Chinese food culture 2.docx
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Chinese food culture 2.docx
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Chinesefoodculture2
Chinesefoodculture
Thoughtherearemanydifferentschools,branches,regionalvariants,etc.,ofChinesecooking,togethertheyconstitutewhatonemightreasonablyterm"ChineseCooking",where"ChineseCooking"isdistinctfrom,say,"ItalianCooking".Anation'scookingculturereflectsitsfoodtraditions,fromthefood-preparationandeatinghabitsofthecountrysidetothefood-preparationandeatinghabitsofthecity,notwithstandingtheincreasingintroductionofforeignfarethatisnotonlyservedin"foreign"restaurantsinthecity,butwhichtodayisalsofoundinthefreezersectionofmostsupermarketseveninthecountryside.
Inspiteoftheseglobalizationtendencies,alargeswathofanycountry'spopulationwillcontinuetoenjoytheircountry'scuisine,partlybecauseitisfamiliarandtheylikeit(theyhavegrownupwithit),andpartlybecauseitisbasedonfoodstaplesthatarecheapertoobtain(theveryexistenceofalargemarketforagivenfooditemmeansthatitsproductionpermitswhateconomistscallan'economyofscale')."ChineseCooking"willliveoninNewYorkCity,inLondon,inParisandinSydney,evenshouldthepeopleofChina-perhapsinspiredbythescaled-downversionsofBigBen,theEiffelTower,theSydneyOperaHouse,theLeaningTowerofPisa,etc.-everdiscarditinfavorofanamalgamationofvariousforeigncookingtraditions.
WhatmakesChinesecooking"ChineseCooking",youmayask?
Well,whilesomeofthefollowingfeaturesmayapplytojustaboutanynationalcookingtradition,theyallcometogetherin"ChineseCooking"(notethatthedescriptionbelowdoesnotdelveintotheparticular"How-To"techniquesof"ChineseCooking",butrather,looksatthephenomenonof"ChineseCooking"fromamoregeneralizedperspective).
"ChineseCooking"ischaracterizedby:
DistinctRegionalFlavors-SinceChinaisaverylargeandaveryancientcountry,withvaryingethnicandculturaltraditions,andsinceChinapossessesanabundanceofagriculturalresourcesthatreflectlocalandregionaldifferencesinclimate,products,customsandhabits,ithasdevelopedavarietyoflocalandregionalfoodflavorsoverthecourseofitslongandillustrioushistory.Oneofthemostcommon-andgenerallyaccurate-generalizationsregardingChina'seatinghabitsisthesaying"riceinthesouth,noodlesinthenorth".Asimilarbroad-andbroadlyaccurate-sayingisthefollowing:
"sweetnessinthesouth,saltinessinthenorth,sournessintheeastandspicinessinthewest",whichcorrespondstothecookingtraditionscharacterizedespeciallybyBashu(SichuanProvince),Qilu(ShandongProvince),Huaiyang(JiangsuProvince)andYuemin(GuangdongandFujianProvinces),respectively.
Seasonality-TheChinesepeoplehavealongtraditionofconsuminglocalfoodstuffs,implicitinwhichisthenotionofconsumingproducethatbelongstotheparticularseason.Theeasyavailabilityofaparticularfoodstuffisofcourserelatedtoitsconsumerprice,andsincelocalfoodstuffsarereadilyavailableinlargequantities"inseason",thepricerangeisgenerallylow.Morever,consumingseasonallyavailable(read:
locallyavailable)foodstuffsmeansthatoneisassuredofobtainingfresherfoodstuffs,allotherthingsbeingequal,thanpurchasingnon-seasonalfoodstuffswhichhavetobetransportedoverlongdistances.Thethirdfactorisintricatelylinkedtotheothertwo:
seasonal/localavailabilitymeansthatpeoplehavebecomeadeptatdevelopingrecipiesthatmakethemostofparticularfoodstuffsatspecifictimesoftheyear.Tohighlighttheextremes,locallyavailablewinterfoodstuffsaregenerallyservedhotandarebraised,stewedorsimmered,whilelocallyavailablesummerfoodstuffsareoftenservedchilledandaredressedwithapiquantsauce.
HolisticAestheticAppeal-Chinesecookinghastraditionallyplacedagreatdealofemphasisontheaestheticappealoftheindividualdishaswellasontheroletheindividualdishplaysinthetotalityofthediningexperience.Inherentinthissentimentistheattentionpaidtotheharmonyandbalanceoftheingredientsofanindividualdish-thedish'stexture,color,aroma,andflavor-aswellasthepartplayedbythetaste,appearance,etc.,oftheindividualdishincomparisontothetastes,appearances,etc.,ofallofthedishesbeingserved.
Thisemphasisonaestheticappealextendsalsototheparticularsofthetableware,theaimbeingtocreateaharmoniousbalancenotonlywithrespecttothemakeupoftheindividualdishandwithrespecttothecomplementaritybetweenthetypesofdishesbeingserved,butalsowithrespecttothesettinginwhichthediningexperienceistooccur.Partandparcelofthisemphasisisalsoonthesequenceandrhythminwhichdishesareserved,andevenconcernsthenamingofindividualdishes,asthereexistsalongtraditioninChinesesocietyfornamingthings-fromgardenpondstomountainvistas-eitherafterthehighbrow(eg.,afterafamousliterarypassage)orafteranicknamethatappealstoeveryman(suchasthedishRedLion'sHead(FriedMeatballsinBrownSauce)orthedishBeggar'sChicken(RoastedChickenin"YellowMud",i.e.,RoastedChickeninthickyellowgravy)).
