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Beyond Kung Pao Chicken “The Eight Great Cuisines” 中国八大名菜 Confucius Institute At Texas A&M University 得克萨斯州A&M大学孔子学院 What Americans Believe Chop Suey, Eggroll, Kung Pao, Mongolian Beef, Sweet & Sour, Egg Drop Soup, Fried Rice, Lo Mein, Shrimp with Lobster Sauce, Fortune Cookie, etc. Confucius Institute At Texas A&M University 得克萨斯州A&M大学孔子学院 What Chinese Think Confucius Institute At Texas A&M University 得克萨斯州A&M大学孔子学院 Food is culture Americans Chinese comfort necessity indulgence convenient individual homogeneous comfort life medicine crafted shared diverse Confucius Institute At Texas A&M University 得克萨斯州A&M大学孔子学院 Food and Geography The 8 Great Cuisines: • Shandong • Jiangsu • Zhejiang • Cantonese • Fujian • Sichuan • Hunan • Anhui Confucius Institute At Texas A&M University 得克萨斯州A&M大学孔子学院 Shandong Cuisine • earliest “regional cuisine” in China, dating back to the “Spring Autumn” Dynasty (~ 500 B.C.) • became an icon of “Northern cuisine” after the Song Dynasty • had great influence on Beijing & Tianjin cuisines, which are the basis of the “royal cuisine” • characteristics: light; uses a wide range of cooking methods; lots of soups and seafood • examples: roast duck, deep fried meatballs, steamed tofu, braised whole abalone Confucius Institute At Texas A&M University 得克萨斯州A&M大学孔子学院 Jiangsu Cuisine • “home of fish and rice” • home to Nanking, the South capital – melting pot of different regional cuisines • characteristics: refined look, light in flavor, uses a lot of seafood, sophisticated use of sugar, slow-cook • examples: meat balls with bak choy, eight treasure rice, sweet and sour fish Confucius Institute At Texas A&M University 得克萨斯州A&M大学孔子学院 Zhejiang Cuisine • • • • similar to Jiangsu cuisine “delicate and pure” famous for tea and wine characteristics: elegant, light, fresh, emphasize true flavor of food • examples: shrimp with green tea, shark fin and ham soup, fish with vinegar Confucius Institute At Texas A&M University 得克萨斯州A&M大学孔子学院 Cantonese Cuisine • international influence from Southeast Asia, Europe and the U.S., as well as other regions in China • wide range of ingredients; very seasonal • well known for its dim sum • characteristics: fresh, extensive use of stir-fry and steaming, innovative • examples: barbeque pork wrapped in rice noodle, stir-fry shrimps, birds’ nest in sweet coconut soup Confucius Institute At Texas A&M University 得克萨斯州A&M大学孔子学院 Fujian Cuisine • fusion of North-South cuisines • famous for its soups and vegetarian dishes • characteristics: lots of seafood, strong flavors, fresh ingredients, emphasis on knife skills • examples: “chrysanthemum” fish, whole chicken steamed in spiced “gao liang” liquor, stir-fry clams Confucius Institute At Texas A&M University 得克萨斯州A&M大学孔子学院 Sichuan Cuisine • another early regional cuisine, developed around the Qin Dynasty (~ 200 B.C.) • further developed during the civil war and “endorsed” by a lot of famous writers at that time • well known for its spicy hot pot • characteristics: extensive use of spices, • examples: twice cooked pork, paper hot pot, extra thin beef Confucius Institute At Texas A&M University 得克萨斯州A&M大学孔子学院 Hunan Cuisine • abundant natural resources: fish, cattle, agriculture • well known for snacks & street food • characteristics: tart and spicy, extensive use of pickles, slow-cook in broth • examples: stuffed chili peppers, very spicy shrimps, steamed fish in bamboo Confucius Institute At Texas A&M University 得克萨斯州A&M大学孔子学院 Anhui Cuisine • “treasures of the mountain and the sea” • food as medicine • characteristics: extensive use of steaming and smoking, emphasis of “original flavor”, use of charcoal – slow-cook and smoking • examples: fish in grape juice, smoked duck, steamed bamboo shoots in broth Confucius Institute At Texas A&M University 得克萨斯州A&M大学孔子学院