National cuisine of China for gourmets

China is a country of contrasts where the cultures of the West and the East are united into a single whole. The same goes for cooking. Chinese cuisine is a combination of incongruous, exotic and tradition, which can surprise even the most sophisticated gourmet. The main thing for Chinese people is a pleasant appearance and a mix of different products and their properties. In addition to the five main tastes, Chinese cuisine also offers fresh, fragrant, and "golden" (like Kumquats fruits) tastes. Culinary traditions of one region are strikingly different from the neighboring ones, depending on climatic conditions, history, and traditions.

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Throughout the country, the most popular products are rice and soy. These products replace bread and meat respectively. Products made from flour and dough are very popular in China. Noodles, tortillas, dumplings are served at every table. Vegetables play a very important role in Chinese cooking: various sorts of cabbage, bamboo shoots, spinach, pepper are added to many national dishes after being well-prepared. The most popular meat is pork, while beef and lamb go next. All dishes are necessarily served with spicy sauces. Poultry, fish, and a variety of seafood have found their use in Chinese cuisine. Milk and dairy products are cut out of the Chinese diet.

In Chinese cooking, there are four main directions: Beijing, Shanghai, Sichuan, and Cantonese cuisines. Each of them has its own peculiarities. Shanghai or Oriental cuisine is famous for its meat dishes and seafood. Meat is always richly seasoned with spices. In the provinces of Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and in Shanghai, soups are prepared with mushrooms, cabbage, and pork. Be sure to try eel in a wine sauce with garlic, Tofu - the most famous soy cheese with fish, as well as fried noodles with shrimps. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

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The imperial culinary tradition of the North includes rice, which can be served either separately or as a side dish for meat. In this region, the most popular Chinese dish famous far beyond the borders is cooked. It is Peking Duck, the preparation of which takes up to 24 hours. This duck is often served with thin pancakes, sweet bean sauce, and garlic, but the main thing is a crispy crust. "Beggar's Chicken" is stuffed with mushrooms, cabbage, onions, and spices, then rolled in clay, wrapped in lotus leaves, and fried in a special oven. While in Beijing, don't miss your chance to try Sichuan Hogo - an extravagantly presented dish that consists of two kinds of meat, noodles, shrimps, vegetables, and fish.

Cantonese cuisine, the most non-traditional cuisine of the South, offers dishes from snake, tortoise, canine and cat meat. More traditional specialties include you steamed fish, Dim Sum dumplings served in baskets of bamboo leaves, shark fin soup. The cuisine of Sichuan Province is characterized by large amounts of spices, herbs, and garlic. Most dishes are steamed or smoked. Be sure to try "Tofu" - soy milk cottage cheese perfect for vegetarians. Gong Bao Chicken with pepper and nuts, as well as dumplings with more than two hundred various fillings, are an integral part of the region's culinary tradition.

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For those with a sweet tooth, Chinese cuisine offers a variety of desserts: an unusual sweet tortoise soup, "Tangyuan" - steamed sweet rice pies, Nyangao Chinese rice cookies, thinly sliced ice poured with fruit syrup, tapioca pudding, herbal jelly and much more. Chinese sweets are made from rice, bamboo leaves, corn flour, and are very different from European ones.

Green tea is the most popular local drink. It is served hot and drunk without sugar. The traditional Gongfu tea ceremony can compete with the Japanese one. This ritual symbolizes respect and care from the host to the guest, as well as diligence and sacrificing one's ego in favor of the visitor. The guest, in turn, accepts the kindness, learning to express gratitude and appreciation. Rice vodka and rice beer are popular alcoholic drinks. Here you can also find rice, yellow and white filtered wines reaching 60% Vol.

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National cuisine of China for gourmets

Cuisine and restaurants in popular cities of China