Beyond Kung Pao Chicken “The Eight Great Cuisines” 中国八大名菜 Confucius Institute At Texas A&M University 得克萨斯州 A&M 大学孔子学院

What Americans Believe Chop Suey, Eggroll, Kung Pao, Mongolian Beef, Sweet & Sour, Egg Drop Soup, Fried Rice, Lo Mein, Shrimp with Lobster Sauce, Fortune Cookie, etc. Confucius Institute At Texas A&M University 得克萨斯州 A&M 大学孔子学院

What Chinese Think Confucius Institute At Texas A&M University 得克萨斯州 A&M 大学孔子学院

Food is culture Americans comfort necessity indulgence convenient individual homogeneous Chinese comfort life medicine crafted shared diverse Confucius Institute At Texas A&M University 得克萨斯州 A&M 大学孔子学院

Food and Geography Confucius Institute At Texas A&M University 得克萨斯州 A&M 大学孔子学院 The 8 Great Cuisines: Shandong Jiangsu Zhejiang Cantonese Fujian Sichuan Hunan Anhui

Shandong Cuisine earliest “regional cuisine” in China, dating back to the “Spring Autumn” Dynasty (~ 500 B.C.) became an icon of “Northern cuisine” after the Song Dynasty had great influence on Beijing & Tianjin cuisines, which are the basis of the “royal cuisine” characteristics: light; uses a wide range of cooking methods; lots of soups and seafood examples: roast duck, deep fried meatballs, steamed tofu, braised whole abalone Confucius Institute At Texas A&M University 得克萨斯州 A&M 大学孔子学院

Jiangsu Cuisine “home of fish and rice” home to Nanking, the South capital – melting pot of different regional cuisines characteristics: refined look, light in flavor, uses a lot of seafood, sophisticated use of sugar, slow-cook examples: meat balls with bak choy, eight treasure rice, sweet and sour fish Confucius Institute At Texas A&M University 得克萨斯州 A&M 大学孔子学院

Zhejiang Cuisine similar to Jiangsu cuisine “delicate and pure” famous for tea and wine characteristics: elegant, light, fresh, emphasize true flavor of food examples: shrimp with green tea, shark fin and ham soup, fish with vinegar Confucius Institute At Texas A&M University 得克萨斯州 A&M 大学孔子学院

Cantonese Cuisine international influence from Southeast Asia, Europe and the U.S., as well as other regions in China wide range of ingredients; very seasonal well known for its dim sum characteristics: fresh, extensive use of stir-fry and steaming, innovative examples: barbeque pork wrapped in rice noodle, stir-fry shrimps, birds’ nest in sweet coconut soup Confucius Institute At Texas A&M University 得克萨斯州 A&M 大学孔子学院

Fujian Cuisine fusion of North-South cuisines famous for its soups and vegetarian dishes characteristics: lots of seafood, strong flavors, fresh ingredients, emphasis on knife skills examples: “chrysanthemum” fish, whole chicken steamed in spiced “gao liang” liquor, stir-fry clams Confucius Institute At Texas A&M University 得克萨斯州 A&M 大学孔子学院

Sichuan Cuisine another early regional cuisine, developed around the Qin Dynasty (~ 200 B.C.) further developed during the civil war and “endorsed” by a lot of famous writers at that time well known for its spicy hot pot characteristics: extensive use of spices, examples: twice cooked pork, paper hot pot, extra thin beef Confucius Institute At Texas A&M University 得克萨斯州 A&M 大学孔子学院

Hunan Cuisine abundant natural resources: fish, cattle, agriculture well known for snacks & street food characteristics: tart and spicy, extensive use of pickles, slow-cook in broth examples: stuffed chili peppers, very spicy shrimps, steamed fish in bamboo Confucius Institute At Texas A&M University 得克萨斯州 A&M 大学孔子学院

Anhui Cuisine “treasures of the mountain and the sea” food as medicine characteristics: extensive use of steaming and smoking, emphasis of “original flavor”, use of charcoal – slow-cook and smoking examples: fish in grape juice, smoked duck, steamed bamboo shoots in broth Confucius Institute At Texas A&M University 得克萨斯州 A&M 大学孔子学院