Chinese cuisine and etiquette

Nov 08, 2023

By JESHER TILTO GET your taste buds ready because Chinese food is on the menu today! Yes, you may have to use chopsticks to eat but do not worry, they are actually easy to use. If you still find it difficult, there is always the option to use the spoon, fork or knife provided. Chinese cuisine is one of the most exotic in the world. Its history dates back thousands of years, evolving according to changes in both the environment and climate and varies depending on regional and ethnic background. All these factors contribute to a wide range of cooking techniques, ingredients, dishes and eating styles that make up what Chinese is food today. I was able to get accustomed to the local dishes in the few years that I lived there. So, just like any good meal let us share and indulge ourselves in some knowledge about Chinese food.

Different regions and their food It is commonly known that people living in the north of China enjoy wheat products like noodles, bread and mantou (a kind of steamed buns), whereas those in the south tend to eat rice. In the north, the staple is wheat because the climate is too cold and dry to support rice cultivation. The climate in the south is more suitable to grow rice so it is predominantly eaten there. The eight Chinese culinary cuisines are Anhui, Cantonese, Fujian, Hunan, Jiangsu, Shandong, Sichuan and Zhejiang. While technically its own province, Shandong cuisine is the term used for most northern Chinese cooking. There are two predominant cuisine styles: Jiaodong, characterised by light seafood dishes; and Jinan, a style that features the use of soup in its dishes. Shandong cuisine is often considered one of the most influential styles of cooking and is considered to have the longest history out of any of China’s regional culinary schools. Fun fact: One of China’s most famous lagers, Tsingtao Beer, also originated in Qingdao, Shandong province, after German immigrants began brewing there in the late 19th century.

In general, Zhejiang food is fresh and light rather than greasy. It consists of at least four styles of cooking: Hangzhou, characterised by the use of rich foods and bamboo shoots; Shaoxing, specialising in poultry and fish; Ningbo, specialising in seafood; and Shanghai, with xiao long bao. This is mainly found in the eastern part of China. China’s northwestern regions are often overlooked in terms of food however; it is home to some of the best culinary delights. This largely arid region is home to China’s largest Hui Muslim and Uyghur minority populations (something I never knew). Food from Xinjiang and Gansu heavily features mutton and beef rather than pork — which is forbidden in Muslim diets — along with Central Asian and Middle Eastern foods such as kebabs, spiced meats, and flatbreads. There are an increasing number of Xinjiang and specifically Uyghur restaurants both in China and abroad that also serve Mongolian-style hotpot and lamb barbecue. Sichuan province in China’s southwest is famous for their fiery cuisine. Sichuan cuisine is renowned for its use of bold flavors; chili, garlic and Sichuan pepper are used throughout the dishes. Sichuan hotpot, the most famous Chinese hotpot, is famous for its numb and spicy taste. Most people would want to eat these hot and spicy food on a cold day but on the contrary, locals from Sichuan eat this type of meal to remove the moisture from their bodies. The sweat cools them down as the area has a high humidity. A honourable mention is the Peking Duck. This dish is consumed throughout China and is considered the national dish. Containing crispy duck meat, its dark colour is due to the rich plum sauce which covers the duck and gives it its characteristic flavour. The duck is cooked in the oven so that its exterior is crunchy and served cut into thin slices. Next time you are at your local Chinese restaurant, ask to try out some of these dishes.

Festival foods The most popular Chinese festivals are the Spring Festival, the Dragon Boat Festival, and the Mid-Autumn Festival. Each of these Chinese festivals include the eating of a particular food among their customs. Spring Festival, also called Chinese New Year, is the most important festival for Chinese people. In preparation for Chinese New Year, every family does a thorough house cleaning and purchases enough food, including fish, meat, roasted nuts and seeds, all kinds of candies and fruits, etc. for the festival period. Also, new clothes must be bought, especially for children. Traditional food like jiaozi (dumplings) are made and eaten during this period. Dumplings are always made before midnight and eaten during the last hour of the old year and the first hour of the New Year. Some people like to wrap money in some of the dumplings as a token of good fortune for those who eat them. This is said to ensure good luck and prosperity in the New Year. Cold and hot dishes are served as well. Fish is always an important dish which expresses people’s hope of having a wealthy year. The Mid-Autumn Festival is the second most important festival after the Spring Festival. It takes its name from the fact that it is always celebrated in the middle of the autumn season. The day is also known as the Moon Festival, as at that time of the year the moon is at its roundest and brightest. Mid-Autumn Festival falls on the 15th day of the eighth month. The yuebing (mooncake), which varies in flavour according to each region, is the special food during the Mid-Autumn Festival. Mooncakes are round, symbolizing the reunion of a family and a bright life Eating mooncakes under the round moon can evoke longing for distant relatives and friends. People also give mooncakes to relatives and friends to demonstrate that they wish them a long and happy life. They are made with a sweet bean-paste filling, and a golden brown flaky skin, but nowadays, there are more than a dozen variations, including bean paste, yolk paste, coconut paste, five-core paste and so on. To make them attractive, some cooks decorate the moon cakes by drawing the patterns on it. The Dragon Boat Festival, which falls on the fifth day of the fifth month according to Chinese lunar calendar, is one of great significance. The festival commemorates the patriotic poet, Qu Yuan (about 339-278 BC). Zongzi is the special food eaten during this time. It is pyramid-shaped and made of glutinous rice and wrapped in bamboo or reed leaves. However, it can be either sweet or savoury and made from a great variety of ingredients besides glutinous rice, such as meat, shrimp, bean paste and nuts in southern China. In the northern part of China, people favour the jujube as filling, while people in the south favour sweetened bean paste, fresh meat, or egg yolk. Many families make zongzi by themselves. When making it, soaking the glutinous rice, washing the reed or bamboo leaves and wrapping zongzi with leaves are the most important parts. It is actually fun to make.

Dining etiquette Respect is an important virtue in Chinese culture. The seating arrangement is probably the most important part of Chinese dining etiquette. The guest of honour or most senior member is the first seated, facing the door of the dining room. If the guest of honour or most senior member is not seated, other people are not allowed to be seated. If he hasn’t eaten, others should not begin to eat. You should try to refill your bowl with rice yourself and take the initiative to fill the bowls of elders with rice and food from the dishes. If elders fill your bowl or add food to your bowl, you should express your thanks. Bones or other inedible parts of the meal should be put on a side plate. Chopsticks are commonly used to eat throughout China. Here are some things you should not do while eating with chopsticks:

In most traditional Chinese dining, dishes are shared communally. Although both square and rectangular tables are used for small groups of people, round tables are preferred for large groups, particularly in restaurants. This allows for more socialising, and also allows diners to sample a wider range of dishes than if they were ordering individually. When food is placed in the middle, it is equally near or far away from anyone at the table, so nobody is neglected. Also, it is a common sight for families to dispute over who pays the bill. The person paying the bill demonstrates generosity, sincerity, and dominance. If somebody organises a meal and invites the guests, that person is usually accorded the honour of paying for the event. Maybe the best thing to do is to travel to China and experience it all for yourself. Hope this will help during your gastronomic adventures.