First, the richness and diversity of food
There are many kinds of food in China, just like the bright starry sky, and each star represents a unique flavor.
(A) the charm of specialty snacks
The special snacks in different provinces and cities in China have their own charms. Regan Noodles, Hubei, as one of the representatives of Hubei's special cuisine, is the first choice for breakfast in Hubei, with strong noodles and rich sesame sauce. Zhou Heiya is famous all over the country for its spicy and delicious taste, which makes people want to stop. Sanxian bean skin, golden and translucent in appearance, soft, crisp and fragrant at the entrance, is a traditional flavor snack in Hubei.
Rice rolls in Guangdong is also a must. Rice rolls is divided into Bula rice rolls and drawer-type rice rolls, with smooth and sweet taste. As one of the "four kings" of Cantonese morning tea, barbecued pork buns are wrapped in juicy pork stuffing with soft dough, and every bite is full of satisfaction. There are shrimp dumplings, crystal clear leather bags wrapped in fresh shrimp meat, which makes people memorable.
Besides Hubei and Guangdong, there are many special snacks all over the country. Anhui Laba porridge, rescue, Huizhou cake, etc., have their own characteristics. Fujian's oyster cakes, hand-grabbed noodles and spiced hooves show Fujian's food culture. Taiwan Province's moon noodles and eel noodles give people a taste of Taiwan Province's unique flavor.
(B) the temptation of classic dishes
Chicken feet with hot and sour lemon is a very popular snack. The method is simple, and the taste is sour and appetizing. Cut off the nails of chicken feet, put them in a pot with cold water, add ginger slices and cooking wine to remove the fishy smell, cook for ten minutes, then take them out and take a shower. Then mince garlic and ginger, dice millet pepper, slice lemon to remove seeds, add soy sauce, vinegar, sugar and other seasonings to make marinade juice, put chicken feet into marinade juice, mix well, and put it in refrigerator for more than two hours to eat.
Homemade fried noodles are also a classic food. You can add ingredients according to your personal preference, such as carrots, ham sausage, Shanghai green, bean sprouts and so on. First, cook the noodles in cold water, then stir-fry the meat with seasoning, add the vegetables and stir-fry until it is raw, then add the noodles and eggs, and stir-fry evenly after seasoning.
These foods are not only easy to learn, but also delicious and affordable, and they are frequent visitors to the family table. Both specialty snacks and classic dishes show the richness, diversity and unique charm of China cuisine.
Second, the wonderful cooking methods
(A) the variety of speculation
Stir-frying is one of the most common cooking methods in Chinese food. Take fried shredded potatoes with green peppers as an example. Raw frying is to fry green peppers and potatoes directly in the pot, which keeps the original flavor of the ingredients. Cooking and frying is to blanch the shredded potatoes until they are half cooked, and then fry them with green peppers, which makes the taste more crisp. Stir-fried flowers can add more ingredients, such as shredded pork, fungus, etc., to increase the richness of dishes. There are various ways of frying, which can adapt to the characteristics of different ingredients and make the dishes more delicious.
(2) Delicious fried food
Pan-fried tofu is a typical example of this cooking method. First, cut the tofu into small pieces, sprinkle with salt for curing, then wrap it with starch and egg liquid and fry it in the oil pan. Tofu can be fried with a small amount of oil until the surface is golden, crisp outside and tender inside. This cooking method of frying can make the food surface form a golden crispy skin and increase the layering of the taste.
(3) The popularity of bombing
Dry-fried small yellow croaker shows the charm of fried cooking. After the small yellow croaker is cleaned, it is pickled with salt, ginger, cooking wine, etc., and then fried in hot oil until golden and crisp. French fries, fried popcorn and so on are also popular foods for children. Deep-frying can make food cooked quickly and crispy, which is a fun cooking method.
