Different places have different tastes for food. In China, there are 56 folks, each folk has its special cooking, and the large area causes difference dining habits among the difference districts. First of all, we need to know that, the old China was developed in a faming society, and most of the dining habits and meals culture are based on this factor.
Taste Depends On Climate, there is a big difference about the diets between Northern and Southern China, that is, the dishes made by Northern Chefs are in heavier taste and those are comparably light in Southern Chefs’ recipes, sometimes, we say it is tasty as sweet and fresh in Southern Chinese food. In the Northern and Western Provinces of China like Lingxia, hebei, Sichuan , Shenxi, and Yunnan, the diets are made in hot and spicy, because of the humid cold weather and high altitude, Chinese people wonder that to perspire is a good method for preventing diseases caused by humidity and cold.
Dining Tool and habits, not same to the people living in western area, Chinese used to have their dinner together with all the family members, sitting around a table and each person will have one set of dining tool in front of them, including two bowls which one for rice and another for soup, one pairs of chopsticks and one plate for meat / vegetable. They will share the food dishes which were made and put into the central of table, diners will only pick up the food from the dished which who want to eat. He will pick it and places it into the small plate in front of him. There are 2 special habits, one is, Chinese diners never pick up rice from the bowl but will handle the bowl towards their lips then poke the rice into their mouths by the chopsticks. The other one is, Chinese always have soup during or after dining.
Festive Dishes, because of the poor and hard lifestyle character of a farming society, the Chinese farming families would have food which were being get from the farming field, such as, potatoes, tomatoes, vegetable, sweet corn, mushrooms, etc. So, the Chinese will have many dishes of meat recipes like Chicken, Pork, Fish that they do not have in the normal days. The are some special snack, or to be said, festival food will be made during the Chinese festivals, Such as Sweet-Stick Cake and Turnip Pastry in Lunar New Year, Glutinous Rice Tamale in Dragon Boat Festival, Moon Cake in Middle Autumn Festival, etc, and Steamed Buns to the Birthday person……
Religion Culture - Vegetarian Diets, buddhism and Tao is the main religions in Mainland China, and, it is must more simple to know that vegetarian diets becomes the main food to the people whose cult as monk and nun, as well as Taoist. There are so many vegetarian diets made looked like meat as pork, beef, fish, cuttlefish, etc. It is so funny and tasty, and healthy. Islam is one of the large religion in Mainland China, but it is well-known that, the Muslins never eat Pork, and their famous recipe is BBQ Lamb……
Main Food, generally, we can divided the farming products of main food in China into 3 styles, those are, Rice in Southern and Eastern China, Wheat in Northern China and Sweet Corn in Middle, Northern, Western China. Because of their farming products, the people living in Southern China will have rice, congee or rice noodle as their main food, and who will have wheat made products like Bun, noodle, pancake in Northern China. The populace who living on seaside and lakeside will have seafood or lake fishes as meals. Of course, people can have any food as they want nowaday.
Herds And Spices, Preserved Materials, there are not popular to use herds and spices in Chinese Food, perhaps Chinese chefs will use some parsley, aniseed, fennel, cloves, Sichuan peppercorn, red chili pasty……however, they mostly use light and dark soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, rice vinegar and oyster sauce as the main seasoning and sauce. Chinese chefs usually like to use the preserved and salty Ingredients like preserved eggs, potherb and pickled mustard, dried shrimps, bean curd cheese, dry and salty pork, salty duck, meat sausage……it is a long and traditional habit since the ancient hard and poor farming society
