Essay on Chinese Culture

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For my research project, I decided to study Chinese cuisine. I chose this because I love Chinese food, but know nothing about it. Chinese cuisine plays a tremendous role in Chinese culture. It is one of the richest and most diverse heritages on the planet. The cuisine started in various regions of China and soon migrated to other parts of the world, such as Southeast Asia, North America, and Western Europe.

China is made up of both lowlands and mountain ranges. The Yangtze River is the largest in all of China, running almost 4,000 miles long. Most of the people in China have access to safe drinking water, however, water pollution is a major problem. There are 1.4 billion people in China, and most of them live outside of city regions.

Throughout history, China has had problems with feeding its people due to its vastly growing population. The Chinese were constantly adapting new eating habits because of the scarcity of food. The meat was extremely scarce for a long period, so the Chinese had to figure out a way to bring more substance to their meals. They did this by creating stir-fry. Stir-fry was a quick and efficient way of cooking. It is made with meat, vegetables, and either rice or noodles. “Regional differences in cuisine became noticeable in the 1200s when invaders from neighboring Mongolia swept into China. Cooking styles and customs began to be exchanged between the two countries. As people traveled further from their homes, cooking methods and foods were shared among the different regions within China”(Food in Every Country).

We do not typically see foods like shark fins, seaweed, frogs, snakes, dog meat, and cat meat in North America. The Chinese use yin and yang as a way to keep their lives and their food balanced. China’s staple food is Rice. ‘Fan’ is the Chinese word for rice, which also means ‘meal’. “Rice may be served with any meal and is eaten several times a day. Scallions, bean sprouts, cabbage, and ginger root are other traditional foods. Soybean curd, called tofu, is an important source of protein for the Chinese. Although the Chinese generally do not eat a lot of meat, pork and chicken are the most commonly eaten meat. Vegetables play a central role in Chinese cooking, too” (Food in Every Country). There are four main types of Chinese cooking: Cantonese, Mandarin, Szechuan, and Hunan. Cantonese dishes typically have rice, stir-fry, wonton soup, egg rolls, and pork. Mandarin dishes usually consist of noodles, dumplings, pancakes, and ducks. In a Szechuan dish, you might find lots of seafood. Lastly, you might find chicken, pork, and green beans in a Hunan dish.

I have discovered a lot about Chinese cuisine through my research. I didn’t realize that Chinese food came mainly from four different regions, each having different dishes to offer. By researching, I also found some new dishes I would love to try that I have never heard of before.

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