(4) the original flavor of steaming
Steamed chicken wings with chopped pepper shows that steaming can keep the original flavor of ingredients. Chop chicken wings into small pieces, add chopped pepper, garlic and other seasonings, marinate, and steam in a steamer. During steaming, the nutrition and taste of the ingredients are locked inside, keeping the food delicious. Steamed fish is also one of the common steamed dishes, which can retain the flavor of fish to the greatest extent.
(5) Simple and common use of cooking
Boiling eggs is one of the simplest and commonly used cooking methods. Put the eggs in cold water, add vinegar and salt, boil the water and cook for 3-4 minutes. This cooking method is easy to operate and suitable for all kinds of ingredients, such as cooking noodles and porridge.
(6) Classification of burning
Braised fish is divided into braised fish, dry fish or white fish. Braised fish first fry the fish until golden on both sides, then add seasoning to cook it to make the fish tasty. Braised pork and braised chicken wings are also common braised dishes. Dry-burning means that no soup is added during the firing process, so that the ingredients are cooked thoroughly in a dry and hot environment. White roast is mainly light, highlighting the original taste of ingredients.
(7) the characteristics of stew
Stewed pigeon soup with lean meat shows the characteristics of this cooking method. Pigeons and lean meat are put into a casserole together, and seasonings such as ginger and red dates are added, and the pigeons are slowly stewed on low heat until they are soft and rotten. Stewing can make the ingredients fully absorb the flavor of seasoning, which is nutritious and suitable for making all kinds of meat dishes, such as stewed beef brisket with potatoes and stewed chicken in iron pot.
Third, the historical inheritance of food
Food is not only the enjoyment of taste buds, but also the witness of history. The long history of Chinese cuisine bears the development of human civilization.
(A) the origin of ancient cooking
In the long years, human ancestors lived a life of "eating, eating and chewing". Until the use of fire, let the ancestors out of this barbaric state. The life scene statue of caveman (China National Museum) shows the gradual understanding and utilization of fire after human beings evolved from apes to primitive people. With the appearance of fire, primitive people accidentally ate the carcasses of animals that were burned to death, and found that cooked animal meat was far more delicious and fragrant than raw meat, so they officially started cooked food. This indicates that "cooking" originated from the use of fire.
At the same time, the invention of pottery also had a far-reaching impact on the cooking techniques of the Chinese nation. The appearance of pottery provided a new way of cooking for the ancients. The ancients could put food in pottery, add water and cook it under the fire, from the "direct baking method" to the "cooking method with water" of burning, boiling, stewing and steaming. For example, this tool is very clever. It has two layers, the lower layer is filled with water, and the bamboo grate is placed in the middle. The food is placed on the bamboo grate and steamed by steam. This invention determines the cooking techniques of the Chinese nation, which are mainly boiled and steamed.
(B) the bronze age food culture
During the Xia, Shang and Zhou Dynasties, China entered the Bronze Age. During this period, etiquette was based on diet. The Zhou dynasty brought diet into the category of ceremony, which was consistent with the hierarchical social regulations of the Zhou dynasty, and carried out the thoughts of the rulers in it, so that diet could not only satisfy the appetite, but also play a political and cultural role. Zhou people regard food, goods, worship, sikong, Stuart, Scott, guest and teacher as eight aspects of national governance, among which food ranks first.
The proportion of food containers in bronze ritual vessels increased. Ding, as one of the leading characters in bronze utensils, is a cooker for cook the meat and meat, which can be divided into three types: wok ding, sheng ding and shame ding. The tripod system reflects the food etiquette, and different kinds of meat are put in different heydays, representing different status levels. In addition, there were bronze utensils such as bamboo and beans, which together constituted the complex food culture at that time. For example, beans are high-legged plates for holding sauces. At that time, there were more than 120 kinds of dipping sauces such as beef sauce, mutton sauce and fish sauce.
