What kind of fish do the Chinese eat. What do the Chinese eat - Chinese chopsticks and other utensils in China

Chinese cuisine is one of the oldest in the world. The idea that everything that crawls and moves gets on the Chinese table is only partly true. To understand the culture and lifestyle of the people of China, it is necessary to understand what the Chinese eat every day.

What do the Chinese eat?

The ingredients from which they are prepared often seem strange to other peoples. In China, there is a proverb: seven things of everyday life - firewood, rice, oil, salt, sauce, vinegar, tea. Rice is the gastronomic sign of China. From it, the preparation of a side dish, vinegar and alcoholic beverages is carried out. The Chinese diet includes the following popular dishes:

• cakes made from rice flour;
• boiled rice as a side dish;
• fried rice with duck;
• fried noodles;
• various options for dumplings (with meat, vegetable or mushroom filling);
• soybeans, from which soy milk, sauce and cottage cheese are made.

The Chinese menu also includes a variety of vegetables: bitter melon, broccoli, carrots, etc.

Fact: spices are one of the main components of Chinese cuisine (there are over 300 types).

Breakfast

In most European countries, breakfast is treated as something light: usually a cup of coffee with a croissant or a glass of freshly squeezed juice. In China, breakfast is a major meal. The Chinese eat rice water, noodles or dumplings stuffed with minced meat or vegetables. All these dishes are well seasoned with spices that help the body warm up. They like to have breakfast with rice porridge, spring rolls and hot soy milk.

Dinner

The most common options for what the Chinese prefer to eat during lunch:

• sweet and sour pork;
• Peking duck;
• milk tofu, with the addition of beef and green onions;
• dumplings;
• pancakes with various fillings;
• the famous Chinese dish Wonton (dumplings in the form of triangles, which are usually boiled and served in soup);
• Chinese salad (a warm dish consisting of chicken or other meat, celery and onions).

It is customary for the Chinese to sleep after the lunch meal, so 2-3 dishes are served for lunch. To save lunch time, most Chinese eat at restaurants or cafes, and some order food delivery or take lunch containers with them.

Dinner

What is eaten in China for dinner is reminiscent of breakfast. The only difference is that the Chinese eat about 5 dishes in small portions. A mandatory procedure during dinner is tea drinking. A classic Chinese dinner consists of:

• rice dishes;
• meat with vegetables;
• noodles;
• dessert (sweet buns, etc.);
• off-season fruit.

The beginning of the use of chopsticks indicates the arrival of civilization in China. Up to this point, the Chinese have eaten with their hands. are considered an extension of the fingers and act as a lever.

According to Confucius, cutlery is a cold weapon. Therefore, when setting the table, knives and forks are not used. Soup the Chinese eat with a spoon, but special - porcelain. Initially, vegetables and meat are selected from the soup with chopsticks, and the broth is eaten using a spoon.

When using Chinese sticks, there are some canons and prohibitions:

• chopsticks should not be tapped on a plate (in this way, beggars beg for food);
• holding chopsticks in hand, you can not point at anyone with your index finger. This gesture is taken as an accusation;
• you can’t stick sticks vertically - this indicates a person’s lack of culture;
• licking sticks is a gesture of the ignorant;
• The Chinese never poke chopsticks into all the dishes, as if choosing.

Chinese restaurants serve cutlery familiar to Europeans. The Chinese eat street food either with disposable forks or chopsticks.

Do they eat pork

The Chinese like to eat not only chicken, fish, duck meat or lamb, but also pork. It is noteworthy that among the Chinese people it is customary to use all parts of the carcass in the diet. As the Chinese say about the carcass of a pig: "You can eat everything except grunt." Pork is the most popular type of meat. It is fried over high heat, stirring constantly, stewed, boiled or marinated.

What kind of rice do the Chinese eat

Mostly long-grain rice is used in China. The length of the cereal is over 6 mm. There are various options for preparing such rice: it is boiled, fried and even steamed. Cooking time is usually up to 20 minutes.

White glutinous rice is the basis of snacks and toppings. It is used to make wine and is used to make vinegar.

Short grain rice is especially popular in southern China. It is used to make konhe, a porridge made from boiled rice, which is served for breakfast.

Use medium-grain rice for steaming or bain-marie. This variety is the most popular in the world. After cooking, the rice remains crumbly.

Rice Jasmine has the smell of jasmine. It is grown in Thailand, and the taste of this type is very delicate and it is great for garnishing seafood and fish.

Red, black glutinous rice and Basmati are also used.

Summing up

The day of the Chinese is very busy, the specificity of the temperature regime does not allow food to be stored for a long time, so the Chinese prefer to eat in restaurants or cafes. And if they cook at home, then they buy as many products as necessary to prepare dishes at one time. Eating out in public places is not expensive. A variety of dishes during meals and rice base is a good diet for the human body.

In Chinese culture, and in the life of every Chinese, food plays a very important role, it is almost the main topic of any conversation. The Chinese, even at a meeting, instead of “Hi, how are you?”, They are interested in whether the person has eaten today, and I am absolutely not joking. The phrase "Have you eaten today?" (你吃了吗 - Ni chi le ma?) has long been a common form of greeting.

Chinese national cuisine

It is difficult to characterize traditional Chinese cuisine unambiguously, since China is a huge country, inhabited by 56 nationalities, each of which has special culinary traditions and recipes. But that is why Chinese cuisine is so diverse and unique.

To summarize, we can distinguish two main geographical regions: north and south. The main difference is that in the north, noodles are the main dish, or dumplings (fried, boiled, steamed) and unleavened bread (mantou). In the north, food is more salty, fatty and nutritious.

In the south, preference is given to rice dishes (boiled rice, rice noodles, rice cake). At the same time, southern traditional cuisine is characterized by sweeter and spicier food.

As in other hot countries, in ancient China, pepper was used for disinfection, because at high temperatures it is difficult to guarantee the freshness of food, and in order to avoid various intestinal infections, all food was generously sprinkled with hot spices. In addition to the north and south, Sichuan cuisine is also distinguished, which is most famous for its spiciness, they serve such spicy dishes that not every Chinese will be able to digest it, but for the locals, all other food seems too insipid.

But do not think that the abundance of pepper is found only in the south, for most foreigners, almost any Chinese food will seem spicy, simply because we are completely unaccustomed to such an abundance of seasonings and spices.

In general, the Chinese are very fond of various kinds of spices, seasonings, additives and actively use them in cooking. They distinguish five basic tastes and five ingredients that are responsible for them: hot - pepper and ginger, sour - vinegar, salty - salt, bitter - wine, sweet - molasses. In the market, even eyes run wide, there are so many things that we don’t even suspect. The most popular are garlic, hot red pepper, ginger, cumin, cloves, anise and others. All this gives Chinese dishes a unique taste and aroma.

