2024年1月21日发(作者：)

I. The stories behind foods:

Eating is the most important part of life. (民以食为天) Confucius

Chinese culture is food-oriented. (Have you had your meal? As a way of greeting)

Origin of Baozi

In the Wei and the Jin dynasties, baozi (stuffed bun) appeared. But at that time it

was called mantou (steamed bun). According to Chapter 91 of The Romance of Three

Kingdoms, when Zhuge Liang was on the punitive expedition to southern aboriginals,

he ordered the chefs to slay oxen and horses, knead dough into head-shaped pieces

and stuff them with beef and mutton, (唤行厨宰杀牛马，和面为剂，塑成人头，内以牛羊等肉代之，名曰“馒头”。) hence its name mantou (tou means head). It was not

until the Song Dynasty that people began to call it baozi.

Origin of Noodle

The predecessor of noodle was soup pancake (汤饼). It was different from baked or

steamed pancakes, and boiled in water.

Soup pancakes originated in the Han Dynasty. Its shape differed from that of

today’s noodle---- flat pieces rather than long and narrow pieces, similar to jiaozi

wrapper in shape.

Soup pancakes originated in the Han Dynasty. It was made by stretching the dough

with hands to certain length and boiling in hot water. In the Tang Dynasty, chopping

board, knife and rolling pin(擀面杖) were used instead of mere hands to roll dough and

cut pieces.

Vegetables

Chinese Leek (韭菜), cultivated in Han Dynasty, popular by Song Dynasty.

Eggplant（茄子）, first recorded in the Jin Dynasty, of Indian and Thai origin.

Cucumber（黄瓜）, also of Indian origin, introduced to China a little later than the

eggplant.

Carrot, native to northern Europe, introduced into China from Iran in the Yuan

Dynasty.

Tomato entered China through Western Europe as an ornamental plant in the early

18th century. It was not until the mid 19th century that it was cultivated as vegetable.

II. Features of Chinese Food

1. Colour, Aroma, and Taste

Colour refers not only color of food, but also layout and design.

Aroma refers to the fragrant and appetizing smell of the dishes

Taste is not only tasting the food itself, but also the appreciation of seasonings and

texture（口感）.

2. Cooking Methods

Time and temperature play an important role in cooking.

They include boiling (煮), stewing (煲/炖), braising (烧/焖/烩), frying (煎),

stir-frying (炒), quick-frying (爆), deep-frying (炸), frying and simmering (扒),

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sautéing (快煎), simmering (煨), smoking (熏), roasting or barbecuing (烤), baking

(烘), steaming (蒸) and scalding (白灼).

3. Seasonings

Taste mainly depends on the seasonings.

sour (vinegar),

sweet (sugar, honey),

bitter (dried tangerine

陈皮, bitter apricot kernel

苦杏仁).

pungent (chili, ginger姜, scallion

葱)

salty (salt, soy sauce),

fragrant (sesame oil香油, coriander

香菜, wine),

prickled (麻) (prickly ash

花椒)

tangy (味道浓烈的) (monosodium glutamate / MSG

味精)

4. Yin-yang Principle

Each food has its own characteristics of yin or yang.

Yin foods are thin (清淡), cooling and low in calories.

Yang foods are rich, spicy, warming and high in calories.

Boiling food makes them yin; frying them makes them yang.

Yin Foods:Bean sprout（豆芽）, Cabbage, Crab, Cucumber, Carrot, Duck, Tofu, Water

Yang Foods: Bamboo shoot竹笋, Beef, Chicken, Egg, Ginger, Glutinous rice糯米,

Mushroom, Sesame oil, Wine

5. Medicinal Function

In China, people believe that a food tonic (食补) is much better than a medicine in

building one's health.

medicinal cuisine combines strictly processed traditional Chinese medicine with

traditional culinary

materials to produce delicious food with health-restoring qualities.

Summer foods such as salads, cucumbers, and melons are ideal for hot weather.

Conversely,meats, root vegetables, hot soups, and stews炖菜are most nourishing in

winter.

III. Eight Regional Cuisines

Chuan, Xiang, Yue, Lu, Zhe, Hui, Min, Su

Foods vary from north to south.

Tastes also differ regionally because of the climatic differences.

“sweet in the south, salty in the north, sour in the west and spicy in the east”.

Lu Cai

famous for its qualities of freshness, clear colours, dedication to fragrance and pure

tastes.

Dezhou Braised Chicken (德州扒鸡 ) Yellow River Common Carp in Sweet and

Sour Sauce（糖醋黄河鲤鱼） Twisted Large Intestine(九转大肠）

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Chuan Cai

Especially for its hot and pungent flavoring.

Famous for its many flavors. Almost every dish has its own unique taste.

Mapo Tofu (麻婆豆腐 ) Fuqi Ox Lung Slice(夫妻肺片)，Spicy Diced Chicken

with Peanuts(宫保鸡丁 ) Fish-Flavored Pork Thread(鱼香肉丝 )

Yue Cai (粤菜)

Tasting clean, light, crisp and fresh.

