I was born in Guangxi, and now live in Anhui. There are many places in the world I would like to visit, especially to sample the many cuisines that different cultures have to offer. However, my home will always be China. I am Chinese in my soul, and I am proud of my homeland’s rich culture and long history.

The largest ethnic minority in China is the Zhuang people of Guangxi. My mother was Zhuang, but my father was Han Chinese and I was raised in the Han cultural tradition. The Zhuang have their own ethnic festivals and holidays, rich with colorful, beautiful clothing and singing and unique foods.

Influence of China’s geography on culture and cuisine

Much of China is like that. China is a large country, in terms of land mass, and the varied geography has produced many unique local cultures, and eight distinct and great cuisines. Three of those: Sichuan, Hunan, and Cantonese are popular around the world. These cuisines, like local culture, art, and architecture, all developed from the influences of local agriculture and geography. For example, Sichuan cuisine is known for “Mala” or the slightly numbing sensation caused by Sichuan peppercorns used to season the oil when preparing the dish. Sichuan Cuisine also makes use of hot chili peppers native to the region. Likewise, Anhui cuisine and architecture (known as Hui-style architecture) were strongly influenced by the mountains of southern Anhui province, and the Yangtze River. The river provided fish and transportation allowing Hui cultural influences to spread. The mountains provided unique wild ingredients used in many Anhui (or Hui) dishes.

Why does a Chinese recipe website have stories about culture and tradition?

You may wonder why a recipe website like My Chinese Home Kitchen shares so many stories about culture, history, and tradition. Well, culture and tradition are integral parts of Chinese family life, including meals. Every world culture has holiday meals. For instance, in the Western nations, Christmas and Easter are important family holidays in which food plays an important part in family gatherings. Chinese culture goes further.

In China, no one eats until everyone in the household is ready to eat. This may mean delaying a meal for hours, but if that is required then that is what we do. A common greeting among Chinese families is to ask “have you eaten today?” This is an expression of love by showing concern for another person’s well-being. We do not simply celebrate birthdays with a party and gifts, but with meals that honor our elders, and carry wishes for long life.