow it, which is not only a requirement of etiquette, but also better for digestion. You should by no means open your mouth wide, fill it with large pieces of food and eat up greedily. Don’t put too much food into your mouth at a time to avoid leaving a gluttonous impression. Neither should you stretch your neck, open your mouth wide and extend your tongue to catch food you are lifting to your mouth. When removing bones or other inedible parts of the meal from your mouth, use chopsticks or a hand to take them and put them on a side plate (or the table) in front of you, instead of spitting them directly onto the table or the ground. If there is food around your mouth, use a tissue or a napkin to wipe it, instead of licking it with your tongue. When chewing food, don’t make noises. It is best not to talk with others with your mouth full. Be temperate in laughing lest you spew your food or the food goes down your windpipe and causes choking. If you need to talk, you should speak little and quietly. If you want to cough or sneeze, use your hand or a handkerchief to cover your mouth and turn away. If you find something unpleasant in your mouth when chewing or phlegm in the throat, you should leave the dinner table to spit it out.

What are the similarities and differences of Australian and Beijing cuisine Australian food due to its multi-cultural nature, has been originated from another country for example France, America, and the United Kingdom etc. Although this explained that Australian food can’t be compared to Chinese but by doing further research and from experience’s we found that almost all Beijing food made in Australia has been altered to fit an average Australian's need. Many places in Australia uses different meat that are mostly basic like pork and beef where in Beijing cuisine they use some extraordinary meat such as frog or using different spices. Beijing cuisines consists of more exotics flavours where in Australia, people find it to be duller with less flavours consisted in it. Lastly Beijing and Australia cuisines cook their food more or less the same using the normal and regular tools to cook with.

Create dish which features this cuisine but caters for most Australian’s taste, a story and a name for your dish The Australian Soy Chicken Made of chicken that’s been and diced and sliced into little pieces then deep-fried and mixed into some soy sauce then wrapped into a dough and deep-fried again and then sliced into the little slices the prepared with some rice and more soy sauce. the story behind the dish is a British man moves to America then visits Beijing and lastly Australia but he wanted to have a dish that reminded him of all the countries so he made the dish The Australian Soy Chicken.

In your opinion, is the cuisine healthy? Why or why not? A lot of the oils and fatty meats used in Beijing Cuisine are not the healthiest but like with most other foods, they should be eaten in moderation. Despite not being the healthiest choice Beijing street food and cuisine is eaten by many on a daily basis due to its extremely tasty and flavoursome food. The Beijing Cuisine consists mainly of meat and spicy food items. The meat is high in protein and also high in fat. The protein is very beneficial for the body as it helps to develop tissues and fibres. The fat on the other hand, if consumed in excess and contribute to obesity and being overweight. The fat needs to be controlled. The spicy items can harm your metabolism and digestive system. The food can interrupt the natural flow of the body and cause stomach acids to deform. This can lead to health problems if the spicy items become a regular thing. Therefore the Beijing cuisine is fine as long as it is used in a controlled way. For example only consuming meals about 3 times a week. It provides essential nutrients and vitamins but can lead to health problems.

What do you like of Chinese food/cuisine What do you like of Chinese food/cuisine? What don’t you like of Chinese food/cuisine? Give your reason. I like this cuisine because of its unique flavours and textures; i dislike some of the strange animals and insects used in Beijing Cuisine though a lot of these irregularities are great favourites in China

Any other things about Chinese food/cuisine that have provoked your thinking? Beijing Cuisine is prepared in many different and interesting ways as well as their strange, sometimes terrifying and amazing ingredients. One of the most intriguing things about Beijing Cuisine is how a lot of street food is prepared on a stick, from fish to crab, food on a stick is one of the most common and efficient qualities of their cuisine.

A quiz of 10 multiple choice questions about your researched cuisine and Chinese food

Where were ducks originally roasted before it began in Beijing? Jinling Horoshima Xiajing Answer= 1

Which of the following is not a traditional dish from Beijing cuisine? Chinese dumplings Shredded pork Fish and chips Answer= 1 or 2

What do ducks symbolise in Chinese culture? Love Respect Fidelity Answer= 3

During which dynasty did Marco Paulo bring dishes to china? Yaun dynasty Xia dynasty Shang dynasty Answer= 1

How many days are Beijing duck bred for until they’re slaughtered? 45 20 65 Answer= 3

Which one of the following were most important in Beijing cuisine hierarchy? Nobles Landlords Merchants Answer= 1

What gesture is used to thank a waiter and stop them from pouring tea? Tapping the table 2 or 3 times Raising your hand Whistling Answer= 1

Who brought the practice of roasted duck to Beijing? Marco Paulo Jing Lang Jack Turbell Answer= 1

Which of the following was involved in Beijing cuisine history? Stratification Legends and Myths Rocks Answer= 1

When is tea usually served at a restaurant? As soon as you sit down The same time your meal is served Whenever you order it Answer= 1