Chinese cuisine culture

China cuisine embodies the tradition of Chinese food culture, and it has many unique features compared with other countries' cuisines.

(1) the flavor is diverse. The vast Chinese nation, due to the differences in climate, products and customs, has formed many different cuisines in Chinese diet since ancient times. As far as local division is concerned, there are four major cuisines: Bashu, Qilu, Huaiyang and Guangdong and Fujian. (2) The four seasons are different. Throughout the year, it is the main feature of China's cooking to mix the diet according to the season. Our country has always followed the seasonal seasoning and side dishes, which are mellow in winter and light and cool in summer. Stew in winter and freeze in summer. All kinds of vegetables are replaced at four seasons and eaten at the right time. (3) Pay attention to the aesthetic feeling of dishes. Pay attention to the harmony of color, fragrance, taste, shape and container of food, which shows the aesthetic feeling of dishes in many ways. Chefs use their clever skills and artistic accomplishment to create all kinds of delicious food, which is unique in achieving the unity of color, fragrance, taste and shape, and gives people a special enjoyment of high spiritual and material unity. (4) Pay attention to interest. Since ancient times, Chinese cooking has paid attention to taste and interest. It not only has strict requirements on the color, aroma, taste, shape, utensils, quality and nutrition of snacks, but also has certain elegant requirements on the naming of dishes, the way of taste, the choice of time, the rhythm of eating, the interspersed entertainment, etc., with novel ideas and full of fun.

(5) combination of food and medicine. China's cooking technology is closely related to medical care. In our country, we have always attached great importance to "the homology of medicine and food" and "the same function of medicine and food", and used the medicinal value of food raw materials to cook various delicious dishes to achieve the purpose of preventing and treating certain diseases.

Some traditional food allusions in China are "Food is the most important thing for the people". With the rise of returning to natural food, traditional food is increasingly favored by people. In fact, the origin of these foods has its wonderful legends. When steamed bread was handed down from the Three Kingdoms, Meng Huo, the owner of Nanman Cave in the south of Shu, always attacked and harassed him, and Zhuge Liang personally led his troops to conquer Meng Huo. Lushui area is sparsely populated, miasma is heavy and Lushui is poisonous. Zhuge Liang's men put forward a superstitious idea: kill some prisoners of "Na Man" and sacrifice their heads to the river god of Lushui. Of course, Zhuge Liang couldn't promise to kill the prisoners of "Nan Man", but in order to boost morale, he came up with a way: using flour and dough brought by the army, kneading it into a human head and steaming it as a sacrifice instead of "Nan Man" to worship the river god. Since then, this kind of pasta has been handed down and spread to the north. But it was so scary to be called "Man Head" that people replaced the word "Man" with "Man" and wrote "Steamed Bread". Over time, Steamed Bread became the main food of northerners. Crystal Cake Crystal Cake is a famous spot in Weinan, Shaanxi Province. It is characterized by golden noodles and silver gangs, peeling and crisp, cool tongue and teeth, sweet and palatable. Legend has it that Kou Zhun, the Song Dynasty official, was honest and fair, and won the hearts of the people. One year, Kou Zhun returned from the capital of song dynasty, Kyoto, to his hometown, Weinan, to visit relatives in the countryside, which coincided with his 51th birthday. The hard-earned villagers sent birthday peaches, noodles and plaques to congratulate him, and Kou Zhun held a birthday banquet. After three rounds of wine, suddenly his men brought a delicate paulownia box, which Kou Zhun opened and contained 51 crystal-clear snacks. On top of the dessert, there is a piece of red paper, neatly written with a poem: "Public crystal eyes and crystal hearts can distinguish loyalty from traitors, and innocence is not stained with dust." The signature is Weibei laosou. Later, the chef in Kou Zhun also made this kind of dim sum, and Kou Zhun gave it a nice name according to its characteristics, called "Crystal Cake". According to legend, during the reign of Kangxi in the Qing Dynasty, there was a girl named Fusang, who was the maid of a big sugar shop in Neijiang, Sichuan Province who advocated the Yaxian family. Once, while Zhang Yaxian was away, she scooped up a bowl of syrup and was about to drink it. Zhang Yaxian came, and Fusang quickly poured the syrup into the pig tank, hid it in the woodpile, and put some chaff on it to cover it up. A few days later, when Fusang held out the pig oil tank, the tank was full of many crystal-like things, which broke the entrance, crisp and pure and sweet, and its taste was better than sugar. Fusang talked about this strange phenomenon, and many people did the same thing. Because the sugar produced looks like ice and tastes like honey, people call it rock sugar.