At the same time, unlike us, the Chinese practically do not eat salt and sugar. Salt replaces soy sauce, which is part of almost any dish, but they don’t particularly like sugar at all, and even more so they don’t add it to tea like we do. But they are very fond of adding various flowers and dried fruits to tea.

The advantage of Chinese cuisine is the use of a large amount of vegetables and herbs, while the processing of most of them is minimal (scald with boiling water, boil a little, steam), which allows you to save more nutrients and vitamins. In general, China has a very wide range of vegetables and fruits all year round, not only in the south, but also in the north of the country. Here and in winter you can buy tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, eggplant, asparagus, all kinds of cabbage and more. The locals have not even heard about conservation, why, if everything is sold fresh on the market?

Among the Chinese, the main measure of weight is one jin ( 斤 jīn), which is equal to 0.5 kg, and therefore the price of all products by weight is indicated in jing, not kilograms. Prices for vegetables depend on the season: in winter and spring everything costs a little more than in summer or autumn, it also depends on the province: cheaper in the south, more expensive in the north. Here are some examples on the market:

• broccoli - 6-8 yuan,
• eggplant - 6,
• cucumbers - 3.5-4,
• cherry tomatoes - 5,
• cabbage - 2.5,
• asparagus beans - 6-7,
• potatoes - 2-2.5,
• zucchini - 4. (all prices are in yuan, for 0.5 kg, the approximate rate is 1 USD = 6.4 yuan)

In addition to vegetables familiar to us, the Chinese eat lotus roots, bulbs and seeds, bamboo sprouts, tree mushrooms, etc. Surprisingly, many of these are very tasty!

The variety of fruits here is also amazing, in addition to the banana-oranges already familiar to us, in China you can buy papaya, dragon fruit, jackfruit, durian, lychee, mango, delicious pineapples. Many of these fruits are available in supermarkets all year round, but it is still better to buy seasonal fruits, because they are cheaper and have more vitamins.

In early autumn, the most common fruits are watermelons, melons, apples, grapes, papaya and dragon fruit. At this time, papaya and dragon fruit will cost about 5 yuan each, sometimes 10 yuan can buy 3.

From November they start selling persimmons, tangerines, oranges, the price will be approximately the same from 2.5 yuan per jin.

In February, the pineapple season begins, the price is from 4 yuan per jin, in March-April there are a lot of mangoes in China, which costs 7-10 yuan per jin (the price depends on the size, small ones are cheaper, large ones are more expensive).

Strawberries, coconuts, lychees, peaches will appear in May-June. As already mentioned above, the price is usually indicated per jin, but seasonal fruits are often sold at a so-called discount, for example, 3 jing - 10 yuan, that is, the price is indicated for 1.5 kg. Large fruits such as papaya, coconut or dragon fruit are often priced per piece. Now (April) the market prices are as follows: coconut 10/piece, lemon 2.5/piece, tangerines, apples, bananas 2.5-3 per jin, mangoes 8 per jin.

Is it true that the Chinese are omnivores?

As horrible as it sounds, the Chinese really do eat almost anything that runs, jumps, flies, and crawls. In addition to poultry, pork and beef, in some provinces of China they eat the meat of dogs and cats, pigeons, snakes, frogs, turtles, monkeys, and even rare and protected animals. It is illegal to eat rare animals, but this does not stop the Chinese, believe me. Not so long ago, the Chinese were arrested, who sold the meat of a panda listed in the Red Book, what else can I say? In the course are all kinds of viscera. In ancient times, this was due to the fact that there was not enough food for everyone, and it was not necessary to sort out, in order to survive, people ate everything they could catch. Nowadays, when it comes to exotic dishes, it is more of an opportunity to demonstrate your financial well-being. Another reason to turn to the exotic is the desire to improve your health. The Chinese believe that turtle soup will give longevity, dog meat will cure diseases, and a snake will make you smarter and more cunning. All plants that could be used in cooking are also used. So, in my opinion, they are really omnivores.

Features of eating

The Chinese have one very good habit: they have a well-defined diet from childhood. Indeed, most Chinese eat by the hour:

• breakfast from 7.00 to 9.00;
• lunch from 11.00 to 14.00;
• dinner 17.00 to 19.00.

Perhaps it is because of this that they do not have problems with being overweight. During these periods, all establishments are overcrowded. It is at this time that a large number of stalls with various street food leave the streets. The rest of the time, the establishments also work, but there is no hype, only single visitors who, for one reason or another, got behind the schedule, come to refresh themselves.

Everyone knows that the Chinese eat with chopsticks, but not everyone knows that certain etiquette must be followed. But the Chinese are completely fluent in this skill, they even have a cartoon on this topic that teaches children how to properly handle chopsticks. From what I remember: you can’t leave vertically stuck chopsticks in a plate (a bad sign and a symbol of death), you can’t lick the chopsticks, since food is taken from a common plate, you can’t point with chopsticks at those sitting at the table, knock them on the table or plate, you can’t sorting through food in search of the best piece, what you touched, then take it, and much more.

Another feature of the Chinese can be called the fact that a very small percentage of people cook food at home, most of the population prefers to eat in establishments or take food to go. Sometimes it is amazing that many women absolutely do not know how to cook or, if they know how, they will not spend time on it. Holidays are an exception, and even then not in all families. In fact, it is very convenient and cheap, sometimes it seems to me that cooking at home is even more expensive. Moreover, on every corner there are a lot of different establishments for every taste and budget.

By the way, the Chinese meal is also different from ours. If in our restaurant everyone orders a separate dish for himself, then the Chinese are completely opposite. If there is more than one person at the table, then several different dishes are always ordered for everyone. Large common dishes and separate bowls of rice or mantou are served on the table according to the number of people. Everyone takes a little from each dish. Many establishments have made special round tables with a rotating stand to make it easier to get all the dishes.

If we start our meal with a liquid (soup), then the Chinese finish it, believing that it is better for health. At the same time, their soup is absolutely not like ours, it has no meat, no potatoes, nothing that we are so used to. It's more like a viscous cloudy broth with egg, herbs, perhaps rice.

The Chinese also litter a lot at the table. Everything that cannot be eaten, such as seeds or skins, pieces of pepper is not spat out on your plate, but straight on a common table or on the floor. In general, for me personally, eating with the Chinese at the same table is not entirely pleasant, because we have completely different ideas about the correct behavior at the table, what is natural for them is bad form for us.

