Chinese

Contrary to popular belief, not all Chinese meals consist mainly of rice. While this staple grain is used extensively in regional cuisine from the southern parts of China, pasta in the form of noodles and ground wheat as cous cous are more common in the northern areas.

While western civilization tends to use meat dishes as a main course, the Chinese consider the high carbohydrate dishes to be primary. Many traditional Chinese dishes contain very little or no meat at all. Especially among the areas where Buddhism is strongest, there is a tendency to create flavorful and diverse dishes using nothing but rice and the multitude of vegetables that abound.

It is a social custom that on should not have to cut their food into pieces at the table, so Chinese food is prepared by cutting the meat and vegetables into bite sized pieces before preparing the meal. Since the western forks and spoons are considered weapons in the Chinese culture, the smaller pieces are created so that each bite can be picked up with chopsticks. The only exception to this custom is when serving fish. here the traditional Chinese method is to leave the head and tail intact and pieces of the flesh are pulled off the fish as it is being eaten. While these parts are not eaten, it is a part of their philosophy that a meal should have a beginning and an end and the head and tail represents this cultural belief.

The primary cooking utensil for proper Chinese cooking is the beaten metal round bowled wok. For the best results Chinese food should be prepared over an open flame. The design of the wok allows he maximum of food to be prepared with the minimum of cooking oil so the food will not be greasy. Even stir-fried vegetables are prepared separately from the rice. Each diner is given their separate plates but the foods are served out of a communal pot. This way it is up to the individual whether to place the vegetables over the rice or to the side.

Chinese food uses a wide variety of spices to give specific tastes to different dishes. Different combinations of vegetables, meat pieces and sauces differentiate the specific dishes. Unlike western culture which usually reserves the sweet dishes for the end of a meal, Chinese foods offer a mixture of sweet and sour alternatively trooughout a dinner. Dessert is a relative unknown in traditional Chinese cuisine. Usually a meal will be finished with fruit or sometimes a sweet soup.

Chinese food has become very popular all over the world and many foreign elements have slipped in to change the face of Chinese food. Chop Suey for instance is a completely American invention based on the Chinese formula. Thailand reduces the amount of rice and adds a fair bit of extra hot peppers to create their own variation of the standard fare.

Chinese food is uniquely suited for vegetarian diets and those who need to decrease the amounts of meat they consume. It is versatile and easily adjusted to create many distinctly different dishes while using the same low cost ingredients. And ultimately, it is more healthy than the majority of foods found in western culture.