After the formation of Chinese cuisine in the history of China, it has continued to develop and improve. Until today, delicious Chinese food has been known by many people in the world, and it has been liked by many people. So which Chinese food do you like? Do you know why Chinese food is so delicious? Do you know the characteristics of Chinese cuisine? I am studying at the Chinese New Oriental Cooking School. Let me tell you the characteristics of Chinese cuisine.
Choose the right ingredients
China has a vast territory and there are a variety of uniquely local cooking ingredients due to the varied geography and climate of different regions.
If you want to cook a perfect dish, then you have to pay attention to the selection of ingredients. For example, the famous Peking duck: for authentic Peking duck you must choose the local Beijing duck (the White or American Pekin duck, Anas platyrhynchos domestica), raised using a very specific method, to cook the crispy skin and tender meat that characterizes Peking duck.
Choose ingredients that balance flavors and nutrients
We know that a good horse needs a good saddle. It is the same in cooking. In order to make the finished dishes look beautiful, we should pay attention to the shape of the ingredients when choosing the ingredients. In order to make the taste of the ingredients and the main ingredients consistent, we must consider whether the taste of the ingredients and the main ingredients are appropriate when choosing.
In modern times, when people are pursuing the taste of food, they want food to become nutritious. This is also important characteristic of Chinese cuisine. For the nutritional balance of dishes, we must consider the acid-base balance of the ingredients, protein and other nutrients.
Skilled Use of the Knife
Using a knife is the basic skill of a chef, it is a manifestation of the level of a chef. Chinese cuisine is well-known for the precision of the knife. The chef cuts the ingredients into neat shapes with a knife in his hand, carving vivid patterns. Many dishes are famous for their beautiful appearance. This is the result of the Chinese chef’s skillful use of the knife.
Control the fire
The control of heat is a standard for testing the skill level of Chinese chefs. No professional chef will burn the ingredients. When cooking, the size of the heat has a great influence on the finished dish, and it directly determines the taste, shape, color and nutrition of the dish. So, if you want to cook a delicious dish, you must learn to control the cooking fire.
Seasoning is the core characteristic of Chinese cuisine
In China, the basic seasonings in home kitchens are salt, sugar, soy sauce, soybean or peanut oil, cooking wine, oyster sauce, etc. But in the professional kitchens of hotels and restaurants, they have more condiments.
Seasonings are the core characteristic of Chinese cuisine. Chinese cuisine not only pays attention to the original taste of the ingredients, but also emphasizes the sublimation of the taste of the dishes by the choice of seasonings. Each of the eight major cuisines has distinct differences in the seasonings used.
For example, red-braising makes use of dark soy sauce to give the meat its characteristic color and flavor. A common characteristic of Guangxi cuisine is the use of vinegar for pickling and fermented vegetables. Sichuan cuisine is famous for its “mala” flavor, the slight numbing sensation from Sichuan Peppercorns.
Variety of Cuisines
Chinese cuisine has experienced thousands of years of development. Each ethnic group and each region has its own eating habits and representative dishes. Therefore, the types of Chinese cuisine are always developing and increasing. There are common characteristics of all Chinese cuisines, but there are also distinct characteristics in each of the major cuisines.
Tableware
There are many types of Chinese dishes. You can see large, small, rectangular, square, round, and various shapes of tableware in professional kitchens. Tableware materials also include copper, iron, wood, porcelain, etc. Appropriate tableware can beautify the dishes and make them more appetizing.
Cooking methods
The cooking method refers to the process of making a dish. These are divided into hot dish and cold dish techniques. For example, stir-fried, pan-fried, steamed, braised, red-braised, stewed, and cold dishes. There are many kinds of Chinese cuisine, so there are many cooking techniques. According to the different dishes, the techniques used are also different.
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