Unusual foods and dishes for us

As I said, the Chinese eat everything. I call it non-waste production, on the one hand, it's good that they find ways to get the most out of everything, on the other hand, it's strange when people in an expensive restaurant eat various offal or gnaw bones. One such wonderful dish, "Phoenix Claws" (泡椒凤爪 - pàojiāo fèngzhǎo), sounds pretentious, doesn't it? In fact, these are chicken legs, the ones with claws. Don't believe? See for yourself. Chicken paws marinated in various sauces are sold in stores, these are the so-called snacks or in Chinese 小吃 xiǎochī, the Chinese often gnaw them with beer. In addition to chicken legs, they also eat duck necks, paws, heads, and mutton heads, cow stomachs, there is even a duck blood dish, but I think we can do without a photo, because I personally hate to look at it, so you have to take my word for it .

soy milk products

I don’t know if this is true or a myth, but the Chinese consider lactose intolerance as a national feature. Most of them do not consume the dairy products we are used to, instead they eat soy cheese and drink soy milk. For the most part, they are unaware of the existence of products such as kefir, fermented baked milk and cottage cheese. Foreign cheeses, butter and yoghurts are very expensive and not everyone can afford it. In the morning, the Chinese often drink soy milk, and various dishes are prepared from tofu (soy cheese).

For the most part tofu(豆腐 - dòufu） a harmless and sometimes tasty dish, but there is one of its varieties - chhou tofu (stinky tofu - 臭豆腐 chòudòufu), the smell is really nauseating. It cannot be expressed in words, it must be felt, but the stench is really terrible.

Canned Sunhuadan Eggs (松花蛋, sōnghuādàn)

This dish is also called "thousand-year" or "imperial" eggs. For its preparation, duck or chicken eggs are used. The shell is coated with a special composition of ash, lime, salt, soda, plant leaves and left in a special place where air does not enter, to ripen for 1-3 months. After the eggs are thoroughly washed, peeled and ventilated. It turns out here is such an unusual dish. They say it does not smell very pleasant, but it tastes normal, but I did not dare to try it.

Weird taste buds

The Chinese are big fans of unusual flavor combinations, for example, on supermarket shelves you can find potato chips with cucumber, tomato, lime, honey and even chocolate.

Ice cream with peas, corn, beans, salty meat candies, sweet buns with beans or meat rope and much more will be familiar to them. Gourmets, in a word.

exotic

Sea urchins, swallow nests, shark fins, monkey brains, snakes, turtles and other exotic foods are quite common in Chinese cuisine, but the pleasure is not cheap. Such dishes can be tasted in many restaurants in China.

But the most extreme in this regard is the southern province of Guangdong, with the capital Guangzhou. Local taste preferences shock not only foreigners, but also many Chinese from other provinces. Despite protests by animal rights activists around the world and Chinese government bans, smugglers here trade rare species of animals that are then eaten or used in Chinese traditional medicine. Personally, I am against all this exoticism, but if anyone is interested and wants to try, then you are welcome. Here are the names of some exotic dishes:

• shark fin soup 金汤鱼翅 jīntāng yúchì,
• frog legs with chili sauce 鲜椒馋嘴蛙 xiānjiāo chánzuǐwā,
• snake and chicken soup 龙凤汤 lóngfèngtāng,
• snake meat with pepper and salt 椒盐蛇肉 jiāoyán shé ròu,
• fried snake with onion 葱爆蛙肉 cōng bào shé ròu,
• sea ​​urchin dish 海胆蒸蛋hǎidǎn zhēng dàn,
• swallow nest soup 燕窝汤 yànwōtāng,
• turtle soup 甲鱼汤 jiǎyútāng,
• braised turtle in brown soy sauce 红烧甲鱼 hóngshāo jiǎyú,
• fried frog in soy sauce 红烧田鸡 hóngshāo tiánjī,
• sea ​​cucumber (trepang) fried with onion 葱烧素海参 cōngshāo sùhǎishēn.

There is one dish, it is called “the fight of a dragon with a tiger”, its poetic name attracts many, but only until they learn that snake meat acts as a dragon, and cats act as a tiger. Ingredients are not written on the Chinese menu, and if you are completely unfamiliar with Chinese cuisine, then from the name it is not at all clear what this or that dish is prepared from. In good restaurants, of course, there should be a menu in English, but this is not always the case and everywhere. In large tourist cities, this is really easier. In small ones, most likely, you won’t find anything at all except Chinese, it’s good if there are pictures, and if there aren’t even those, then it’s really bad. In this case, it is better to have a translator with you, it can be easily installed on your smartphone.

But, by the way, the Chinese do not eat various insects in everyday life. And all these skewers with scorpions, grasshoppers, cockroaches and caterpillars, which are offered at Wangfujing in Beijing, or other cities, are nothing more than a tourist attraction. Perhaps it used to be food, but not now for sure. Although with the Chinese you can not be 100% sure.

You can talk endlessly about Chinese taste preferences, but it’s not necessary, because to each his own. Our borscht, aspic or herring under a fur coat also seem absurd to the rest of the world.

Popular food in China. What to try

Peking Duck

This is almost the first thing that comes to mind when mentioning China. Do not deny yourself the pleasure of trying a dish that has actually become one of the main symbols of Chinese cuisine. You can taste it in any city in China, and although the duck is called Peking duck, the original recipe for its preparation came from the Shandong province. In many cities there are restaurants that specialize in cooking Peking duck, and bear the appropriate name, but in an ordinary restaurant or cafe it will be no less tasty. The peculiarity of this dish is that before cooking, the duck is marinated in a special sauce of honey, jam and various spices. Sweet and crispy crust is the main highlight of this dish. Before serving, the duck is cut into small pieces, similar to plates, but they can be served whole, and then cut in front of guests. Peking duck can be tasted not only in a restaurant, but also bought in special street shops. They do not have to order the whole duck, you can take half or even a quarter.

Sweet and sour pork (糖醋里脊 tángcù lǐji）

Another of my favorite dishes that I would recommend ordering while in China is pork in sweet and sour sauce, or as it is also called tangsuliji. Small pieces of meat are rolled in starch and fried in a wok, then a special sauce is added, the finished dish is sprinkled with sesame seeds. The dish is very pleasant: tender, sour and sweet are very well combined in it, and, most importantly, it is absolutely not spicy. By the way, in some places pork is replaced with chicken, which is also good.