beautiful Yunnan cuisine-a brief history of Yunnan food culture

Yunnan cuisine (Yunnan cuisine for short). Because of Yunnan's special geographical environment, Yunnan cuisine is eclectic and has its own style. It is good at cooking delicacies, fresh freshwater fish and vegetables. It is fresh, tender and sweet, slightly sour and spicy, and has a thick smell of heavy oil. It is suitable for the tastes of people in frontier areas and has its own style in China. Yunnan has been a multi-ethnic region since ancient times, and the ethnic minorities who live in Yunnan have been the source and stream of Yunnan cuisine for generations. During the Qin and Han Dynasties, the Han people began to cultivate in Yunnan. During the Tang and Song Dynasties, Nanzhao and Dali local governments appeared in Yunnan. During Nanzhao period, the Tang Dynasty used troops to Nanzhao and lost tens of thousands of teachers. At least one million people were displaced in Yunnan. At that time, under the preferential policy of "one Abel Tamata, two non-communal services", the economic and cultural development of Yunnan was promoted. Yunnan Dao and Dali Horse are famous in the Central Plains. Among the skilled craftsmen who have flowed into Yunnan, there are many famous chefs, and Yunnan cuisine is extremely prosperous. Since the mid-Ming Dynasty, the population of Han nationality in Yunnan has surpassed that of local nationalities, and Yunnan cuisine has undergone a qualitative change. There are a large number of records of homology of medicine and food in Herbal Medicine of South Yunnan. At the end of the Ming Dynasty, Xu Xiake went to Baoshan, and friends presented chickens. When he arrived in Lijiang, Naxi Tusi Mugong treated him with 81 flavors, including soft pigs (suckling pigs) and yak tongues. In addition, he also ate bamboo rats. In the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, hundreds of thousands of people stayed in Yunnan, including the rest of the peasant uprising army and Wu Sangui's subordinates. In particular, Guiwang of Nanming entered Yunnan, changed Yunnan into the capital of Yunnan, and famous teachers flocked to people in batches, and the skills of Yunnan cuisine have been greatly developed. For example, in the Qing Dynasty, a scholar teacher sang a poem for the bow fish in his hometown, "The belly contains Qionggao, and the round ridge is beautiful for spring wine". After the Opium War, since Mengzi, Tengchong, Simao, Kunming Switch and Yunnan-Vietnam Railway were opened to traffic, domestic and foreign trade flourished, and restaurants from all over the country gathered in Yunnan, forming Yunnan cuisine with Han cuisine as the mainstay and ethnic minority cuisine. During the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression period, the Yunnan-Myanmar Highway was opened to traffic, and Yunnan became the rear area. Famous chefs from all walks of life gathered in Kunming and the northeastern and western Yunnan along the traffic line, which accelerated the exchange of cooking skills and promoted the further development of Yunnan cuisine. During this period, chefs were divided among the chefs to meet the requirements of dignitaries, wealthy businessmen and celebrities. The unique conditions in Yunnan provide rich raw materials for cooking. Yunnan is located in the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, with a long range of mountains, flat dams and rivers and lakes embedded in it, forming a colorful geographical features and a three-dimensional climate with distinct dry and wet conditions, which is very conducive to the growth of animals and plants. Yunnan is known as "the kingdom of plants", "the kingdom of animals", "the kingdom of spices", "the hometown of medicinal materials" and "the hometown of flowers and trees". According to incomplete statistics, there are 366 species of fish, 92 species of amphibians, 143 species of reptiles, 782 species of birds, 274 species of mammals, more than 211 species of wild edible fungi, and many kinds of wild flowers, fruits and vegetables. Yunnan-style catering consists of the characteristics of dishes in three regions. First push the northeast of Yunnan. Zhaotong area and Dongchuan city were alternately under the jurisdiction of Sichuan and Yunnan before the Qing Dynasty. Because this area is bordered by Sichuan and Guizhou, it has more contacts with the Central Plains, and its cooking methods and tastes are deeply influenced by Sichuan cuisine, which is similar to Sichuan cuisine. Luo Fugui, Xie Dekun and Peng Zhengfang, the famous contemporary chefs in Yunnan, are all Zhaotong people, and the soup fried with tripe, crisp red beans, bamboo shoots, Luohan bamboo shoots, cloud legs and beef jerky are all famous dishes in this area. Followed by western Yunnan and southwest Yunnan. Because of its proximity to Tibet, Myanmar and Laos, there are many ethnic minorities, and their cooking characteristics are influenced by Tibetan, Hui and temple dishes, with the dishes of ethnic minorities as the main body. Such as Zhuang beef soup, cold slices, cold chicken and wax goose of Hui nationality; Citronella chicken stuffed with spices by Dai people; Bai people's milk fans, Erhai fish and shrimp, vegetarian dishes; Yi people's milk cakes and burnt pigs; Hot pot of Naxi and Tibetan. Cordyceps, Rhizoma Gastrodiae, Fritillaria, and Pork Fat; Dog meat of Hani and Miao people; Game of Zhuang nationality, Sanqi; Drunk chickens of Pumi and Nu nationalities. These dishes with national characteristics, each with its own strong points, have formed local traditional dishes. Finally, the southern part of Yunnan. With mild climate, abundant rainfall and abundant natural resources, it is the essence of Yunnan cuisine. Since the Ming Dynasty, the economy and culture have developed rapidly, and it is the birthplace of Yunnan Han cuisine. Such as crossing the bridge rice noodles, steamed chicken, shredded chicken sprouts, sliced pineapple, Shiping tofu, fish from Qilu Lake, Xingyun Lake, Fuxian Lake and Yilong Lake, eel, loach and vegetables from Yuxi, and sweet onion from Kaiyuan, all originated from this area.