TheInclusionof"Medicinal"Foodstuffs/Herbs-ThecookingtraditionofChina,sincetimeimmemorial,hasbeenintricatelylinkedtotheuseofherbsandotherfoodstuffsand/orspicesthatarebelievedtohaveabeneficialeffectonthebody,andinsomecasesmaybeconsideredaspartofatraditional("folk"or"ancestral")treatment.Someofthesefoodstuffs/herbsmaybequitetastyinandofthemselves,andmightbedesiredasatasteenhancerevenshouldtheirputativemedicinalvaluebeproventobenonexistent.Otherofthese"medicinal"foodstuffs/herbsareconsideredmildlytoxicinotherpartsoftheworld,thoughtheiruseinChinadoesnotseemtohavecausedalarm,whichisofcoursewhatonewouldexpecttohavehappenediftheyreallywereharmful.
Insum,while"ChineseCooking"combinesseveralfeaturesthatmaybecommontomanyothernationalcookingtraditions,itembracesotherfeaturesthatsetitdistinctlyapartfrom,forexample,"ItalianCooking".
ChineseMedicinalfood
Medicinalfood,looselydefined,isfoodthatcanbeusedfordietetictherapy.Itmaybemildlytoxicinarawstate,butisde-toxifiedviacooking(manycommonediblemushroomsaremildlytoxicinarawstate).WithrespecttothemedicinalfoodsofChina,thereliesalargebodyoftraditionalmedicalknowledgeandcookingexperiencebehindtheiruse-themedicineofmedicinalfoodsdrawsontheattractionoffood(mostpeopleenjoyeating!
)whilethefoodofmedicinalfoodssupportsthepowerofmedicineandturns"goodmedicinewithabittertaste"into"goodmedicinewithapleasanttaste".Apartfromitsnutritionalvalue,medicinalfoodscanalsoreducethelikelihoodof-sometimesevencure-certaindiseases,protecthealth,fosterthemaintenanceofagoodphysique,etc.,andthusprolonglifewhileenhancingthequalityoflife.
TheuseofmedicinalfoodsinChinaisbasedonthetheoryofChinesetraditionalmedicine.Thistheoryplacesmuchemphasisonidentifyingthesignsandsymptomsofthemaladyinordertoprescribethepropermedicinalfoodstuff-onechoosesthefoodstuffaccordingtothecharacteristicsofthedisease/malady.Thechoiceofmedicinalfoodthusgivesprominencetothetheoryofmateriamedica(pharmacology).
Totaketwoextremes:
inthecaseoffebrile(associatedwithfever)diseases,Chinesetraditionalmedicinecallsformedicinalfoodswitha"cold"nature(wheningested/duringdigestion)suchaswaxgourd,balsampearand/ormungbean(mungisthegreen"bean",orseedofVignaradiata,nativetoIndia,PakistanandBangladesh);whileinthecaseof"cold"diseasesormaladies(eg.,painassociatedwithafeelingofcoldnessintheabdomen),Chinesetraditionalmedicinecallsforfoodswitha"warm/hot"naturesuchascassiabarkandfennel.
Inthemoreneutralcaseofgeneraltiredness/enervation,Chinesetraditionalmedicinecallsformedicinalfoodsthatreinforcetheqi(qiliterallymeansair,orbreath,butitismoreakintothebreaththatGod"breathed"intoAdamthantheaironedrawsinandexhales,i.e.,alife-givingforce,or"energy").Examplesofmeatsthatstrengthenqiarechickenandlamb(especiallylambkidneys).Examplesofvegetablesthatstrengthenqiareleeksandonions,whileagoodexampleofafruitthatstrengthensqiisthepeach.
Chinesewine
Chinesewinehasahistoryofmorethanfivethousandyearsandhasdevelopedauniquestyle.WineasaspecialformofculturehasaspecialpositionintraditionalChineseculture.Ithaspenetratedalmostallfieldsofsociallifeduringseveralthousandyearsofcivilization.Itiscloselyrelatedtosocialandeconomicactivities.SincetheimplementationofawinemonopolybythestateduringEmperorWu'sreignintheHanDynasty,thefeecollectedfromvintagetradeandthespecialtaxonwinehasbecomeoneofthemainsourcesofthestate’sfiscalrevenue.
Therevenuefromthewinetaxisalsorelatedtomilitaryexpenditureandwar.Ithasadirectbearingonthesurvivalorextinctionofacountry.Insomedynasties,winetax(orthemonopolyrevenueofwine)isstillrelatedtolaborserviceandotherformsoflevies.Thehighprofitsofwinehavealwaysbeenthechoicestmeatthatthestate,merchants,thewealthyandcommonpeoplefightfor.Theissuanceofimperialdecreesonwinehasalsoalwaysbeenrelatedtothechangeofdynasties,subrogationofemperorsandsomesignificantroyalactivities.
Chinesepeoplereducethefunctionsofwinetothreemaincategories:
tocurediseases,forlongevity
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