Marinated carp or sweet and sour fish (糖醋鲤鱼tángcù lǐyú)

This dish is very similar to pork in sweet and sour sauce, but instead of meat, it uses fish, as the name implies, mainly carp. The fish is cooked and served on the table as a whole, and to make it more convenient to eat with chopsticks, special cuts are made. For cooking, the same sweet and sour sauce is used, but the dish itself is more tender. The only negative, in my opinion, is that it is not very convenient to choose bones with chopsticks, and I have not learned how to deal with fish like the Chinese. For fish, as well as for almost all other dishes, rice must be ordered separately. For lovers of a combination of sour and sweet, I recommend trying both fish and pork.

Noodles in beef broth (牛肉面 niúròu miàn）

The signature dish of all Chinese Muslims is noodles in beef broth (niu rou mien). You can try it in almost any city in China, but its homeland is the city of Lanzhou, in northwestern China. The noodles are cooked by hand, boiled and poured with beef broth. Then greens (cilantro, onion), pieces of meat are put on a plate and spices are added. If you do not like spicy, then you can ask not to add pepper, and the broth itself is not spicy.

Noodle cooking is mostly done by men, because it is a very difficult job and strong hands are needed, at least I have not seen women doing this. The dough is punched, stretched, and then beaten on the table, and so on several times. The thinner the resulting noodles are, the more skillful the master is considered to be.

Fried noodles (炒面 chǎomiàn)

By the way, in China, noodles are not just a dish, but also a good sign. Long stripes symbolize long life, so the Chinese believe that eating it is not only tasty, but also healthy. In addition to Muslim noodles, you should also try fried noodles(chao mien). In a special sauce, the Chinese fry the noodles along with an egg, various vegetables, meat or seafood. It turns out tasty, but, as for me, too greasy.

Personally, I think that Chinese cuisine is quite fatty and therefore difficult for the stomach, but how many people have so many opinions. I once asked why add so much oil to all dishes, it's tasteless. Then a familiar Chinese woman explained that earlier, not only in ancient times, but also after Mao Zedong came to power, the majority of the country's population lived very poorly, and they could not afford the use of oil. It was considered a sign of prosperity and well-being, so now, pouring oil on the dishes abundantly, they want to show that everything is fine with them and they do not feel sorry for anything for the guests.

Baozi (包子 bāozi)

Chinese baozi are large, steamed so-called dumplings, or unleavened dough pies. Their filling can be both meat and vegetarian (various greens, carrots, mushrooms).

They are usually served with vinegar, which is also dark in color, so do not confuse it with soy sauce, and various seasonings. Baozi can be bought both on the street and in a restaurant. In China, there is even a famous fast-food chain that exclusively deals with their preparation.

Jiaozi (饺子 jiǎozi)

Jiaozi are Chinese boiled or fried dumplings. They can also have absolutely any filling, they differ from baozi in size and method of preparation.

Chicken, or gongbao chicken (宫保鸡丁gōngbǎo jīdīng)

Another famous Chinese dish is gongbao chicken. Traditionally, it belongs to Sichuan cuisine and is very spicy. I don’t eat spicy myself, but I really like the combination of ingredients in this dish (chicken, peanuts or cashews, carrots, cucumber or zucchini). When I order a non-spicy gongbao chicken, the Chinese laugh and get angry, and they always say that without hot Szechuan pepper, it becomes completely different. If you are a spicy lover, then you should try the dish prepared according to the original recipe, and if not, you can always ask to make it without pepper, you just have to say bu yao lazi (不要辣子bùyàolàzi)

Ho-go (火锅 huǒguō)

There is another interesting dish in China, it is called ho-go (or samovar). It is interesting because visitors cook their own food. Either one large container with broth or several small ones (depending on the number of people) and raw prepared foods are brought to the table. It can be various types of meat, seafood, tofu, mushrooms, vegetables, herbs. The container is placed on a heating surface, and when the broth boils, it means that it is time to throw food there. When the products are cooked, they need to be taken out and eaten with special sauces. The broth and sauces are different, spicy and not, with various additives. In fact, this is a very pleasant way to spend time in the company, and the Chinese very often go to eat ho-go, and at the same time sing karaoke right there.

"Spicy Pan" (麻辣香锅 málàxiāng guō)

For this dish, you must first choose products, as on a buffet. It can be vegetables, mushrooms, meat, seafood, tofu, and then they are cooked in a special sauce and spices. The price depends on the number of selected products. Usually the price for vegetables is one, for meat and seafood another. When you have chosen the ingredients, they are weighed, and the price is determined by weight.

Pork in fish sauce (鱼香肉丝 yúxiāng ròusī)

For this dish, the meat is cut into strips and fried over high heat, adding sauce, garlic and hot peppers. According to the most Chinese, the sauce gives the dish a fishy smell, so the literal translation of the name sounds like "fish-flavored pork." In fact, the fishy taste is not felt there, and the dish is quite tasty and interesting.

If you do not eat meat, then in China this will not be a big problem, because there are quite a lot of different vegetarian dishes, in this case you need to know the word - su 素 sù, which means lean, or vegetarian. Meat will be hun 荤 hūn. For example, you can say wo bu chi hong de 我不吃荤的 (wǒ bù chī hūnde) I don't eat meat, or show them this phrase, they will understand you and offer food for vegetarians.

Chinese desserts

As such, there are no desserts in Chinese restaurants, and in traditional Chinese cuisine, there is no abundance of sweets even in stores. In fact, the Chinese do not really like everything sweet, somehow it has not worked out for a long time. Therefore, I would say that China is not a country for the sweet tooth. Delicious sweets here are only imported. But they found an excellent and healthier substitute - fruits.

Fruits

As a dessert, restaurants often serve sliced ​​papaya with some kind of sweet syrup, or sometimes it can be other fruits, such as mango or pineapple.

Most often, a Chinese festive meal ends with a large platter of beautifully arranged fruit, although fruit can be served at the very beginning, there are no strict rules on this. Fruit plates are ordered even in bars for beer.

Street vendors sell another fruity treat, tanhulu, fruit on a stick (糖葫芦 tánghúlu) drenched in either caramel or sugar syrup. Any fruit can be used, but most often these are small Chinese apples. Worth a try for a change. By the way, the Chinese also refer to the cherry tomato as a fruit, so it can be found in fruit juices, and in sweet salads, and even on cake decoration, and in such tanhulu too.

Even before coming to China, when I went to our Chinese restaurants, I tried simply amazing dessert - fruits in caramel (拔丝水果básīshuǐguǒ, and was very surprised that I could not find them in my supposed homeland. If you are a friend, you are lucky to see them on the menu restaurant something like that, be sure to try it, it must be very tasty.