Kunming cuisine concentrates on the cooking essence of the above three regions, and is formed by absorbing some skills of Sichuan and Shandong cuisine on the basis of summarizing and inheriting southern Yunnan cuisine. As the political, economic and cultural center city of Yunnan, Kunming's dishes are representative of Yunnan cuisine. The formation of local tastes is closely related to its geographical location, climate, water quality and food customs. Generally speaking, the overall characteristics of Yunnan cuisine are that it has a wide selection of ingredients and many flavors, and it is rare to cook delicacies and water. Its taste is characterized by fresh, tender, fragrant, sweet, moderate sour and spicy, slightly sour and spicy, paying attention to the original taste and original flavor, crisp, waxy and mellow heavy oil, not rotten, tender but not raw, properly decorated and realistic in shape. The following are detailed one by one. First, it is mainly sour and spicy. Yunnan is rich in condiments, both domestic and wild. The unique spices such as citronella, fragrant grass, tsaoko, mushrooms and Toona sinensis seeds add a sense of attraction to the attractive dishes. The application of wild coriander and leek makes the dishes spicy and delicious. There are all kinds of peppers, especially hot peppers. Famous vinegars include Lufeng balsamic vinegar and Dongchuan rice vinegar. Guangnan Baai Seven Vinegars, Kunming Bran Vinegar, and ethnic plum vinegar and sour papaya vinegar have become daily condiments for Han people and ethnic minorities. Bitter gourd and dried tangerine peel are delicious, bitter and cold, sweet in bitterness, and delicious in bitterness. Yunnan cuisine chefs can cook a variety of simple and compound dishes with sour, sweet, salty, bitter and spicy flavors by using these seasonings according to people and local conditions. Among them, it is mainly sour and spicy. Yunnan is located in the plateau, where damp heat and cold coexist, while sour and spicy have the effects of dampness, expelling wind and appetizing, so it is loved by the masses. For example, the sour and smoked vegetables of the Dai and Achang ethnic groups, and the pickled vegetables of the Miao and Yi ethnic groups with green beans are all well-known local dishes. The second is to pay attention to freshness. Because of the unique three-dimensional climate in Yunnan, there is a saying that vegetables are always green. It's winter, but vegetables keep coming, such as in Kunming, when garlic sprouts. Pea tips are seasonal vegetables. Vegetables attract people to feast, and they are often made as vegetarian dishes or used for ornament, reflecting lightness and simplicity. Original flavor, fresh and sweet flavor. Such as "fried onion", "stuffed lily" and "fried cactus flower" are traditional local dishes. Animals write, eat raw and live, and pay attention to tenderness. The well-known "crossing the bridge rice noodles", the chef skillfully uses the characteristics of chicken oil to keep warm, stews the chicken rotten, and uses chicken soup to marinate raw meat slices and rice noodles with various seasonings, which tastes fresh and delicious and becomes a model of eating raw and fresh. There are also suckling pigs, pigeons, chickens and ducklings, which are often mixed with nourishing medicinal materials such as Cordyceps, Gastrodia elata, Notoginseng Radix and Fritillaria, which can not only eat fresh and tender, but also strengthen the body, killing two birds with one stone. Throughout the whole Yunnan cuisine, while focusing on freshness and tenderness, it pays attention to rich flavor and fragrance. Meat is cooked in dishes, or roasted or roasted or even stewed, and the cooked dishes are rich in flavor and fresh in taste. Cured products such as "Yuntui" have stronger flavor because the meat shrinks after curing. When cooking, after removing part of the salty taste, use deep-frying, frying or crisp stew, and add other seasonings to add fresh fragrance to the finished dishes, which is especially good for entertaining guests and accompanying wine. Third, the techniques are diverse, and the ancient style still exists. Among the cooking techniques that Yunnan cuisine is good at, it can be divided into steaming, frying, frying, marinating and stewing of Han nationality, which has the characteristics of original flavor, crispness, freshness, freshness and strong fragrance. The baking, spring, enlightenment, salting and salt (fire bureau) of ethnic minorities have strong local flavor and reflect the living customs of ethnic minorities. Among many cooking methods, some are based on one, and some are combined with frying, frying and frying to cook dishes with different flavors. Yunnan cuisine has a variety of techniques, traditional cooking methods still account for a certain proportion, and ancient customs still exist. Such as: roast, roast sheep and pheasant with open fire, which is more common among ethnic minorities; Soot, using the residual heat of charcoal ash after firewood burning, to cook various dishes, which is unique; Boil the food, put it in a stone mortar with seasoning, and eat it carefully, so that it is easy to digest; The separator salt bureau is to put a layer of salt in the iron pot, put a cooker on the salt, use salt to transfer heat, and stew it in the separator, which has a special flavor; Pickling has accumulated a set of traditional techniques for processing, storing and eating in order to adapt to Yunnan's climate characteristics and the custom of killing Nian pigs in winter, such as round legs (ham) of Bai nationality, pipa pigs (whole wrist-made) of Naxi, Pumi and Tibetan nationality, dried deer feet of Yi nationality, pickled beef feet and sour fish of Dai nationality, blood (fish) of Lacu nationality, dried beef and goose of Hui nationality, etc.

