Unit22CulinaryDelightsinChinaChinesecuisineisabrilliantfacetofChineseculture,whichisprovenbythefactthatChineserestaurantsarefoundscatteredeverywherethroughouttheworld.Today,theculinaryindustryisdevelopingevenmorerapidlythanbefore.Adecadeago,Beijinghadafewthousandrestaurants,whiletodaythereareover100000restaurantsofdifferentsizesinthecity.RegionalChineseCuisines ItiswidelyacknowledgedthatfromMingandQingdynastiesonwards,thereareeightmajorofcuisinebasedonregionalcooking.TheycamefromShandong,Sichuan,Guangdong,Fujian,Jiangsu,Zhejiang,Hunan,andAnhuiprovinces.Inadditiontothesetraditionalcuisines,theculinaryindustryinChinahasundergonegreatchanges,asalmosteveryplacehasitsownlocalspecialties,andthedifferentcuisinesgatherinbigcitiessuchasBeijing.Sichuan,knownasNature’sStorehouse,isalsoastorehouseofcuisine.Here,eachandeveryrestaurantsprovidesdeliciousyeteconomicalculinaryfare.TheingredientsforSichuancuisinearesimplebutthespicesusedarequitedifferent.Sichuancuisineisfamousforitsspicyandhotfood,yetjustbeinghotandspicydoesnotnecessarilydistinguishitfromotherhotandspicycuisinessuchasHunanorGuizhoucuisine.WhatisreallyspecialaboutSichuancuisineistheuseofChinesepricklyashseeds,thetasteofwhichleavesafeelingofnumbnessonone’stongueandmouth.Besidestheuniquespice,Sichuandishesarealsousuallypreparedwithotherspiceslikechilipepper.Usingfermentedbeansauceandasetofuniquecookingmethods.Sichuancuisineisnowfamousandpopularacrosstheworld.Overrecentyears,therehaveappearedmanymorerenownedrestaurantsspecializinginSichuancuisine,suchastheTanFamilyFishHeadrestaurant.GuangdongProvinceislocatedinsouthernChina,withamoderateclimateandabundantproduceallyearround.Asoneoftheearliestportsopentoforeigntrade,theprovincehasdevelopedaculinaryculturewithitsowncharacteristicsthathasexertedafar-reachinginfluenceonotherpartsofChinaaswellasthroughouttheworldwhereitisthemostcommonlyavailableChinesecuisine.Guangdongcuisineisfamousforitsseafoodaswellasitsoriginalityandrefinedcookingprocesses.Varioussoupsinthiscuisinearelovedbypeoplealloverthecountry.Zhejiangcuisineislightandexquisite,andistypicaloffoodfromalongthelowerYangtzeRiver.OnefamousdishisWestLakeVinegarFish,whichlooksprettyandhasthedelicaterefreshingflavorsofnature.ManyChineserestaurantsinChina,aswellasotherpartsoftheworld,servethisdish,butoftentheflavorislessauthenticcomparedtothatfoundinHangzhou,capitalofZhejiangProvince,whichhasuniqueaccesstothefishandwaterofWestLake.EveryDishHasaStoryThenamesofChinesedishesarediverse,butbehindeachofthefamousdishesisaninterestingstoryexplainingwhyitispopular.Agoodnamecanmakethedishmoreinteresting.However,somenamesaresoeccentricthattheymayconfusepeople,bothChineseandforeigners.Ifyouonlytranslatethenamesliterallywithnoexplanation,youmaymakeafoolofyourself.TakeGoubulisteamedbunsinthecityofTianjinforexample.Thesepopularbunsareallofthesizeandhandmade.Whenservedinneatrowsonatray,theylooklikebuddingchrysanthemumflowers.Thewrappingisthin,thefillingsarejuicy,themeattendenandthetastedeliciousandnotatallgreasy.Thenwhythename?Thereisaninterestingstorybehindit,GoubulisteamedbuswerefirstsoldinTianjinabout150yearsago.AlocalyoungmanbythenameGouzi(dog)workedasanapprenticeinashopsellingbaozi(steamedbuns).Afterthreeyears,hesetuphisownbaozishop.Becausehisbunsweresodelicious,hesoonhadathrivingbusiness,withmoreandmorepeoplecomingtobuyhisbuns.AshardworkingasDogwas,hecouldnotkeepupwithdemandsohiscustomersoftenhadtowaitalongtimetobeserved.Impatient,somepeoplewouldcallouttourgehimon,butashewassobusypreparingthebuns,hedidn’tanswer.PeoplethereforecametocallhisbunsGoubuli,meaning“Dogpaysnoattention”.Thiseccentricname,however,hashadverygoodpromotionaleffects,andhasbeenusedeversince.NowGoubuliisnowatime-cherishedbrandnameinTianjin.InZhejiangcuisine,thereisawell-knowndishcalledDongpoMeat.Thisdishofstreakyporkispreparedoveraslowfirewherethebigchunksofporkarebraisedwithgarnishesofgreenonion,ginger,cookingwine,soysauce,andsugar.Thefinisheddishisbrightredincolorandthemeatistenderandjuicyand,liketheGoubulibuns,notatallgreasy.ThisdishwasnamedafterSuDongpo(1037-1101),agreatpoetoftheNorthernSongDynasty,whocreateditwhenhewasinHangzhou.Itissaidthat,whenhewasinchargeofthedrainageworkfortheWestLake,SuDongporewardedworkerswithstewedporkinsoysauce,andpeoplelaternameditDongpoMeat,tocommemoratethisgiftedandgenerouspoet.FujiancuisineboastsafamousdishcalledBuddhaJumpingtheWall,thenumberonedishoftheprovince.Thisdishispreparedwithmorethan20mainingredients,includingchicken,duck,seacucumber,driedscallop,tendon,sharklip,fishmaw,ham,andmorethanadozengarnisheslikemushrooms,winterbambooshootsandpigeoneggs.Alltheseingredientsareplacedintoaceramicpot,withcookingwineandchickenandchickenbrothadded,andthencookedoveraslowfireuntilthemeatistenderandjuicyandthesoupbecomessmoothandthick.Itisfamousforleavingalingeringaftertasteinthemouth.Thestorybehindthenameofthespecialtygoesasfollows:BuddhaJumpingoverthewallwascreatedbyarestaurantcalledGatheringSpringGardeninFuzhou,Fujian,duringtheregionoftheQingEmperorGuangxu.ItwasfirstnamedEightTreasuresStewedinaPotandthenamewaslaterchangedtoBlessingandLongevity.Oneday,severalscholarscametoGatheringSpringGardenforameal.Whenthedishwasserved,oneofthescholarsimprovisedapoem:”Fragrancespreadstotheneighborhoodoncethelidlifts,/OnewhiffandtheBuddhajumpsthewall,abandoningtheZenprecepts,”Hencethenameofthedish.

WarmthandHospitalityExpressedbyFoodWiththeever-wideningopeninguptotheoutsideworld,Westernpracticesexertsomeinfluence,yettheyhavenotreallychangedtheeatinghabitsoftheChinesepeople.IntheeyesofChinese,whatisimportantabouteating,especiallyatfestivals,istoeatinawarmatmosphere.Oftentheoldandyoungstillsitinorderofseniority,andtheeldersselectfoodfortheyoungwhilsttheyoungmaketoaststotheelders.Chinesepeopleliketocreatealively,warm,andharmoniousatmosphereduringmeals.AhostessorhostinChinawillapportionthebestpartsofthedishestoguests.Usingapairofservingchopsticks,sheorheoffersthebestpartofasteamedfishtothemostimportantguest.SuchcustomsofarrangingdishesarestillpopularamongelderChinese,asawayofexpressingrespect,concernandhospitality.SuchculinarycustomshavehadacertaininfluenceonthecharacterofChinesepeople.Inasense,ithasstrengthenedthecollectivespiritofthenation.Atapartyorabanquet,everyonefirsttakesintoconsiderationstheneedsofthegroup,withtheeatingprocessalsobeingatimetoshowhumilityandconcernforothers.ThisisdifferentfromWesterneatinghabits,whichpaymoreattentiontoindividualneeds.InChina,foodeatenduringfestivalsisparticularlyimportant.Atdifferentfestivals,peoplepartakeofdifferentfare.Forexample,ontheeveoftheSpringFestival,peopleinthenorthalwayseatjiaozi,meatandvegetabledumplings,atfamilyreunions.ThisisawayofbiddingfarewelltotheoldyearandwelcomingtheNewYear.TheLanternFestivalisadayofcelebration,andonthisdaypeopleliketoeatyuanxiao,sweetdumplingsmadeofglutinousriceflour,tosymbolizefamilyreunionandperfection.AttheDuanwuFestival,peopleeatzongzi,glutinousricewrappedinapyramidshapeinreedleaves,tocommemoratethebelovedpoetQuYuan(c.339-c.278BC),whodrownedhimselfintheMiluoRiverafterbeingpoliticallywronged.Legendhasitthatpeopleatthetimethrewzongziintotheriverinthehopethatthewaterdragonwouldnottakehimaway.ThislatergraduallydevelopedintoacustomofmakingandeatingzongziduringtheDuanwuFestical.SuperbSkillsofChineseChiefChinesecookingattachessymbolicimportancetotheideaofmakingdishesbyhand,andthisisonereasonforthequalityofthecooking.Sometimes,eatingislikeenjoyinganaerobaticperformance.Forexample,paredfreshnoodles,aspecialtyofShanxiProvince,aremadeinanaerobaticstyle.Acookstandsameterawayfromawok,inwhichwaterisboiling.Withachunkofdoughsetonhisarmandasharpknifeinhishand,heparesthedoughintothinpiecesprojectedrightintotheboilingwater,asceneverymuchresemblingfishdivingintowater.Anypersonwitnessingthissceneforthefirsttimewouldbefascinatedbythesuperbskillofthecook,somuchsoastoforgettoeat.Itisevenmoreinterestingtoknowthatinthepastacookusuallyputthedoughonhisheadandusedtwoknivesinsteadofonetoparethenoodles.