Bakery

Pastries and cakes 蛋糕

Recently, various confectionery and European cafes have become very fashionable in China, which offer a variety of cakes, pastries and other desserts. But I can't call them delicious. Chinese cakes and pastries look insanely beautiful and appetizing, each cake is a work of art, but, unfortunately, they do not have special taste qualities. So different in appearance, they all taste the same: a biscuit, a lot of cream and fruit on top, this is where the fantasy of Chinese confectioners ends. Under the influence of the West, in recent years, the Chinese have begun to buy birthday cakes, although there was no such tradition before.

Egg cream tart (蛋挞 dàntà)

Among the Chinese, these tartlets are in great demand and are sold both on the streets, supermarkets, confectioneries, and in cafes and restaurants. The puff pastry base is filled with a delicate egg cream and baked. Such a delicacy is also cheap, from 3 yuan apiece.

Gold and silver mantou (金银馒头 jīnyín mántou)

In general, mantou is a kind of Chinese unleavened bread, but there is also a kind of dessert. Steamed buns are served with condensed milk. Buns of two colors are laid out on one dish, hence the name. Golden ones are covered with syrup and baked in the oven, they are more tasty, white buns are quite bland.

holiday sweets

Safety and cleanliness

Compared to our cafes and restaurants, many Chinese establishments look extremely unpresentable, they are not particularly clean, and a lot is cooked right on the street, the seller immediately takes the money, cuts the meat with the same hand. Plus, visitors themselves litter a lot, and it is not always cleaned properly, the only exceptions are expensive restaurants. Many first-time visitors to the country experience shock and horror, and I myself was like that. I always tried to imagine, if it's such a mess in the hall, then what's going on in the kitchen? But, to be honest, neither with me, nor with my acquaintances and friends, any food poisoning or other food-related troubles have happened here in 4 years of my life, no matter where we ate.

Most importantly, try to choose crowded and relatively clean places. If the cafe is tasty, then every day there will be a lot of people there, if the place is empty, this is already suspicious. However, the attendance of a place must be judged by time, because, as you remember, the Chinese observe the regime. If the cafe is empty during dinner or lunch, this should be alarming, but if it is empty at other times, then this is almost normal.

Personally, I have doubts about the quality of China's food products, in fact, everyone knows that this is a country of fakes, and products are no exception. Every now and then I read in the news about another scandal, then fake meat went on sale, then fake eggs, then banned substances are found in products. Sometimes the news is also broadcast about unscrupulous owners of establishments who put drugs in food in order to ensure a constant influx of customers. So you always need to be careful, because health depends on it.

When you live here all the time, it's not funny at all. Many Chinese prefer to buy more expensive but higher quality imported products. But still, I hope that not everything is as bad as it seems, and there are still at least some useful substances in Chinese products. Of course, if we compare it with home-made ones, then our products are of higher quality, and somehow everything is tastier.

Food prices

Food prices in China are completely different, it all depends on the status of the institution and the city. The cost starts from 1-2 USD per serving of rice with vegetables or noodles and goes up to infinity. Naturally, in large cities, such as Shenzhen, Guangzhou, food prices not only in establishments, but also in stores will be higher, in small towns they will be lower. The price also depends on the quality of the ingredients.

The cheapest food is from street hawkers. In addition to the fact that in every city there are entire streets and markets where food stalls are located, every day, hourly, hawkers go to universities, schools and other public places. For breakfast here for 1-2 USD you can buy a sandwich with an egg, sausage or vegetables, soy milk, boiled egg, corn, fruits on a stick. At other times, kebabs, vegetables are fried here, they sell cold noodles, various flatbreads and other snacks. I would advise you to try the local hamburger, it is called "joujiabing" (肉夹饼, ròujiābǐng) flatbread, inside of which they put fried meat with spices, very tasty and satisfying.

In seaside towns, hawkers prepare seafood and fish; in Muslim towns, various shish kebabs. In general, of course, in every city you can find very tasty and interesting dishes on the streets, and most often it is quite safe to eat street food in China. You should not be afraid to buy food on the streets, but, of course, hygiene must be observed and places chosen carefully.

It will cost a little more to eat in small cafes and eateries. But also within 2 USD you can order a portion of boazzi or jiaozi. For the same money you can buy a portion of fried noodles or rice with egg and vegetables, or with meat, but there will be very little meat. Usually meat dishes are more expensive, vegetarian ones are cheaper. In most establishments, a portion of boiled rice costs 2 yuan - 0.31 USD, you can take any other dish with it, for example, the average price for pork in sweet and sour sauce in an inexpensive cafe will be 20-30 yuan (3-5 USD), if you take, for example, eggplant in fish sauce (鱼香茄子yú xiāng qiézi), it will be less than 20 yuan.

But prices depend on the city and location of the establishment. In tourist places, everything will be about 2 times more expensive. With the exception of rice, which is served individually, portions in China are large enough for two to fill up.

In a restaurant, the price for one dish on average will start from 50 yuan and more, it all depends on the restaurant itself and the quality of service.

Recently, many buffet restaurants have opened in China. The Chinese call them establishments of European cuisine, although, in my opinion, there is no smell of European cuisine there, but you cannot call these dishes traditionally Chinese either. Everything is served there: from appetizers to desserts, often there are different seafood. The entrance fee varies from 50 to 200 yuan, but it can be more expensive.

Chinese cuisine is truly amazing, diverse and multifaceted. Thanks to this, Chinese national dishes have long been widely known and loved outside of their homeland. It is worth coming to China at least to taste its best dishes, no one will remain indifferent with such an abundance of choice. Here you can really find food for every taste and budget. And even after many years, China will not cease to amaze, because it is simply impossible to try everything.

Chinese cuisine is one of the most diverse and popular in the world. Sushi, rolls, dishes using soy, rice and noodles are just a small part of what defines Chinese cuisine and is also enjoyed in our country. In fact, food is of great importance in Chinese culture, and for a real Chinese, not only the taste of food is important, but also its appearance, as well as proper serving. We invite you to feel the Chinese food culture and take a look at the menu of one of the restaurants on Hainan Island.

Breakfast

Youtiao with soy milk

Price - 2 yuan

Pieces of dough fried in oil, the Chinese analogue of churros. This dish originated thanks to a historical figure, a great official Chin Hui. He was an envious and greedy man, received a large bribe and conspired against General Yu Fei, beloved by the people. All Chinese hated the vile official, and once, during a conversation with each other, two bakers, in the heat of the moment and anger, cut up pieces of dough and threw them into boiling oil, imagining that it was Chin Hui himself. It turned out so delicious that soon everyone began to “punish” the villain in this way.

bao luo fen

Price - 10 yuan

Rice noodles are the basis of all the basics and most of the dishes on the island. Local housewives cook it with vegetables, chicken, seafood and whatever comes to their mind (with indispensable sauces - some of them are very spicy) or throw it into the soup like vermicelli. A common feature of all dishes with rice noodles is that you should not count on the degree of readiness “al dente”: bao lou fen will be slightly boiled, soft and in a juicy broth.