(C) the development of diet in Han Dynasty
Agricultural production and social and economic stability in the Han Dynasty, food processing, cooking methods and eating habits have been greatly developed. In the Han Dynasty, both the development of cookware stoves, the application of utensils and cooking methods reached a new height. China's cooking utensils have officially entered the "iron cooking era", and the chefs' cooking knives have reached a certain level, and they can cut meat as thin as snowflakes.
During the Western Han Dynasty, Niu Geng's technology, the use of iron tools and the development of water conservancy irrigation industry made the agriculture and animal husbandry develop rapidly and the cooking materials were unprecedentedly rich. Chang 'an, as the political, economic and cultural center of the country, has developed land and water transportation, and grain and products from all over the country are continuously brought in, meeting the needs of raw materials for cooking various delicacies.
At this time, the catering market is also booming. Chang 'an not only has food stalls and fixed shops, but also has large-scale restaurants. The culture of pasta in Han dynasty was developed, and there was a saying that "cakes are three auxiliary products". At that time, cakes were the general name of all pasta varieties. In addition, there are Bailiang Banquet, pastry and snacks in Han Dynasty. For example, sesame cakes came from Hu people and existed in the Han Dynasty. They originated in the Han Dynasty and flourished in the Tang Dynasty. "Qinghe Shiguan" bronze dyeing device is similar to modern small hot pot, which embodies the diversity of cooking methods at that time.
(D) Diet communication in Sui, Tang, Song and Yuan Dynasties
During the Sui, Tang, Song and Yuan Dynasties, the traffic was developed, which promoted the exchange of food culture. Watermelon, pepper and other ingredients were introduced into China, which enriched the cooking materials in China. At the same time, China's porcelain export and tea drinking customs have also spread to other countries. With the integration of customs of all ethnic groups, the system of sharing food gradually replaced the system of sharing food.
During this period, cooking technology was constantly innovated, and the variety of dishes was more abundant. For example, the "Shaowei Banquet" in the Tang Dynasty had a variety of dishes, which showed the superb cooking level at that time. The food culture in Song Dynasty was more prosperous, and all kinds of snacks in the night market were dazzling.
(5) The dietary characteristics of Ming and Qing Dynasties
During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, sweet potatoes, corn and peppers were introduced into China, which changed the diet structure of China people. China specialties such as tea and sugar are exported to other countries, and the radiation area of China's food culture is further expanded.
The catering culture in Qing Dynasty is characterized by diversification, refinement and distinct regional characteristics. The court diet is exquisite and elegant, such as "Buddha jumping over the wall" and "Bird's Nest in the Hall of Supreme Harmony", which became the representative of the diet in Qing Dynasty. Folk food culture is also rich and colorful, and the food in different regions has its own characteristics. For example, seafood and sweet and sour are the main features in the south, pasta and pasta are the main features in the north, and spicy and wild ingredients are the characteristics in the southwest.
The way of drinking tea in Ming and Qing dynasties has also changed, from making tea to making tea, which is more convenient and fast. At the same time, the appearance of various food books, such as Suiyuan Food List, recorded rich food culture and cooking skills, and provided valuable information for future generations to study the food culture of Ming and Qing Dynasties.
Fourth, the cultural connotation of food
(A) the meaning of the name of the dish
As an important symbol of food, the names of dishes often contain rich cultural connotations. Congratulatory dishes are especially common in imperial court meals, and dishes are named with auspicious blessing words to please the emperor. Such as "Best wishes for thousands of years" and "Best wishes for the royal family". Among the people, there are also many dishes that are metaphorical to congratulate or symbolize good luck. For example, "Bamboo shoots stir-fry the pig ladder, which is called' step by step'; Stewed pig's trotters with Nostoc flagelliforme, called' get rich'; Mushrooms are placed on green vegetables, called' money everywhere' and so on. These dish names not only endow dishes with beautiful meanings, but also reflect people's longing and expectation for life.
