What is Chinese food? Presented by: sws

So, what is Chinese food?

Chinese food is hard to define, because… China is a big country Size: slightly bigger than the U.S. Demography: 1.34 billion people with 56 ethnic groups Chinese people are devoted to food! Other peoples eat to live; Chinese people live to eat Spend huge amount of time on cooking and eating Chinese food is highly diversified 8 culinary traditions Wide variety of materials and cooking techniques China has a long history One of the four ancient civilizations, and the only one that lasts continuously to today (nearly 4000 years)

My task today Summarize the high-level features of Chinese food Try to have these features make logical sense Emphasis on traditional Chinese food features in contrast to American/western food

Roadmap Eating from the same plates

Why? Sharing food means trust Collectivism tradition Easy to create the jolly atmosphere Fit for picture of the traditional big family Caution: serving utensils are common but not always present. Important etiquette: do not rummage in the dishes.

Roadmap Eating from the same plates Round tables; multiple courses

Round tables & multiple courses Glass rotating plate! Man-Han Banquet: 108 courses, lasts 3 days

Roadmap Eating from the same plates Round tables; multiple courses Chopsticks

Silver chopsticks, South Song Dynasty (1127 – 1279) Square upper half Round lower half Blunt ends Diverse materials Japanese Korean Chinese

Chopsticks nippingpickingholding In use at least 3100 years ago Chinese is an agricultural people Staple of ancient Chinese: millet congee with vegetables

Roadmap Eating from the same plates Round tables; multiple courses ChopsticksHot meals

Very limited direct contact between hands and food Cold dishes = appetizers Things can be very hot! Sizzling hot plate Clay pot

Roadmap Eating from the same plates Round tables; multiple courses Chopsticks Bite size or smaller Hot meals

Bite size or smaller Food can never be delicate enough; meat can never be fine enough. -- Confucius

Roadmap Eating from the same plates Round tables; multiple courses Chopsticks Bite size or smaller No knife on the table Hot meals

No knife on the table Gentlemen should stay away from the kitchen. -- Mendacious

No knife on the table What about Peking Duck?

Roadmap Eating from the same plates Round tables; multiple courses Chopsticks Bite size or smaller No knife on the table Kitchen knife Hot meals

Kitchen knife Big, heavy All-around: one for raw, one for cooked Big surface for transferring finely chopped materials Heavy emphasis on cutting techniques Video– Wen Si TofuWen Si Tofu

Roadmap Eating from the same plates Round tables; multiple courses Chopsticks Bite size or smaller No knife on the table Kitchen knife Stir-fry / hotpot Hot meals

Stir-fry Fine pieces of materials are added into hot oil Materials are well cooked in a few minutes Spherical-bottomed wok + flames Fit for the fry and flip action Materials slide naturally to the bottom, making them easier to get well-mixed and evenly heated Video– stir-fry of pork liverstir-fry of pork liver

Hotpot

Roadmap Eating from the same plates Round tables; multiple courses Chopsticks Bite size or smaller No knife on the table Kitchen knife Stir-fry / hotpot No raw meat/fish/egg Hot meals

Other features of Chinese food Of course, Chinese people eat everything! High carbohydrate, low diary Salty flavor as the base Medicine and food share the same origin. Approximation / inaccuracy – cooking is an art than science! Food is embedded in culture, especially festivities