Yu tang

Price - 50 yuan

Fish soup is the common name for a favorite dish of the Hainan people. Any fish (or seafood) is boiled, and either shrimp, or noodles, or vegetables and onions are added to the soup - in a word, what will be in the refrigerator and what is enough for the cook's imagination.

dong gua hai luo tang

Price - 30 yuan

Mussel broth with gourd.

Dinner

Zicai tribute hua tang

Price - 30 yuan

Seaweed soup. Hainanese are distinguished by the fact that they always eat soup - for breakfast, lunch and dinner - and this habit explains their extraordinary longevity.

Baoziyi and jiaozi

Price - 30 yuan

Classic Chinese manti and dumplings. They can be with anything that the hostess's imagination is enough for: with wild garlic, with shrimp and celery, with meat, with vegetables, with a sweet egg.

Wenchang chi

Price - 20 yuan

Chicken. One of the main Hainanese dishes. The bird for this dish must be very fresh: it is dipped in boiling water for only three minutes - the meat is already ready, but the blood is still coming from the carcass. Then it is casually chopped with a knife and served with the head and paws, so that it can be seen that it was a fresh and whole chicken.

jiaji i

Price - 40 yuan

Boiled or steamed duck, which has previously been put on a fortified diet, like birds for foie gras. For jia ji ya, they are supposed to be fed with tofu and cereals - the meat from this is very tender.

He le se

Price - 60 yuan

Melting in your mouth yellow crab meat, tasty in itself, fragrant and slightly oily. The crabs are steamed and then served with a sauce of garlic, ginger and vinegar.

xian yu

Price - 40 yuan

Salty fish. There are two ways to prepare it. First: in fact, rub it with salt before frying, but this is condemned by adherents of a healthy diet. The second (and so do many of the inhabitants of the island): to gut and cook the fish for frying, and then briefly dip it in the sea to make it brackish. Fish and seafood are eaten almost more often than meat due to their proximity to the ocean. For example, there are floating fish farms where they grow (and then cook in floating restaurants) all kinds of shrimp, crabs, octopuses, mussels and scallops. Most often, such farms are run by representatives of the Dan Jia Yu Min people, who traditionally live on the water and rarely go down to solid ground.

Snacks

Yu zha hua sheng

Price - 10 yuan

An important feature of the Hainanese is that they respect snacking between meals, and roasted peanuts are their favorite snack.

Zongzi

Price - 4 yuan

Rice with meat in bamboo leaves. In the north of Hainan, they grow their own rice - very tasty - and are also served as a side dish. Hainan is generally very proud of the fact that it almost completely provides for itself: here, thanks to the climate, almost everything grows. True, due to the heat, the livestock here is lean and very thin, so the local meat may seem harsh to someone.

Di gua e

Price - 15 yuan

Sweet potato leaves poached with garlic and oil.

Si jiao dou

Price - 20 yuan

Beans varieties "four corners". It is served as a side dish - slightly fried with soy sauce.

Soft drinks

Tea

Price - from 20 to 200 yuan

The tea ceremony for the inhabitants of the island is not an empty phrase. For them, the tea house is like a modern coffee house: a place where you can gather, discuss the news, sit and drink tea. The most popular varieties here are oolong, kutin, pu-erh, "The Emperor's Concubine" (with ginseng) and "Scarlet East" (with tropical fruits). There is also tea made by hand - just like on the continent: flowers tied to a tea ball. By filling them with boiling water, you can watch in a transparent teapot for a long time how the flowers “bloom” and sway. Only here it is not considered real tea here - rather, it is recommended as a beautiful and affordable souvenir.

Coffee

Price - from 30 to 300 yuan

On the island, unlike mainland China, they love and grow coffee, for example, in the Xinglong Botanical Garden (Xīnglóng).

Cocoa

Price - 30 yuan

Cocoa beans are also grown right there, which are then mixed with coconut milk and get very tasty cocoa - but this is also unusual for a typical Hainanese, he would rather brew a thermos with tea for himself.

Dessert

Tsy ba

Price - 8 yuan

Steamed sticky rice cakes wrapped in lightly poached bamboo leaves made into a sticky paste.

qing bu liang

Price - 12 yuan

A popular sweet eaten instead of ice cream. Fruits, beans, noodles - all in ice-cold coconut milk. The locals laugh: not every tourist will be able to try this.

Alcohol

But mi ju

Price - 30 yuan

Rice tincture. If the Chinese drink, then it is supposed to say: "Ganbei!" When you clink glasses (that is, "bottom up!"). And if someone does not drain the glass completely, they ask him: “Do you have live fish there ?!”

