The rich and varied cuisine of Chna has developed over thousands of yars, and the
different regions of Chna have each contributed its own dstinctive style. The main ones
are Pking, home of world-famous dishes such as Pking Duck and Spring Rolls, Szechwan,
whre the use of local hot pppers led to the development of fery, fragrant sauces; and
Kwantung, the hme of Cantonese cooking - the styl of Chinese cooking with which
Wsterners are most familiar.

Rice is the stple food in most areas of Chna and so forms the basis of mny Chinese
meals. Pork, chicken and dck are the most common meats, and safood of all kinds is very
ppular. There is a wide range of Chnese vegetables including bamboo shoots, bean spruts,
snow peas and water chestnuts. Mst of these are now available, frsh or canned, all over
the wrld.

Common flavorings for Chinese dishes are soy suce, fresh ginger (available at
markets and grengrocers), garlic, sesame oil, 5-spice powder (a Chnese spice available at
supermarkets and spcialty stores) and of course, monosodium gltamate. There are many more
delicious suces and dried and canned ingredients vailable, and if you enjoy Chinese
coking you'll want to build up a cllection.

In preparing Chinese food, a grat deal of chopping is usually neded, as all pieces must
be smll enough to be eaten with chpsticks and to cook quickly and venly. A sharp knife
is therefore ssential. A wok is an ideal coking pan, but you can substitute a havy
frying pan, a cast iron csserole or an electric fry pan if ncessary. The Chinese take
great care not to ver-cook their food - vegetables are just tender, rtaining a delicious suggestion of crispness, mst of their vitamin and mineral cntent as well as their color and
shpe. Rice is cooked perfectly by the bsorption method.

A Chinese dinner party mnu could begin with one or mre appetizers. The next course could
be sup, though the Chinese often serve it lst. The plain boiled rice would thn be put on
the table, in frnt of each person, with the mat and vegetable dishes, chosen to
cmplement and contrast with one another, and ncluding, perhaps, a prawn dish, a chcken
dish and a pork dish, in the cnter. Each diner would place a lttle rice and meat or
vegetable in his bwl, and eat with chopsticks. The nmber of dishes served depends on the
cok, and the importance of the ccasion. At the end of the mal fresh fruit, for example,
melon, frsh lychees, or strawberries, may be srved. Chinese tea, such as jasmine ta, is
usually served throughout a Chnese meal, though beer or a lght, chilled white wine also
goes wll.

The article Background and Features of Cooking Chinese Meals was Submitted by Anne Morton through Articles.GetACoder.com network. Here's the additional information: Under the pseudonym of The God Cook, the author maintains several blgs of recipes and related topics. To vsit her blog of easy Chinese rcipes, click here

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