(选料广博)world-renowned, especially for its snake dishes.

According to historic record in the Western Han Dynasty, “Cantonese regarded

snakes as superior dishes.”(越人得蚺蛇以为上肴）

It was also documented in the Southern Song Dynasty that Cantonese “ate

everything that moves”. (不问鸟兽虫蛇，无不食之）

Dragon and Tiger Locked in Battle (龙虎斗 )

Min Cai

noted for its light taste and sweet and sour flavour

particularly apt in preparing seafood dishes

Monk Jumps Over Wall (佛跳墙)

Su Cai

characteristically sweet taste.

preserves the food’s original flavour, while emphasizing strictly choice ingredients,

exquisite workmanship, and elegant shapes.

Shrimps in the Shape of Phoenix Tail(凤尾虾 )Saline Duck (盐水鸭 )

Zhe Cai

reputation for freshness, tenderness, softness, and smoothness in its dishes with

mellow

柔和的fragrance.

Dongpo Braised Pork(东坡肉 ) Longjing Shrimp (龙井虾仁 )

Hui Cai

highly distinctive not only for its elaborate choices of cooking ingredients but also

for its strict control of the cooking process.

Wuwei Smoked Chicken (无为熏鸡 ) Honeycomb Bean Curd(蜂窝豆腐 )

Xiang Cai

akin to Sichuan dishes

also characterized by a dense pungent flavor. Chili, pepper and shallot are

necessities in this cuisine.

Boiled Fish with Pickled Cabbage and Chili (酸菜鱼)

IV. Table Manners

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1. Arrangement of seats

Special guests and the elderly:

sit on the north side of the table or directly facing the entrance to the room.

“honoured south, humble north”

2. Chinese host use their chopsticks to put food in your bowl or plate. This is a sign of

politeness.

The appropriate thing to do would be to eat the whatever-it-is and say how yummy it

is.

If you feel uncomfortable with this, you can just say a polite thank you and leave the

food there.

3. Taboos:

Make sure the spout

茶壶嘴of the teapot is not facing anyone.

It is impolite to set the teapot down where the spout is facing towards somebody. The spout should

always be directed to where nobody is sitting, usually just outward from the table.

Don't stick your chopsticks upright in the rice bowl. Instead, lay them on your dish.

(reason: when somebody dies, the shrine to them contains a bowl of sand or rice with two sticks of

incense stuck upright in it. So if you stick your chopsticks in the rice bowl, it looks like this shrine

and is equivalent to wishing death upon a person at the table!)

Don't tap on your bowl with your chopsticks.

(Beggars tap on their bowls, so this is not polite. Also, when the food is coming too slow in a

restaurant, people will tap their bowls. If you are in someone's home, it is like insulting the cook. )

V. The courses

1. Serving order

cold dishes (a set of at least four )

main courses of hot meat and vegetable dishes

Soup

local staple food ( rice, noodles or dumplings)

Hot entrees (主菜) should be served starting on the left of the seat across from the

main guests.

2. Toasts

Once the guests are seated, the host proposes a toast to the guests whilst saying,

“Drink first to show respect”(先干为敬). Then the host and guests empty their

glasses.

It is perfectly acceptable to have three toasts (traditionally signifying friendship)

with the entire company, rather than one separate toast for every individual present.

Some other toasts can be offered: “Toast for your health”, “Toast to our friendship”,

etc.

4. Chinese chopsticks

The correct holding of the chopsticks is to grab the chopsticks in the middle,

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making sure that the ends are even.

VI. Chinese Tea

“Seven things in the house:

firewood, rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar and tea”.

1. History of Chinese Tea

According to Lu Yu’s Tea Classics 陆羽 《茶经》, tea-drinking in China can be traced

back to the Zhou Dynasty (1100-221 B.C.):

“Tea was discovered by Shennong and became popular as a drink in the State of

Lu because of Zhou Gong.”

茶之为饮,发乎神农氏,闻于鲁国公

2. Tea Ceremony茶道

The art of tea making and drinking

the method of brewing tea

沏（茶）

the drinking utensils (the teacup, tea saucer, teapot, tea tray)

茶具

the serving etiquette

3. Tea Classification

five types:

green tea (绿茶), black tea (红茶), (乌龙茶), compressed tea (砖茶: brick tea), and

scented tea (花茶).

Some minor types are white tea and yellow tea.

Famous brands of teas

Longjing of West Lake，Biluochun （green tea）

Tie Guanyin （oolong tea）

Puer （compressed tea）

中国十大名茶：

西湖龙井 · 太湖碧螺春 · 黄山毛峰 · 庐山云雾 六安瓜片 君山银针 · 信阳毛尖 · 武夷岩茶 · 安溪铁观音 · 祁门红茶

Green tea

most natural of all Chinese teas / made without being fermented发酵 / 50% of

China's teas are green tea.