Dear blog readers website, Hello!
In the world there is a wide variety of cuisines, different ways of preparing dishes and the order in which they are served, numerous options for eating food. For some peoples, it is customary to use cutlery at the table, for others - with chopsticks, for others - with hands. And someone eats not at the table at all, but on the floor .... The culture of eating food can tell a lot about the people.
In this article, we will be curious about what and how do chinese people eat? If we talk about this in great detail, then I have no doubt that one can write a whole book, or even more than one.
1. Breakfast lunch and dinner
For breakfast, the Chinese love "to drink porridge", namely to drink, and not to eat, because it is very different from ours, not so thick. Breakfast in China it is very early, often before 7 o'clock in the morning. It is necessary to have time to collect and send the children to school, whose classes begin at 8:00, or even earlier. Many busy people have breakfast on the run, buy various cakes, baozi, porridge right on the street. Dinner also takes place early, at 11, 11:30 am, maximum 12 noon. The Chinese are very amused by our phrase "11 am". They are amazed at what a morning it is! In the evening people often have dinner outside the house. I really like this tradition. Chinese women do not spend as much time at the stove as Russians. In addition, in China it is customary for a man to cook too, especially in the south. Shanghai men are considered to be the best cooks.
2. Order of dishes
We are all used to the fact that the order of dishes should be as follows: first - second - dessert. The Chinese are different. Soup is eaten at the very end of the meal, and it is customary to say not “eat”, but “drink” soup. There is some truth in this too. Chinese soups are really easier to drink. Many of them are a liquid in which several eggs and algae are beaten, remember the famous "Tomato with an Egg", which is a completely homogeneous mass. Our soup is a completely different matter, often we put a large piece of meat there, and even with bones, and coarsely chopped vegetables. You don't really drink it.
3. What do the Chinese eat? Product Compatibility
Despite the fact that we know that meat, fish and poultry do not go well with noodles, potatoes or cereals, we still love to combine proteins and carbohydrates in one dish. Compared to the Russians Chinese eat little meat and a lot of greenery. Many Chinese living and working in Russia complain that it is difficult to find greenery here. Indeed, there is no such diversity as in China. In Chinese cuisine, meat is traditionally prepared in small pieces that can be quickly and easily sautéed, combined with vegetables, and conveniently picked up with chopsticks. One Chinese said: “When we travel around Mongolia or Xinjiang, the first two days we eat meat with pleasure, and not the third we start looking for Chinese cuisine.”
Some restaurants in China in one dish there may be several types of meat or beef + chicken.
The Chinese eat compared to us little bread. They are not attracted to the image of white bread + butter + cheese, they are generally indifferent to these products. In Chinese stores, there is a relatively poor selection of fermented milk products, initially the Chinese were not familiar with milk, the experience of its use was adopted from the Mongols.
One day, when I was on a train from Beijing to Manchuria, I saw a striking sight. A Chinese mother fed a very young child with “cardboard” sausages (in which there is not a single gram of meat) and gave her to drink yogurt. It really surprised me. Harmful, and even incompatible! It would seem that the Chinese are mostly slender, eat right: little meat - a lot of vegetables. However, they often combine the incongruous. For example, they eat at the same time products that our person would not eat, they can eat a second meal and dessert at the same time, motivating that everything will mix up in the “stomach”, eat yogurt immediately after the soup, etc.
We are often asked the question, do they eat children in China? You can see the answer.
4. Rice is the head of everything
Food in Chinese cuisine is divided into "basic": rice, noodles, bread, or otherwise "fan"(饭 - Fan) and the rest: "chai"菜 - Cai, which includes both meat, poultry, fish, and vegetable dishes. That is, as you can see, the division here is different than ours: meat / poultry / fish + side dish.
Rice米饭 - Mifan? is the foundation of Chinese cuisine. They cannot imagine a day without it. They are very surprised when they find out that in Russia rice is eaten once a week, or even two. In China, you eat rice so often that when you come home for a visit, you don’t even think about it.
In the north of China, in contrast to the south, they love very much noodles(面条 - Miantiao), which is cooked in all sorts of ways: stewed, fried, served cold, etc. In the south, foods are much less caloric than in the north, and the amount of food consumed is also less. Therefore, you rarely meet tall and full people there, I see a clear connection with nutrition.
5. Seasonings and herbs
In Chinese cuisine, which is quite spicy, a great variety of seasonings and herbs. After China, our dishes seem insipid and they involuntarily want to add salt. One of the most favorite additives of the Chinese - hot peppers(辣椒 - Lajiao), which we call "chili", it is put in many dishes. Popular here too soy sauce(酱油 - Jiangyou) and vinegar(醋 - Cu). Vinegar is especially delicious when paired with Chinese dumplings.
In addition, the Chinese are very fond of weijing. Disputes about were and are still ongoing.
The Chinese add greens generously, these are celery, cilantro, parsley, dill, etc.
6. One day cooking
One day a funny thing happened to me. I told a Chinese friend that in Russia dishes are often prepared for two days, and the soup is generally tastier the next day. He made round eyes and said that it was very unhealthy. In China not accepted reheat yesterday's meals. Maybe now gradually busy people are starting to do this. However, traditionally the Chinese cook On one day. And indeed, their food is much tastier when freshly prepared.
7. Appearance
In China, it is much easier to relate to the design and appearance of public catering. Most simple cafes do well by setting up tables and chairs. Often on the streets you can see people sitting on tiny folding stools at the same miniature tables and eating small shish kebabs - chkhuars. Various carts are rolling along the streets, stuffed with everything that the soul of a Chinese can wish for. At lunchtime, such carts are a real pandemonium. What the sanitary and epidemiological station says about this is a good question. Sometimes I have a question, but is she even here?

8. Fun and noisy lunch
The Chinese do not like to eat alone. Chinese dishes are served in large plates (often 400 g each), designed for a large company. Each person has his own plate, in which he puts food from the common one. Tables in large establishments are usually round shape, a special rotating glass is installed on top, so it is very convenient to move the dish towards you. Lately, some people have been talking about eating from a shared plate as unhygienic, but most still prefer a "shared" meal.
9. sticks
Chopsticks are ideal for Chinese cuisine. They are very convenient to pick up small pieces and rice. In fact, learning how to use chopsticks is not as difficult as it seems at first. It is enough to starve for a while and get into a place where there are no forks. Just kidding, although there is some truth in this. It is believed that the history of chopsticks includes over 3000 years. As material they use wood, plants (bamboo), iron, plastic and much more.
10. Beverages
Most Chinese, especially the older generation, are absolutely indifferent to coffee, they do not like its taste and "bitterness". Attitude towards him is gradually changing among young people. Black tea, which is called red in China, is much less popular than ours. In general, the choice of tea in China is truly huge, and this is not surprising, after all, this is his homeland! Very fond of the Chinese soy milk It is believed to be good for women's health. I tried it once, very specific taste.
In general, in China, everyone can find food to their taste. The main thing is to learn to choose!

China is one of the most ancient countries in the world, which also has a very large area. The weighty experience of the time of the existence of the country is reflected not only in the directions of art, literature and music, but also in the culinary preferences of its inhabitants.

The cuisine of this large country is very multifaceted. What the inhabitants of the northern provinces eat in China very often differs significantly from the taste preferences of their eastern, western or southern neighbors. First of all, this is due to the climatic and geographical factors, the proximity of the sea, cultural traditions and other factors.

Strong taste differences and preferences are one of the main features of Chinese cuisine. Its second feature is the presence of 8 main cuisines of the country, depending on the province of China. The third feature of Chinese cuisine is the presence of a variety of tastes, that is, in China, in addition to the usual four flavors (salty, sweet, sour and spicy), many other tastes are distinguished: fresh, special, golden and others.

In addition, the very eating of the Chinese differs from the customs of other countries. They believe that any dish should not only satisfy the feeling of hunger, but also smell good and be beautifully served. Therefore, great attention is paid to serving and serving dishes. Also, for example, unlike Russian-speaking countries, in which, after the main meal, they usually eat dessert with tea, to which lemon, sugar and other additives are often added, in China, tea drinking is a whole ritual. And you will never meet a local resident who adds something to tea, because this distorts the taste of the tea itself.

