China has a vast territory and rich products. In addition to fresh ingredients, the ingredients also include dry goods and condiments.

Not only that, in the face of abundant food raw materials, we Chinese often make the best use of them, eat them thoroughly, and strive to achieve zero waste.

In the Spring and Autumn Period, Confucius said in "The Analects": "If you don't cut it right, you won't eat it." The fable "The Cook and the Cow" is almost a household name in China.

Zhong Yifeng, the founder of Old Sichuan Dengying Beef in Chongqing, cuts large slices of beef as thin as cicada wings, and you can see the lantern shadow through the beef slices! It can be seen that knife skills have become the artistic pursuit of Chinese chefs!

There are quite a lot of names for knife skills, including slices, blocks, strips, etc., with more than 200 types. Choose different knife skills based on the properties and textures of different raw materials, or the difference in age and tenderness of the same raw material.

The sophistication of Chinese food seasoning is reflected in the fact that it is very good at seasoning during the heating process. The main ingredients, auxiliary ingredients and seasonings are brought together in an orderly manner. Through exquisite and subtle "changes in the tripod", Reach the supreme state of "making flavorful things come out, and tasteless things making them come in" and "the harmony of five flavors". In this process, two aspects are generally paid attention to. One is the type and amount of condiments used, that is, the qualitative and quantitative work of condiments; the other is the timing and sequence of adding ingredients so that the dishes can reach the best taste after being served. Flavor.

Shanghai’s three main ingredients include pork tripe tips, river shrimp and edamame. The ingredients themselves do not have a particularly strong taste, but through the delicious cooking method, you can make a rich and fragrant dish. Delicious food.

In the process of making Chinese food, they are good at using rich natural seasonings and unique processed seasonings, which have the characteristics of varied flavors and rich layers. In the matching of main and auxiliary materials, the auxiliary materials set off the main materials.

Chinese cuisine pays great attention to the control of heat.

Fire usually consists of four elements. One is firepower, which is the heat energy released during combustion, including large fire, small fire, slow fire, violent fire, etc. Pay attention to the conversion of large fire and small fire, in one go and without bias. Just right, which can be identified by the oil temperature; the second is the fire intensity, that is, the temperature reached by the fire power. The efficiency of the stove must be fully understood to ensure sufficient oxygen supply, good ventilation, full combustion of fuel, and effective use of heat energy; the third is fire intensity, that is, flame combustion The size of the range is the heating area of ??the cooker; the fourth is the fire time, which is the length of time the fire contacts the cooker.

For example, three kinds of pork liver, kidneys and chicken gizzards are fried. Different ingredients are cooked at different heats, half-cooked or undercooked, and then put into the same pot to cook and seasoned. Can be cooked.

In the cooking method, water and steam are used as the medium to make delicacies. It is relatively difficult to master the heat. The most difficult thing to master is the method of using oil as the heat transfer medium to quickly cook. Because a slight deviation in the use of fire will seriously affect the quality of the dishes, but this cooking method is also what China is best at. The most typical example is stir-frying. Only by accurately controlling the heat and using neat techniques can the ingredients be tender, crispy and soft.

Whether it is dices, shreds, slices, strips, blocks or other shapes, the thickness, thickness, and length must be consistent in order to cook delicious food with excellent flavor. For example, the stir-frying and frying methods use high heat for a short time and the flavor is absorbed quickly, so the raw materials need to be cut small and thin; the stewing method uses medium and small fires, the time is longer, and the raw materials can be cut large and thick.

Only when food and beautiful utensils are perfectly combined can each show its beauty and complement each other. Choose matching utensils according to the shape, color, flavor and ingredients of the dishes. At the same time, during the plating process, the food is treated as a work, reflecting the integration of life pictures and thoughts and emotions. Chinese chefs often create sentimental, vivid and wonderful artistic conceptions on the plate.