Black tea

fermented before baking.

It tastes sweet and can facilitate the fostering of yang energy in the human body and

erase the greasiness油脂of the stomach.

Oolong tea

half- fermented

Typical oolong tea leaves are green in the middle and red on the edges as a result of

the process to soften tea leaves.

Compressed tea

made by compressing steamed tea leaves into molds such as bricks, cakes,

columns and other shapes.

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Most Chinese Compressed tea uses black tea as its base.

Compressed tea can be stored for years or even decades. Aged Compressed tea has

a gentle flavor.

most famous compressed tea: Puer Tea

It has great therapeutic effects.

One recorded example shows that among 20 patients suffering from high

cholesterol胆固醇, those who drank three cups of this tea every day for one month

experienced a 22% drop in their cholesterol levels, but those who drank ordinary tea

three times a day showed no change.

Chinese Scented tea

made from fragrant flowers. It is subdivided into flower tea and scented tea.

Flower Tea: dried flowers with little processing.

Scented tea: mixture of green tea with flower petals.

White tea

non-fermented, non-rubbed, non-scented tea with natural fragrance.

Famous varieties include Silver Needle (白毫银珍) and White Peony (白牡丹)

Yellow Tea

has yellow leaves and yellow tea colour.

It's an uncommon class of Chinese tea. The flavor is mild and refreshing.

4. Tea Etiquette

When offered tea, it is considered polite to at least take a sip.

When you pour tea, the rule of “full cup for wine and half cup for tea” should be

observed.

Three Cups of Tea (三杯茶) of Bai Ethnic Group

Visitors are greeted with this warm and unique ceremony: they are offered three

cups of tea.

The first cup of tea is made from local bitter leaves. It tastes medicinal.

second soup made from walnuts (核桃), cheese and sugar. It tastes sweet.

third mix prickly ash, ginger and Chinese cinnamon (肉桂) with honey and bitter

tea. It is pungent, with a distinct aftertaste.

What does the three cups of tea symbolize?

three stages of one’s life journey

going through all kinds of hardships

feeling the joy of life

recalling both bitter and happy experience. (先苦后甜三回味)

VII. Chinese Wine

1. History

Wine has a long history in China and plays an important part in the life of Chinese

people.

According to legend, the Chinese people began to make wine with grains seven

thousand years ago.

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2. Famous brands:

Maotai

is regarded the national wine (国酒）and king of the Chinese spirits.

Made in the town of Maotai, Guizhou Province, it has a history of 2,100 years.

Fen Liquor

Produced in Fengyang County, Shanxi Province

one of the eight famous wines in China.

Fen Liquor has a history of more than 1,500 years.

Bamboo-Leaf Green Liquor

made by immersing bamboo leaves and dozens of medicinal herbs in Fen liquor.

The wine is pale green, translucent and fragrant.

It has a reputation for improving health and treating such diseases as heart

trouble, high blood pressure and arthritis.

Shaoxing Wine

produced in the town of Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province

one of the best and mildest intoxicants

酒类饮料made from glutinous rice and wheat.

It has been known for its flavor and golden colour. It has a history of 2,000 years.

Dukang Wine

Dukang Village in Henan Province.

The wine has been popular among the Chinese people for more than 2,500 years.

Qingdao Beer

Among the hundreds of beer produced in China, Qingdao Beer is the oldest.

Established by the Germans in the 1920s, Qingdao brewery produced more than

4,600 tons of beer each year.

In 1950s, Qingdao Beer took over the top position in the Hong Kong beer market.

It is exported to many countries and regions in the world.

3. Wine Feasts

“Marriage wine feasts” / “Arm-crossed wine”

“Month-old wine feasts” / “Hundredth-day wine feasts”

“Longevity wine feasts”

“Beam-placed-on-the-roof wine feast”

上梁酒

4. Drinkers’ Wager Game (酒令)

General games

Ladies attending banquets may play general games such as telling jokes, solving

riddles and passing down a flower to the beats of a drum (击鼓传花).

Literary games

are more popular with scholars and intellectuals

They play it by composing poems, solving word puzzles and guessing riddles.

Contestant game

Archery, arrow pitching, chess, dice throwing (掷骰子), finger guessing and animal

betting

Touhu (投壶)

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ancient banquet game where the host and guests throw chips (筹) into a pot

The winner is the one with the greatest number of chips thrown in, and the loser is

required to drink as a forfeit.

5. Alcohol and Social Activities

Alcohol and Arts：

many of them have produced their best masterpieces in a state of drunkenness

Alcohol and Business

deepen and strengthen the bonds of friendship.

relieve misunderstanding and animosity no matter how tense the situation is.

Alcohol and Health

Chinese people believe that moderate drinking is good for their health. Many

Chinese do sip a little alcohol periodically to maintain their vitality and health.

Some even soak traditional Chinese medicine in liquor to achieve a better effect.

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