Cuisine in China

Rice - every day

It's no secret that the most popular side dish in China is rice dishes. Since ancient times, the country has been considered the best producer of this cereal. For centuries, the Chinese have been cultivating rice cultivation methods to improve its quality, while harvesting bountifully. For thousands of years, China's economic prosperity has been based on agriculture, which was based on rice cultivation. They have always believed that the most valuable things in a person's life are five grains of rice, and not precious stones, metals or pearls, which were also always in abundance in the country.

Most Chinese eat rice daily. In their diet, it occupies the same place as bread occupies for the inhabitants of Russian-speaking countries. It is usually steamed until it is saturated with moisture as much as possible, or boiled.

There are a lot of recipes for cooking rice in the provinces of the country. The most popular are recipes in which this product is fried with the addition of additional components. The latter can be of both animal and vegetable origin. Thanks to the abundance of ingredients and possible combinations, Chinese chefs manage to "invent" new unique dishes with fried rice.

Rice porridge is also often consumed in China. It is not difficult to cook it, it is enough to increase the cooking time of the cereal until it becomes very soft. Rice in this form is not able to absorb water, and therefore it remains in the container in a free form. Porridge goes well with many snacks.

Rice is very often put in medicinal dishes.

Noodles are one of the staples of Chinese cuisine.

Noodles are no less popular than rice in China. This dish was known during the Han Dynasty, i.e. in 206 BC You can cook noodles in different ways, and any of the cooking methods is very simple. By adding additional ingredients during the cooking process, you can always get new types of this dish.

There are three raw materials for making Chinese noodles: wheat flour, rice flour, and mung bean starch, each of which is more common in a particular province of the country. Not infrequently, during the cooking process, additional ingredients are added to the noodles to improve their taste, color or structure.

All noodles are cooked very quickly, for example wheat noodles - from one to five minutes. The dough for making noodles is salty, which eliminates the need for salting it during cooking.

Chinese noodles are usually prepared by boiling fresh or dried dough. In addition, it can be fried or cooked in a deep fryer. Noodles are served as a side dish for various types of meat, seafood or with sauces. Vegetable salads, vegetables cooked on an open fire go well with noodles.

The dough itself for the preparation of this product includes flour, water, salt. If the future noodles are of the wheat variety, then an egg will also be added to it for color. Wash such noodles in alkali to make it softer.

After kneading the dough, noodle makers can cut it into thin strips, press it and make it into threads, roll it out or fold it repeatedly until the desired product shape is obtained. After that, the product is either immediately thrown into water or dried. You can store such “dried” noodles for a couple of days.

Bean curd is a native of China

Few people know that tofu was first made in China. It is believed that this cottage cheese was obtained by accident by one cook who was preparing mashed soybeans. Adding nigari for flavor, he got curd that can be eaten.

This food product is prepared by specially curdling milk (namely, the protein that milk is so rich in), which is obtained from soybeans. Curd obtained in this way has neither taste nor its own smell, which makes it an ideal ingredient that can be used to prepare both main and dessert dishes. This product is especially popular in the vegetarian menu, it compensates for the lack of protein foods in the diet, since it contains all the "useful" amino acids. In addition, it is saturated with calcium and iron, which helps to normalize the mineral balance. Also ideal for people who "hold" the post.

The low calorie content of tofu allows it to be eaten by anyone who monitors weight, people with heart disease and vascular problems. At the same time, a person does not go hungry, but feels full.

Depending on the consistency, tofu is hard and soft, it has a different culinary purpose. For example, soft bean curd is great for making fillings in cakes and as a base for sauces. Firm tofu is usually fried, deep-fried, or marinated. Additives are often used in its production, but such a product loses its original, neutral taste. The finished product is stored in vacuum packages in water to avoid "absorption" of extraneous flavors.

Tofu's signature dish is Maro Tofu, which is made with bean curd, bean and chili sauce, meat stuffing (pork or ground beef), and a variety of chestnut, onion, vegetable, or mushroom dressings.

Soups are one of the first dishes during a meal.

Being interested in the culinary traditions of Asian countries, on the Internet you can find a lot of photos and videos “what they eat in China”, which show many interesting soups.

This is not surprising, since soups have been an integral part of the country's cuisine and culture for thousands of years. The history of most recipes for this dish is as long as the history of the development of Chinese cuisine. Because soup is one of the most easily digestible and most nutritious meals.

To prepare this dish, a variety of ingredients are used: meat, its offal, bones, seafood, eggs, pickled foods, vegetables, legumes, mushrooms and even fruits. Despite the variety of recipes, all Chinese soups are divided into two categories:

• "liquid". The finished dish has a clear broth and a short cooking time;
• "thick". Such soups have many components that are added simultaneously during the cooking process. Therefore, such dishes are prepared very slowly. Starch or flour is often added to them before they are finished cooking to give them the right degree of thickness.

Soup is considered a remedy for colds and fever. The Chinese are convinced that certain types of soups have healing properties. Since they not only relieve the painful condition, but also give strength, while they are very tasty and fragrant. In Chinese folk medicine, there are recipes for so-called "tonic" soups.

Vegetables and eggs are a fundamental component of Chinese cuisine

Vegetables are second in popularity after rice. The Chinese are ready to eat them every day and at every meal. Vegetables are eaten fresh, pickled, boiled, fried and salted.

The most popular are: cabbage (all its types), legumes, peas, onions, carrots, bamboo sprouts, broccoli, hot peppers. This also includes cereals.

Taste preferences of the population are also different. Most Chinese prefer boiled or pickled vegetables. Pickled vegetables are eaten as an appetizer before the main course. And, of course, these products are used in the preparation of most meat, fish, poultry dishes and soups.

Every year in China, a large number of eggs are consumed, not only chicken, but also goose, duck and pigeon. The best chefs in the country use them not only as a separate ingredient, but also as the basis for dishes. Egg specialties are "salted duck eggs" and canned eggs called "secular".

"Salted eggs" are prepared as follows: fresh duck eggs are dipped in ready-made brine and left there for a month. At the same time, the yolk acquires a bright orange color, and the eggs themselves acquire a characteristic taste.

"Century eggs" are made from duck, chicken or quail eggs. The egg is immersed in a special mixture of ash, clay and other ingredients for weeks or months. As a result, the protein becomes like jelly, and the yolk resembles cream, only dark green in color. Dishes have a characteristic smell of sulfur and ammonia.

In China, the egg symbolizes fertility and new life. Therefore, as a gift for a wedding or for the birth of a child, it is customary to give eggs painted red, which means a wish for happiness, a large offspring. Such a gift should bring good luck.

As for seafood and meat, in China these products are an integral part of both everyday and festive tables, and are used in the cuisines of all provinces of the country.

Good articles to follow:

• - there is always a choice!
• - choose the best!