Category: Chinese Food

The use of toothpicks at a table is another standard practice. As in most Asian countries, the polite way to deal with lodged fragments of food is to cover one's mouth with one hand while the tooth pick is being used with the other. Toothpicks are frequently used between courses as it is believed that the tastes of one course should not be allowed to mar one's enjoyment of the next course.

If a Chinese dinner has been arranged in a restaurant, the host will usually sit nearest the kitchen or service door. Then he will be in the least-favored position—sitting where the waiter will stand while serving individual portions of food (the waiter's "mark" being his serving utensils laid on the table). Some hosts, however, seat their most junior guests or family members at this slightly awkward spot so that the host can talk more easily to guests on either side of him. It is also becoming more common for hosts to sit next to foreign guests of honor.

"A Chinese dinner host will not expect a visitor to know all the traditions associated with a Chinese meal. But the visitor who knows some of them will gain 'face' and give 'face' to his host!"

It is often said that a skilled chef can make an authentic Chinese meal using only Western ingredients. Just ask the Chinese who emigrated to the United States in the 1800's. Faced with the challenge of producing westernized versions of their native cuisine – both to satisfy western palates and cope with a shortage of Asian foodstuffs – they created such classics as chop suey.

There are lots of snacks in Nanjing and among them the most famous snacks are those at the Temple of Confucius in Nanjing. “The Eight Unique of Qinghuai” becomes the name of the snacks at the Temple of Confucius which has a long history with more than 80 varieties. Eight snacks among them have the most delicious taste, so in September 1987, the experts named these eight snacks “The Eight Unique of Qinghuai”.

Since the Autumn Equinox, the rainfall gradually decreases and the air humidity becomes low. The dryness has become a major climate in middle and late autumn. In autumn, the lungs are very delicate. If they are not treated with good care in this season, they will be hurt by the dryness, resulting in dry mouth, sore throat and cough. Therefore, in the Autumn Equinox, the food should play the roles of clearing heat and promoting fluid production, nourishing the Yin and moistening the lungs. The following recipes are recommended for the Autumn Equinox.

Guan chang, or filled sausage, has been a popular snack in Beijing since the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Traditionally, the sausage, a prepared pork intestine, is stuffed with a paste of flour or starch mixed with spices. The sausage is then boiled and cut into cubes or slices to be fried. In some restaurants, minced pork is also used as stuffing. Little bamboo sticks, instead of chopsticks, are the traditional way of eating the filled sausages.

Mung bean milk is a by-product of cellophane noodle production and is similar to soy milk, exceot it is made from mung beans. It is a gray-green color and tastes slightly sour and sweet, with an egg-like smell. Although mung bean milk does not look or smell appetizing, most Beijingers love to drink it, especially in spring and winter. It is a very healthy food, with lots of protein, Vitamin C, fiber and sugar.

Mi Ma Hua is shaped like a human's ear, which is why this snack also gets the name Tang Er Duo, which means' sweet ears' in Chinese. It's a famous Muslim snack in Beijing. The main ingredients are flour and sugar but the taste is very good.