Chinese cuisine

Chinese cuisine has an ancient and prized tradition, which is loved all over the world. Like any other cultural food, it has developed through great care over the centuries, and is known for a fine selection of ingredients, and a balance of preparation, nourishment and how much cooking is relied on. To a large degree, climate, availability of produce, and tastes are just some of the important historical factors that influence the unique style of local dishes. There are four major flavors in Chinese cuisine, Shandong, Sichuan, Huaiyang and Guangdong (Cantonese). Below is a list of the ten most common local cuisines:

Guangdong Cuisine: known for its freshness and the tenderness of the meat uses an assortment of birds, freshwater and saltwater fish and snakes.

Shandong Cuisine: the extensive selection of ingredients is used in many different ways, with soups being the most widely known, and green onion is commonly used for seasoning.

Sichuan Cuisine: Sichuain dishes are renowned for being spicy and the having the flavor of Chinese peppercorns. Seasonings are applied to each unique dish.

Huaiyang Cuisine: cooked with care and skill, the food retains the original taste of the ingredients and a subtle taste and skillful presentation of the dishes.

Anhui Cuisine: typical dishes for this cuisine include smoked duck, Wenzheng Bamboo's shoots and Feiwang Fish cooked with milk. The cuisine incorporates the areas of South Anhui, Yanjiang and Huaibei in its style of dishes.

Beijing Cuisine: most known for its roasted duck and its sliced mutton, as well as braised shark's fin, the food is often varied and delicious.

Hunan Cuisine: famous for its fledgling chicken dishes, including hot-spiced and peppered Dong'an fledgling chicken, as well as steamed pickled meats.

Zhejiang Cuisine: the cuisine covers areas ranging from Hangzhou, Ningbo, Shaoxing and Wenzhou. Renowned dishes include longjingxiaren (a kind of shrimp), Huofang with honey and West lake carp with vinegar sauce.

Fujian Cuisine: most commonly known for dishes such as fotiaoqiang, a mixture of different ingredients that is so delicious that even Buddha would jump over a wall to get hold of it! Common dishes also include mussels boiled in chicken broth, and flaked spiral shell lightly pickled in rice wine.

Shanghai Cuisine: combining a variety of seafood with bright colors and unique tastes, this cuisine often features dishes with a slightly sweet flavor. The dishes often contain mellow juices, and a large amount of oil is used during the cooking. Rice as a staple is preferred over noodles and other wheat products.