The names of allusive dishes bear historical allusions, such as "kung pao chicken" and "Dongpo Meat". Kung pao chicken is related to Ding Baozhen, a famous minister in the late Qing Dynasty. He has a good knowledge of cooking. He likes to eat chicken and peanuts, especially spicy food. When he was an official in Shandong, he ordered the chef to change the Shandong cuisine "Sauced Chicken" into spicy stir-frying. Later, when he was governor of Sichuan, he combined the local spicy customs to improve it into kung pao chicken with Sichuan flavor. Because of his ten-year rule of Shu, he was upright and upright as an official, and made many achievements. The Qing court posthumously awarded the "Tai Zi Tai Bao", and this dish was named "kung pao chicken". Dongpo meat is closely related to Su Dongpo, a poet in the Northern Song Dynasty. Su Dongpo invented this dish in order to solve the poverty problem of Hangzhou citizens during his tenure in Hangzhou Zhizhou. After he organized migrant workers to dredge the West Lake, the people sent him pork. He asked his family to cut the meat into cubes, add seasoning and wine, simmer it and give it to migrant workers. Later, this dish was named "Dongpo Meat" after him. These allusive dishes allow people to know the stories and cultural background of historical figures while tasting delicious food.
Giving dishes a good name is a science. Name and reality should be harmonious and unified, neither too real and boring, nor too empty to make it difficult to associate with the true taste of dishes. Ancient Chinese ancestors made great efforts in naming dishes and created many dishes with rich cultural connotations, which became an interesting cultural phenomenon in Chinese folk customs.
(B) the coordination of food and beauty.
The harmony between delicious food and beautiful utensils is an important feature of China's food culture. From ancient pottery eating utensils, to bronze eating utensils in Yin and Zhou Dynasties, and then to wood carving lacquer eating utensils in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, eating utensils in different periods have embodied unique aesthetic values.
In ancient times, ancestors had noticed the beauty of eating utensils. Painted with realistic animal patterns such as fish pattern, deer pattern, bird pattern and frog pattern, the pottery tableware shows the characteristics of early realism, and there are also some abstract geometric figures with smooth lines and simple images, which reflect the unique beauty of early pottery in China.
During the Yin and Zhou Dynasties, bronze eating utensils were used by the royal family or nobles, with exquisite ornamentation, and the carved and carved patterns showed the beauty of simplicity and solemnity. As a rare and precious bronze relic in the world, Simu Wuding is a masterpiece of Shang dynasty aristocratic eating utensils, with heavy and elegant shape, grand momentum, beautiful and solemn decoration and exquisite craftsmanship, which is the product of the peak development of Shang culture.
During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, wood carving lacquer utensils appeared at the banquet of princes, which gradually replaced bronze utensils with exquisite shape and beautiful decoration. Chu lacquer utensils are the most famous, distributed in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River basin. Many lacquerware tableware unearthed from Mawangdui Han Tomb in Changsha, such as lacquered bowls, lacquered plates, ear cups, etc., reflect the ancients' yearning for a better life of "eating well" and "drinking well".
In Qing Dynasty, Yuan Mei mentioned that "delicious food is not as good as beautiful utensils" in "Notes on the menu and utensils with the garden", and emphasized the importance of the combination of delicious food and beautiful utensils. After the dishes are out of the pot, the bowl should be used, the plate should be used, the frying should be appropriate, and the soup should be appropriate. If you make a mistake, you will feel colored. Food and beauty utensils should be harmonious in color decoration, shape, space, dishes and anecdotes, and the collocation of a dish and utensils.
In terms of color decoration, cold dishes and summer dishes should use cold-colored utensils, while hot dishes, winter dishes and festive dishes should use warm-colored utensils, but it is necessary to avoid "relying on color". The shape of the food and the pattern of the container should complement each other, such as the tender yellow custard in a green lotus petal bowl, which is particularly beautiful in color; Stir-fried shredded pork is placed in a green leaf tray, which is pure and pleasing to the eye.
