Yin and yang. Hot and cold. Male and female. The philosophy of yin and yang lies at the heart of Chinese culture. The first references to yin and yang come from the I Ching, the five classic works compiled and edited by Confucius. Taken literally, yin and yang mean the dark side and sunny side of a hill. People commonly think of yin and yang as opposing forces. However, it is really more appropriate to view them as complementary pairs. The Chinese believe problems arise not when the two forces are battling, but when there is an imbalance between them in the environment. Floods, divorce, or even a fire in the kitchen – all can be attributed to disharmony in the forces of yin and yang.
Category: Chinese Food
Myths and Misconceptions about Food & Eating in China
Food and eating probably brings up the most questions and the most misconceptions when talking about China. There's the issue of "Chinese" food abroad and what we think that is. There's the issue of what Chinese people eat in China – and how good or bad that is. Here's my take on some of these points in hopes it brings clarity and reality to the topic.
Top Chinese Food Stories
Chinese food products made news for all the wrong reasons. However, throughout the years, Chinese cuisine has grabbed a few more upbeat headlines. Here are some of my favorite fun Chinese food stories.
Chinese food: Chang’s Zodiac Noodles
From P.F.Chang’s "Flavors of Yunnan” menu, Zodiac Noodles combines rice noodles with pork loin, ham, cabbage and shiitake mushrooms in a spicy Kung Pao-style sauce. Rice vermicelli noodles are available at Asian markets, or you can substitute spaghetti.
About the Eight Cuisines in China
China is a vast country with a large population and abundant resources, hence a variety of Chinese food with different but fantastic and mouthwatering flavor. Since China's local dishes have their own typical characteristics, generally, Chinese food can be roughly divided into eight regional Cuisines, which has been widely accepted around. Certainly, there are many other local Cuisine s that are famous, such as Beijing Cuisine and Shanghai Cuisine (菜系càixì).
Chinese food: New Year Fish Salad
Besides being full of flavors and textures, yu sheng is loaded with symbolic meaning. The raw ingredients signify the renewal of life, and the sound of the word for fish in Cantonese sounds like the word for prosperity. The most important (and fun) part of eating yu sheng is the mixing together of the ingredients. To ensure good luck for the coming year, everyone calls out "Lo hei!"-which means "to mix it up" but also sounds like "to prosper more and more"-while they use their chopsticks to toss the ingredients as high in the air as they can. Now that's what I call a well-tossed salad!
Chinese food: New Year Turnip Cake
Really more like a bread than a cake, this recipe is traditionally made during the Chinese New Year season. It can also be found in dim sum restaurants throughout the year.
Chinese food: Steamed Fruit Cake
Also known as Sticky Cake, this New Years dish is traditionally fed to the Chinese Kitchen God, so that he will give a favorable report on the family's behavior throughout the previous year when he returns to heaven.
Chinese food: Baked Chinese New Year Cake
While traditional Nian Gao is steamed and does not contain butter, eggs or other ingredients normally found in a cake batter, this is a baked version that is good "if you don’t like standing over the stove worrying about the steamer boiling dry, if you don’t want to pan fry lots of pieces, or if you want to share with non-Asians who might be used to a more…cake-like cake." The recipe comes from Frances Kai-Hwa Wang, who adds that the "sweet, cake-like Nian Gao has a slightly sticky texture or bite to it."
What Chinese Eat in Start of Winter?
There is a Chinese saying that goes: the nutrition gotten on Start of Winter Day can support you throughout the whole winter. Chinese people follow the rules of “the hiding of the yang” to keep their health in winter. In order to “nourish the yang,” people get proper nutrition and supplement it with exercise.
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