Chinese Cuisine and Culture Quiz: Test Your Knowledge of Asian Food

Culinary Traditions of China: A Summary

Chinese cuisine has influenced many other cuisines in Asia and beyond, with staples such as rice, soy sauce, noodles, tea, chili oil, and tofu, and utensils such as chopsticks and the wok, now found worldwide.
Regional preferences for seasoning and cooking techniques in Chinese provinces depend on differences in social class, religion, historical background, ethnic groups, and available ingredients.
Imperial royal and noble preferences have also influenced changes in Chinese cuisine over time, with ingredients and cooking techniques from other cultures integrated.
Chinese cuisine is highly diverse and most frequently categorized into provincial divisions, with the Four Great Traditions being Chuan, Lu, Yue, and Huaiyang, and the modern Eight Cuisines of China being Anhui, Guangdong, Fujian, Hunan, Jiangsu, Shandong, Sichuan, and Zhejiang cuisines.
Color, scent, and taste are the three traditional aspects used to describe Chinese food, as well as the meaning, appearance, and nutrition of the food.
Chinese society greatly valued gastronomy, and developed an extensive study of the subject based on its traditional medical beliefs.
The first domesticated crops in China were foxtail and broomcorn varieties of millet, while rice was cultivated in the south, and wheat arrived from western Asia by 2000 BC.
During the Han dynasty, the different regions and cuisines of China's people were linked by major canals, leading to greater complexity in the different regional cuisines, with food seen as giving "qi" and about maintaining yin and yang.
The Song dynasty saw the migration of Chinese people south, increasing the relative importance of southern Chinese staples such as rice and congee, with soy sauce and Central Asian influenced foods becoming widespread.
The Yuan and Qing dynasties introduced Mongolian and Manchu cuisine, and many Muslim communities emerged in China, practicing a porkless cuisine now preserved by Hui restaurants throughout the country.
Spanish and Portuguese traders introduced foods from the New World to China through the port cities of Canton and Macau, with Mexican chili peppers becoming essential ingredients in Sichuan cuisine and potatoes and corn becoming staple foods across the northern plains.
Eight regional cuisines in China are Cantonese cuisine, Shandong cuisine, Jiangsu cuisine (specifically Huaiyang cuisine), Sichuan cuisine, Zhejiang cuisine, Fujian cuisine, Hunan cuisine, and Anhui cuisine.
Staple foods in China include rice, wheat, noodles, and soybean products such as tofu, with different types of fermented tofu, such as stinky tofu, doufuru, and sufu, being important in Chinese cooking.Chinese Cuisine: A Summary of Key Facts
Chinese cuisine includes a wide range of dishes, including vegetables, herbs, seasonings, desserts, and drinks.
Unique vegetables used in Chinese cuisine include baby corn, bok choy, snow peas, and Chinese eggplant.
Seasonings such as ginger, garlic, scallion, and sesame are widely used, as well as dried Chinese mushrooms, shrimp, and tangerine peel.
Soy sauce is a staple sauce in Chinese cuisine, along with hoisin sauce, ground bean sauce, and yellow bean sauce.
Chinese desserts are typically sweet and served with tea, including pastries such as moon cakes and steamed and boiled sweet snacks.
Cold dishes are usually served before the main meal and include sausages, jelly, beancurd, noodle salad, cooked meat, and soups.
There are many traditional Chinese soups, such as wonton soup, herbal chicken soup, hot and sour soup, and winter melon soup.
Tea plays an important role in Chinese dining culture, with different types of tea including black, white, green, yellow, oolong, and dark tea.
Baijiu is the most-consumed alcoholic spirit in China, while herbal drinks such as medicinal herbal tea are also popular.
Food plays various roles in social and cultural life, with specific religions in China having their own cuisines.
Different foods have different symbolic meanings in Chinese culture, such as mooncakes and dumplings for festivals and pear symbolizing bad luck.
Families follow different traditions for meal times, with some serving the elderly members and youngsters first, while others have the male and female members of the family served first.Chinese Food and Culture Summary
Chinese food is diverse, with eight main culinary traditions.
The concept of "food therapy" is important in traditional Chinese medicine.
The Chinese traditionally eat with chopsticks and use a communal style of dining.
Certain foods have symbolic meanings and are eaten during traditional festivals.
Dim sum and hot pot are popular communal dining experiences.
Chinese cuisine has influenced global cuisine, with dishes such as chop suey and General Tso's chicken.
Chinese food in the United States has been subject to negative stereotypes and racial insensitivity.
Food scares in China have received heightened attention and racial stereotyping in Western media.
Chinese people are stereotyped to eat unusual animals such as bats and dogs, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Chinese government has promoted the country's cuisine as a form of "soft power."
The use of MSG in Chinese cuisine has been scientifically discredited as a health concern.
Chinese food and culture have a rich history and continue to evolve in the modern world.