In terms of morphology, there are many kinds of Chinese food, with different shapes, and the shapes of matching utensils are also varied. The flat chassis comes for stir-frying dishes, the soup plate comes for stir-fried vegetables, the oval plate comes for whole fish dishes, the deep bucket pool comes for whole chicken and duck dishes, and the lotus petal sea bowl comes for soup dishes. If you use a dish filled with soup to stir-fry cooking, you will not get the harmonious effect of food and beautiful utensils.
In space, the number of dishes should be commensurate with the size of the utensils. The soup overflows to the edge of the container or the amount of food is small, which can not give people a beautiful sensory effect. Generally speaking, the concave-convex line in flat chassis and soup plate (including fish plate) is the "best line" for the combination of food and utensils. It is better to hold vegetables in plate without overflowing this line, and it is better to hold soup in bowl with 80% full.
In terms of food anecdotes and vessel patterns, vessels with patterns commensurate with their contents should be selected according to food anecdotes. For example, China's famous dish "Guifei Chicken" is served in a lotus bowl decorated with fairy dancing patterns, which reminds people of the story that Yang Guifei, who is good at dancing, is drunk in a hundred flowers pavilion; "Sweet and sour fish" is served in a fish dish decorated with carp jumping on the dragon gate, which makes people full of interest and appetite.
If the utensils of a dish are not all blue-and-white porcelain or white porcelain, but colorful, dazzling and beautiful, it will present a spectacular view of the table. The perfect combination of delicious food and beautiful utensils can not only bring visual enjoyment, but also convey the heart of delicious food and hospitality.
Five, the modern development of food
(A) the rise of convenience dishes
With the accelerating pace of life, modern convenient dishes came into being, which brought great convenience to the daily life of ordinary people. The appearance of convenient dishes allows people to taste delicious dishes prepared by professional chefs without spending a lot of time in the kitchen for tedious cleaning and cutting.
Take Axingji Group as an example, its "instant dishes" are very popular in the market. These convenience dishes include spicy chicken, pickled fish and shredded pork with fish flavor, which are quickly frozen by the finished or semi-finished products prepared by the central kitchen, and each dish keeps the fresh ingredients. Consumers only need to heat it according to the instructions on the package, or stir-fry and cook it, and a dish can be cooked in a few minutes. This "retail catering" mode not only keeps the color, aroma, taste and shape of instant dishes better, but also has a much larger radiation radius, which can radiate all over the country through cold chain transportation, with a shelf life of up to 270 days.
In addition to Axingji Group, there are many other brands of convenience dishes on the market. For example, the brand of "Nearby Fresh Food" has adopted an innovative membership system, covering more than 400 famous dishes, each of which is made according to the exclusive formula of famous chefs. Even a novice in the kitchen can easily make the taste of a chef.
(B) the development direction of instant dishes
Convenient dishes from the initial no-cleaning, no-cutting, to the current quantitative packaging, refrigeration, reflecting the accelerated pace of life under the diet changes. On the one hand, quantitative packaging enables consumers to master the amount of ingredients more accurately and avoid waste. On the other hand, the continuous progress of freezing and cold storage technology has prolonged the shelf life of convenient dishes and ensured the taste and quality of dishes.
In the future, the development direction of convenience dishes will be more diversified. First of all, as consumers pay more attention to healthy eating, convenience dishes will pay more attention to nutritional balance. For example, in the collocation of dishes, more vegetables and fruits will be added, and the ingredients high in oil, salt and sugar will be reduced. Secondly, personalized customization will become an important development trend of convenience dishes. Consumers can choose different combinations of dishes according to their own tastes and needs, and even customize special diet plans, such as vegetarian meals and low-sugar meals. In addition, the packaging of convenient dishes will be more environmentally friendly and convenient. Packaging is made of degradable materials to reduce environmental pollution; At the same time, the design of more humanized packaging is convenient for consumers to carry and store.
In a word, the introduction of modern convenient dishes has brought great convenience to people's lives. With the continuous progress of technology and the changing needs of consumers, the development prospect of convenient dishes will be broader.
