The Flavors Of China
“Have You Eaten Yet?”
by Fred Tscheulin

                Chinese food has been a part of the North American dining scene for many decades. Why then, you may ask, do we consider it a trend?
                Ever since the first wave of Chinese immigration in the 19th century, elements of China’s venerable cuisine have been part of the American melting pot. But this ethnic cuisine is hardly static. New waves of immigration and heightened interest in authentic food traditions have infused this category with new vigor. In fact, A National Restaurant Association survey conducted in the late 1990s ranked Cantonese-style Chinese among the top three ethnic cuisines, along with Italian and Mexican. The researchers concluded that these three cuisines are so ingrained in the mainstream, they should not be labeled ethnic. Meanwhile, “emerging” Chinese regional cuisines ranked fourth. These findings point up a paradox: Chinese food has been with us seemingly forever, and yet there is so much more for us in North America to learn.
                In many cultures, people greet each other with “How are you?” or “What’s happening?” In China, a common greeting is: “Have you eaten yet?” – A simple phrase that illustrates the national preoccupation with food. There, any ancient food-related customs are still practiced today. Thousands of years before the birth of Christ, hunter-gatherer societies flourished. These gradually gave way to agrarian cultures that relied on millet, rice, domesticated pigs and poultry and vegetables such as cabbages, greens, gourds, melons and beans.
                The introduction of wheat and soybeans dates back to 1100 BC and the development of trade relations with other Asian states (206BC - 220AD) brought sesame seeds, onions, garlic, nuts, herbs and  vegetables to China. This period also saw the development of techniques for milling flour, making noodles and buns, extracting oil from seeds, rendering soybeans into tofu and salting and fermenting beans. During this period too, the Naturalist philosophy of five elements was developed. The five elements of food are color, aroma, flavor, shape and texture; the five tastes are salty, sweet, sour, bitter and hot.
                The foundation of the Chinese table is rice, or fan, which also means food. China favors long-grain rice. In northern China, wheat, millet and barley are also staple grains and steamed buns and noodles are favorites. Pork and poultry (and in the north and west, lamb) are protein sources, as are fish, shellfish and tofu. Principal fats are peanut and vegetable oil and pork fat. Dairy products are not used. Soy sauce is a principal source of salt. Vinegar adds acid; rice wine imparts richness; sugar and various fruits provide sweetness; and garlic, ginger, scallions and cilantro add flavor.
Chinese cooks employ stir-frying, steaming, deep frying, poaching, boiling, stewing, braising, open-fire roasting, barbecuing and red-cooking (slow, covered-cooking with soy sauce).
                Regional variations abound. The southern province of Guangdong (formerly Canton) boasts light, delicate cuisine. The northern Shandong region and historic capital city of Beijing call for hearty wheat noodles, steamed buns, pork and mutton and shelf-stable vegetables. East China, home of the cosmopolitan port of Shanghai, favors noodles, dumplings, steamed buns and rice. Fish, seafood, pork and poultry are plentiful and local cooks prefer a sweeter, slightly oily profile. Western China, including Sichuan, Hunan and Yunnan, favor hot, spicy foods made with chile peppers and Sichuan peppercorns, and with India so close, aromatic spices and pungent, sour sauces.
                With all this, no wonder the first question on everyone’s lips is “Have you eaten yet?”