nowadays, there is a new trend of catering in Yunnan. The first is nostalgic diet. Some people say that history will never disappear, it will only precipitate in the details of life. There is a feeling called nostalgia, which is a complex in almost all people's hearts. However, savoring food in nostalgia has a unique taste in my heart. There are indeed many restaurants in Kunming with nostalgia as the theme. For example, tonight's restaurant, 1915 Huguo Qiaotou restaurant, 1911 South Railway Station restaurant, and Cuihu Lake ... The "Tonight's" Yunnan nostalgic theme restaurant located in Mingtong Road reminds you of the burning years of passion. Maybe it's the "model opera" stills hanging on the wall, the yellow picture books and comic books scattered on the bookshelf, or the old food stamps and Chairman Mao's badges displayed in the cupboard? Maybe it's just the familiar posture of Sister-in-law Aqing and Li Tiemei in the old photos, but the memories are endless ... When you open the menu, it's full of familiar and cordial hometown flavors: Wenshan Sanqi Stewed Chicken, Screen-side Spicy Fish, Erhai Drunken Shrimp ... Local characteristics, frontier food, there is always a kind of food and a kind of memory that belongs to you, and the per capita consumption in 21 yuan is absolutely affordable. Secondly, Yunnan roast whole sheep is popular. There are several places in Kunming to eat roast whole sheep, such as the roast whole sheep in Baishahe Park, the roast whole sheep in three bowls of water, and the roast whole sheep in Yangmingtang ... And Baishahe Park in the eastern suburb has launched a food project of roast whole sheep in the wild this year. The biggest feature of their outdoor barbecue is that they can freely enjoy a roast whole sheep or roast suckling pigs or rabbits in a tent with green grass, and a group of people are happy to drink, sing and eat delicious barbecue. After the barbecue, a group of people can stay and browse the beautiful scenery in early spring. Finally, the colorful Yunnan-flavored farmhouse music. Nongjiale has long been accepted by Kunming people, and the farmhouse restaurants in the suburbs of Kunming are also thinking about tricks and changing ways to attract consumers. For example, there are more than 81 various farmhouses in Tuanjie Township, Xishan, as well as the largest ski resort in Southwest China and the Leopard House with elegant scenery. The Bai Leisure Park in Tuanjie Township here not only has a good leisure and accommodation environment, but also the mountain farmhouse flavor here makes many tourists linger back and forth. Mr. Li, a tourist, said that it was different from the usual simple farmhouse meal. They made the farmhouse food more delicious and exquisite, and then drank a cup of home-brewed corn wine, which was very enjoyable. After a full meal, you can also participate in a large-scale national song and dance bonfire party. A glimpse of three special foods

roasted tofu

roasted tofu is a folk snack in southern Yunnan. It is sold in Kunming night market. Tofu used for cooking tofu is produced in Shiping County and Jianshui County. Tofu made of high-quality soybeans, after fermentation, is theoretically "smelly and delicious". Bake with charcoal fire through the iron net, brush with vegetable oil and bake until golden.